Max had no idea about the gathering taking place far from the Ten Shadows Trial.
He didn't know that the strongest geniuses of the outer layer had started discussing his name, and he certainly didn't know that Shreya had openly predicted he would reach the Ninth Shadow.
Right now, none of that mattered in the slightest.
Max stood alone inside the Fourth Shadow Trial.
The familiar darkness pressed in around the circular arena, swallowing everything beyond its lit boundary. The black stone beneath his feet was smooth and silent, and the pale light overhead revealed nothing except the battlefield itself.
Across from him, darkness began to gather, and the Fourth Shadow slowly took form.
Max watched quietly as the humanoid figure finished shaping itself.
