The first thing I felt that morning wasn’t nerves. It was hot-dog breath puffing across my face.

  Tucker’s massive head rested on the edge of my mattress; his jowls squished against the blankets. The rest of his body sprawled across the floor because there was no universe in which he could fit in my bed. I nudged his head aside and stretched, joints popping one by one.

  Instinctively, I reached for my badge. Checking it had become a morning ritual over the last few months. The numbers flickered, then settled. 28222.

  A massive number by any normal standard… yet somehow only good enough for third place.

  Balt had pushed past thirty thousand. Jase had blown past both of us with thirty?two thousand. Monsters, both of them.

  I exhaled, half amused thinking of my third-place finish. Spending time leveling up Tucker had slowed me down a bit, but it had been great fun watching the pup grow. Getting him to level 35 and combat ready had taken, long tasks, long nights, and a small fortune of meat, but seeing him grow into the powerhouse he was now had been worth it.

  I reached down and shook his shoulder. “Hey. Wake up. Time to brush your teeth.”

  He cracked one eye open, offended by the very concept of morning hygiene.

  “Don’t give me that look,” I said. “You know the rules. If you’re going to stick your face in mine every morning, you’re brushing twice a day.”

  He huffed, then slowly hauled himself upright, stretching like a giant, furry cat.

  I still couldn’t believe the size he had grown to in only six months. I’d had to hire an actual professional, to widen every doorway in my room. Tucker had gotten stuck in the bathroom doorway and had broken the door frame.

  I had to apologize to Mei and had begged her to let me pay for some renovation of my room, even though it was her property. She had agreed quickly saying she had to get back to work. Mei was so damn busy nowadays we hardly ever had a chance to talk to her for more than a few moments.

  But I doubt she would have it any other way. Managing multiple coffee locations kept her constantly running around for one reason or another.

  Tucker gave a big, toothy yawn that made me smile. “Come on,” I said, patting his flank. “Tournament day. Let’s start it with minty breath.”

  Tucker groaned but followed me anyway. I brushed my teeth, then his, straightened my new robes, and activated Tucker’s collar. We were finally ready for the day.

  We headed downstairs, Tucker’s claws clicking on the steps behind me like oversized metronome beats. The smell of breakfast hit me before we reached the bottom, eggs, fresh bread, something sweet, something savory. Mei had gone all?out again. She had closed down all her locations today to watch her brother and the rest of us compete. Chu had finished in eleventh place barely missing the top ten, but I believed he had a good chance to advance nonetheless.

  Balt was already at the table, halfway through a plate stacked high enough to qualify as a small hill. He looked up as we entered, wiped his mouth, and stood. “Check it out,” he said, spreading his arms.

  His new robes shimmered faintly, dark threads catching the morning light in shifting patterns. He did a slow turn, clearly proud.

  I couldn’t help grinning. I showed mine off as well. “We look good.” I said.

  “Damn right we do.” He held out a fist.

  I bumped mine against his, knuckles tapping. Tucker lumbered over and shoved his head under Balt’s hand, demanding attention. "Good luck today old man." Balt laughed and gave him a firm pat between the ears. "Thanks pup."

  "Where are the others at? I asked, “You just missed them,” he replied. “They’re already headed to the gathering area at the guild.”

  “Figures,” I muttered, grabbing a plate. I ate light before a fight, unlike my buddy across from me, just enough to settle my stomach without slowing me down. Tucker inhaled a bowl of something meat?based in three bites and grabbed some more. I smirked, I guess it didn't matter how much he ate, he was just observing today.

  I finished, wiped my hands, pushed back from the table, and nodded toward the door. “Alright. Let’s head that way.”

  Balt grabbed the last bite off his plate, Tucker shook himself like he was preparing for battle, and together we stepped out onto the road.

  The streets of the city were already alive. Streams of people flowed in the same direction, all drifting toward the third ring of the city like leaves caught in a steady current. Excitement buzzed in the air, low conversations, hurried footsteps, the occasional shout as vendors tried to sell last?minute snacks or charms for luck.

