Crack!
Pop!
BOOM!
Fireworks screamed into the night sky, then burst in showers of color—scarlet flares, gold embers, and searing white sparks that danced like stars being born. Each explosion rippled through the colossal colosseum, sending deep tremors through the marble floor and into the bones of every spectator.
The air smelled of roasted meats, spun sugar, and smoke—the chaos of a thousand festivities packed into one sacred, thunderous celebration.
The crowd was electric.
Roars of awe rolled like waves across the sea of bodies. Children pointed to the sky with sticky fingers. Lovers leaned close to share gasps. Warriors raised mugs in booming toasts. The War Games Festival had begun.
"Did you see that one, Mom? It was Seraphine's sigil!" a little elven girl cried, her voice sharp with joy as she clutched the hem of her elegant white robe. Her silver hair glimmered in the firelight as she pointed upward with both hands.
