Sylvara POV
The silence pressed down on me so hard it felt heavier than any blow I'd taken.
I stood there, chest heaving, hands shaking, my skin still buzzing from the shift. The air smelled of fear, sweat, and something older… something that clung to me like smoke. I looked down at my hands, half expecting claws to still be there.
They weren't.
But I could still feel the surge of power around me.
Whispers spread through the arena, low and frantic.
"That color… "
"No… that's impossible."
"She shouldn't exist."
"She's forbidden.."
"We're doomed."
My heart began to pound again, this time not from the fight.
I turned slowly, searching for something familiar. Talia stood frozen near the edge of the grounds, one hand pressed to her mouth, eyes wide with som
