Chapter 2 - The Golden Glow
It was a legendary Frost-Maned Lion, a creature twice the size of a normal beast, with fur as white as glacial snow and eyes that burned like liquid amber. Bred for execution, it had never known mercy. It lowered its massive head, sniffing the scorching air, locked its terrifying gaze squarely on Kaelen, and began to charge.
The crowd surged to their feet, screaming in ecstatic anticipation. Kaelen didn't flinch. He planted his feet in the sand, closing his eyes for a fraction of a second as the thunderous pounding of the beast's paws shook the ground beneath him. He raised his hands, not to defend himself, but instinctively grasping the simple leather cord hidden beneath his tattered collar.
At that exact moment, the beast sprinted toward him—and then, without warning, slammed to a dead stop.
A hush fell over the massive arena so profound that you could hear the wind sweeping across the desert sands.
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Kaelen opened his eyes. The white lion was standing mere paces away, its chest heaving, its ears pinned forward in absolute astonishment. From beneath Kaelen's torn collar, a heavy, ancient medallion slipped free. It was an artifact he had worn since he was an orphan: a circular bronze pendant featuring a finely sculpted golden lion.
As the morning sun struck the metal, the golden lion on the necklace began to glow with a brilliant, blinding celestial fire—and the entire arena was left utterly speechless.
