The video review stretched for nearly two agonizing minutes, officials huddled around the monitor while Ivy stood frozen on the strip, her heart pounding as she watched the replay looping on the arena's massive overhead screen — her own blade, and her opponent's, converging in a moment so close that even her own trained eye struggled to determine, with any genuine confidence, which touch had actually landed first.
The head referee finally straightened, addressing the scoring table with careful, deliberate authority before turning to make the formal announcement.
"Point, Sokolova," he declared, and the arena erupted into sound, half the crowd's cheers mixing with the disappointed groans of her opponent's supporters as the final score confirmed, 15-14, her advancement into the tournament's
