As she tightened her hold on the man she had captured, she stayed on high alert, watching for anyone attempting to get close.

Her throat felt scorched by stress, her mouth so dry that it felt like it was burning. She kept her lips tightly sealed while the man in black gasped for breath.

Suddenly, loud applause burst from the arena's upper levels.

Ariana's head snapped up instantly.

The man in the black coat, who had been seated on the high platform before, stood up, clapping. The arena fell silent around his solitary applause.