  I fell into the flow, Tucker padding beside me and Balt, his enormous bulk creating some room. I’d walked this route so many times over the last six months that my feet moved on their own. Past the baker with the crooked sign. Past the fountain where kids always played in, past the long stone wall that curved toward the Guild like a guiding hand.

  The closer we got, the thicker the crowd became. Eventually, we broke off towards the guild hall. I opened the guilds door to a sight.

  Guild security lined the interior walls, every one of them dressed in deep green, armor polished, expressions sharp. They stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a corridor that funneled us forward. Their presence wasn’t threatening, exactly, but it carried the weight of Ceremony.

  We walked through in near silence, as the sentry watched us. The back doors opened out back onto the wide training grounds where the qualification trials had been held half a year ago. Seeing it again sent a strange ripple through me, nostalgia mixed with nerves. This was where it all started. Where a hundred thousand hopefuls had fought for a chance.

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  Now, only 100 of us remained.

  A guild attendant waved us over and checked our badges and directed us to our seats.

  We climbed the steps and found our seats toward the front of the stands scattered among the other competitors. I saw Jase and Chu as we walked and gave a friendly wave that they both returned. I looked around seeing that we must have been among the last to arrive by the amount of people already sitting. Some were chatting quietly. Others were meditating. Some stared at the arena below as if they were in a trance.

  I sat lightly, not wanting to settle too deeply. The stands were made up just of flat stone, and Tucker laid down on the level below my feet, tail thumping once before he went still laying his head down to try to get a nap in.

  It only took a few minutes for the Guild master to appear. Aaron stepped out onto a raised central platform in front of us. The last time I seen him his robes and been somewhat disheveled. But now he wore a Brillant dark green robe with the cuffs lined with silver thread.

  Conversations died instantly, people's eyes flicked open and the people that had been in a trance came back to themselves, ready to receive the Guild Masters words.

  He looked over us, waiting for all eyes to be on him. When he was satisfied, he began, “One hundred fighters, each of you carry the pride of this city on your shoulders. You have bled for this opportunity today. You have sweat, toiled and went about your Tasks Day after day with determination to reach this point. I want you to know that your hard work is appreciated, and I wish you all good fortune today.” He gave us a bow, which we all stood and returned in kind.

  He motioned us to sit back down and continued his speech. “Thank you for meeting me so early,” he said, voice carrying effortlessly across the stands. “Before all of you face the crowds, before the noise begins, and the fog of battle takes over, I wanted a moment with you all.”

  A hush settled deeper.

  “You’ve earned your place here. Every one of you. Today, you step into the arena not as hopefuls, but as contenders.”

  A murmur of pride rippled through the group.

  “It does not matter if you finished in hundredth or first place, every man has a chance on the battlefield. When I finish in a moment, the honor guard will escort you to the arena floor. Walk with your heads held high. You represent the Guild, Veyra, and yourselves this day.”

  He paused, letting the weight of it sink in.

  “Good luck and fight well.”

  The moment he stepped back, the green?clad guards moved into formation, awaiting us to walk down and take our positions.

  I exhaled slowly, stood, and brushed a hand over Tucker’s collar. “Alright,” I murmured. “Showtime.”

  All of us in the stands walked down and took our spots. The honor guard began to move, two lines of green?armored Guild soldiers forming in the front of us and then the rear of the procession. Their steps were perfectly synchronized, boots striking stone in a steady rhythm that echoed through the Guild courtyard. A man up front held a flag high and circled it in the air, we all started to move.

  The city was awake and roaring. People lined both sides of the street, packed shoulder to shoulder. Some stood on crates or balconies just to get a better look. The moment we appeared, a wave of cheers rolled over us, loud enough that I felt it in my chest. Flower petals rained down from above, drifting through the air in soft bursts of color. Reds, whites, golds. They clung to Tucker’s fur, and he shook them off with a sneeze that made a few kids laugh.

