The gleaming towers of Veridia City rose before me, their polished surfaces reflecting the morning sunlight like beacons. My heart raced as our carriage approached the imposing gates. I'd only been here once before—under drastically different circumstances.
"First time in the capital?" Eamon Greene asked, noticing my wide-eyed stare.
I hesitated. "Second, actually. But it feels different this time."
Different because I wasn't sneaking in as a desperate fugitive. Different because this time, I wore the emblem of Eldoria Province proudly on my chest, representing our Battle Zone in an official capacity.
"The Veridia City Battle Zone is ahead," our driver announced, pointing to a massive structure that dwarfed even Eldoria's largest training facility.
