Chapter 207 An Old Friend
Coban’s POV
The bell’s echo was still rolling across the arena when the crowd finally lost control.
Cheers exploded from every side of the grounds. Warriors pounded their fists against the railing, people stood from the banquet tables clapping and shouting, and the children on the grass started jumping like the entire place had suddenly turned into a festival.
The man on the tower platform was still catching his breath, one hand gripping the rope as his chest rose and fell hard from the climb.
Three minutes and twenty-eight seconds. Fastest run anyone had managed. And not by a little. By a lot.
I leaned forward slightly on the viewing rail, studying the warrior while the timekeeper confirmed the result below. Strong build. Controlled movements even when he was exhausted. He hadn’t panicked on the rings. That alone separated him from most men.
“Damn good run,” Caden said beside me.
I nodded once. “It was.”
Behind us Kevan gave a low whistle. “Well,” he muttered, “I’d say that man just earned himself a new career.”
Mark chuckled quietly. “He earned more than that.”
Across the grass the balloons were still floating lazily above the children, drifting in the warm daylight as Cassian and Atlas continued to bat them around with bursts of invisible force. The little ones chasing them had no idea a new warrior had just secured his place in history below.
Trixie stepped forward slightly beside us, watching the arena floor as the officials moved into position near the podium.
Her maroon dress caught the sunlight as she moved, the deep color rich against the stone and banners surrounding the arena.
Caden noticed too. He always noticed. His hand slid briefly along the small of her back as he leaned closer. “You’re about to make someone’s day,” he said quietly.
She smiled faintly. “That warrior made his own day.”
I straightened from the railing. “Come on.
The announcement platform had already been prepared near the center of the arena floor. Warriors cleared a path as we moved down the steps from the viewing platform, the noise of the crowd swelling the closer we got to the ground.
Darien and Lucian moved into position immediately. Darien to my left. Lucian to Caden’s right.
Mark and Kevan followed just behind us as we crossed the arena floor.
Security never relaxed. Not even during celebration.
The crowd parted as we approached the podium, applause rippling outward as people realized the final announcement was about to happen.
The competitor had climbed down from the tower by then and was walking across the arena floor toward us.
Even from a distance I could see the exhaustion in his stride. But also the pride. He had every right to it.
I stepped onto the podium platform first, Caden beside me while Trixie took her place between us.
Darien and Lucian flanked the platform while Mark and Kevan remained just behind the stairs.
The arena slowly began to quiet again. Thousands of eyes turned toward us. I waited until the last of the cheers faded before stepping forward.
“Warriors,” I said, my voice carrying easily across the arena.
The crowd stilled.
“Over the past nine days, every man who stepped onto this course proved something.”
I let my gaze sweep across the stands.
“Strength. Discipline. Endurance.”
The competitors who had run earlier stood together near the lower railings, watching closely now.
“But today…” I continued, “one warrior pushed further than the rest.”
A ripple of anticipation moved through the crowd.
I glanced toward the man approaching the podium steps. He had nearly reached us now.
“Trixie,” I said quietly beside me, “the honor.”
She stepped forward. The sunlight caught in her dark hair as she lifted her gaze toward the crowd.
“Today,” she said clearly, “a warrior completed the course in the fastest time we’ve seen this entire tournament.” Her voice carried beautifully across the arena. “Three minutes and twenty-eight seconds.”
The crowd erupted again. Cheers echoed off the arena walls.
Trixie lifted one hand slightly to calm the noise before continuing. “The champion of this year’s tournament…”
She paused. “Blake of the White Claw Pack.”
The applause doubled instantly. The warrior stepped up onto the podium.
And the moment Trixie saw his face, She froze.
Her breath caught sharply beside me. Then her hand flew to her mouth. I turned my head slightly toward her. She was staring at him like she’d just seen a ghost.
Blake stopped a few feet in front of us. Tall. Broad shoulders. Sweat still clinging to his dark hair from the run. But the moment his eyes landed on Trixie, He smiled. Not the proud grin of a tournament champion. Something warmer. Something familiar.
“Well,” he said lightly. “Hello, Trix.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh my God!” She lowered her hand slowly from her mouth, disbelief written across her face. “Blake?”
He laughed quietly. “Yeah.” He stepped closer to the podium center. “It’s been a while.”
The crowd didn’t understand the moment happening in front of them. But I did. I looked between them carefully. “You know him,” I said.
Trixie nodded slowly, still staring at Blake like she couldn’t quite believe he was standing here. “My father’s best friend,” she said softly. “His son.”
Blake inclined his head slightly toward her. “Your dad used to drag me along every time he visited the palace.”
Kevan leaned toward Mark behind us. “Well I’ll be damned,” he murmured.
Mark smirked. “Small world.”
Blake’s eyes moved briefly toward me and Caden, respectful but steady. Then back to Trixie.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he said. She let out a small breathless laugh. “Didn’t expect to see you win my tournament.”
Blake grinned. “Guess we both got surprised today.”
Behind us, Cassian’s laughter rang out across the grass again as another balloon floated higher into the sky.
The crowd was still cheering.
But on the podium, something far more interesting had just begun