  I kept walking, but I couldn’t help taking it all in. Six months had flown by, and I was one step closer to saving them.

  The closer we got to our destination, the more the noise grew, until it wasn’t just cheering from the streets. It was something deeper. A constant, thunderous roar vibrating through the ground itself.

  Then I saw it.

  The Third Ring Arena.

  Even from a distance, it dominated my line of sight. A colossal stone coliseum rising higher than any building I’d ever seen on any tutorial floor so far, it had layered walls, towering arches, banners snapping in the wind. And the sound coming from inside… System, help me. It was like standing next to a living storm. Hundreds of thousands of voices blending into one massive, pulsing roar.

  But what really stole my breath were the lifelike statues. Chu had told me about them, but telling someone and me seeing it in person were two different things.

  Forty feet tall, carved from pale stone, each one positioned around the arena’s outer wall like silent guardians. Lifelike warriors, mages, tamers, every one of them a former champion of the Anchor Tournament. Their poses were heroic, weapons raised or resting proudly at their sides. It was damn cool, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Balt was slack jawed and Tucker’s eyes were as bis as saucers.

  We approached a side entrance where a cluster of heavily armored Guild members waited, over fifty of them, shields polished, helms gleaming. At its center stood Jason the Vice Guildmaster, hands clasped behind his back, expression unreadable.

  When we reached him, he nodded once.

  “Top ten,” he said, voice carrying easily over the noise. “You’ll follow me.”

  He gestured to the armored formation behind him.

  “The rest of you will break off and follow my assistant to your preparation rooms.”

  A woman in silver?trimmed robes stepped forward, bowing slightly to the group behind us.

  The honor guard shifted, splitting the path cleanly in two.

  I exhaled, steadying myself. Tucker pressed against my leg, sensing the tension.

  This was it. The moment everything started to feel real.

  The honor guard led us through a side entrance and down a long stone hallway that curved beneath the arena. The roar of the crowd above faded into a distant hum, replaced by the steady clank of armored boots and the soft padding of Tucker’s steps beside me.

  Eventually, the corridor opened into a large chamber.

  It was… surprisingly nice.

  Comfortable chairs arranged in clusters. Tables lined with refreshments, fruit, pastries, pitchers of cold water and something citrusy. And dominating the far wall was a massive projection of the battleground, displayed in crisp detail by a glowing magic stone set into a pedestal.

  For a moment, I just stared at it.

  It looks like a luxury movie theater back on Earth... only with more swords.

  Tucker flopped down beside one of the chairs, tail thumping once before he settled. Balt grabbed a drink. I stayed standing, taking it all in.

  The Vice Guildmaster stepped forward, clearing his throat. Conversations died instantly.

  He walked to the magic stone, tapped it once, and a timer appeared in the corner of the projected image, 45:00, counting down.

  “Alright,” he said, turning to face us. “Here’s how this is going to go.”

  Everyone leaned in slightly.

  “Numbers one hundred through ninety?two will face off against Number One.

  A ripple of murmurs passed through the room.

  “Bout two will be Seed Two versus Seeds ninety?one through eighty?three. And so on down the line.”

  He paused, letting the structure settle in our minds.

  “When that timer hits one minute, Seed One will walk down that corridor.” He pointed to his right, where a long hallway ended in a heavy door reinforced with metal bands. “And wait behind that door. When the timer strikes zero, the doors will open, and you will walk onto the battleground.”

  The room felt suddenly smaller. More focused.

  “If you win, which I wish you all the best in, you will be escorted either to the infirmary, if needed, or back here to watch the remaining bouts.”

  He clasped his hands behind his back.

  “Once again, good luck to you all. Give a hell of a showing. Other cities will run their own brackets today, and the final combined bracket will be assembled tonight and displayed in the morning.”

  He stepped aside, signaling the end of the briefing.

  I exhaled slowly, eyes drifting back to the countdown.

  44:12.

  Tucker nudged my hand with his nose, sensing the tension.

  “Yeah,” I whispered. “It’s almost time.”