Arion stood tall—broad-shouldered, calm-eyed, but thrumming with focus. Normally soft-spoken, even shy, he turned into a storm when he stepped into the ring.
The crowd roared as he pivoted sharply, planted his feet, and launched the heavy stone disc. It spun through the air in a high, perfect arc, catching the firelight as it flew.
A moment later—it hit.
The disc landed with a deep, satisfying thud, sending up a cloud of sand and dust. Collin squinted through it, heart in his throat. All around him, the crowd sucked in a breath.
Before the dust could settle, a boy bolted onto the court, measuring stick in hand.
Collin leaned forward, pulse quickening.
Had he beaten Aries?
“Who’s winning?” Collin called to no one in particular.
“They’re tied—two to two!” Clive bounced on the balls of his feet, ruffling his honey-gold hair. “I’ve got my money on Aries!”
Collin turned to Clive’s twin. “What about you, Niall?”
“Definitely Arion!” Niall shouted.
“It’s Arion by an inch!” someone yelled from the pit.
Arion whooped, arms raised in triumph, but the cheers of his fans swallowed his voice.
Now it was Aries’s turn.
He stepped onto the field, lifting his disc high overhead as the crowd erupted. Collin grinned and cupped his hands around his mouth. “I’m betting all my money on you, Aries! Come on—make Chroma proud!”
Collin liked discus well enough, but the noise, the jostling crowd, the showboating—it wasn’t for him. He’d rather watch, cheer, make bets from the sidelines. If he craved a thrill, he preferred quieter risks, the kind that didn’t leave his ears ringing.
Aries, on the other hand, lived for the spotlight. He soaked in the cheers, gesturing grandly, baiting Arion with mock bravado. Arion shouted back, grinning, and Aries made a few false starts just to rile everyone up.
Then he shouted, “Increase the weight!”
The crowd roared.
“That one!” he called, pointing to the heavier disc. He tossed the lighter one toward Arion. “Do you need help lifting it?”
Arion scoffed and hefted the heavier disc. As they prepared to switch, everything went wrong.
Aries, still caught up in the show, turned to respond to a shout from the crowd. Arion motioned to him, but misread the moment.
He threw.
Collin’s breath caught.
Aries half-turned—too late.
The disc struck his wrist with a sickening thud and dropped to the sand.
He cried out, clutching his arm. Around them, the crowd gasped.
“Are you alright?” Arion shouted, already sprinting across the court.
Hadria was faster. She broke through the circle of stunned onlookers and knelt beside Aries, cradling his hand with care. Her eyes snapped to Arion, sharp and furious.
“How could you?” she hissed.
