“Dad, I don’t think I can do this.” I breathed through the anxiety building in my chest.

My dad wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me. Soothingly running his hand down my hair. “You will be great, Darling. Hush now and do not let your worries consume you. You have the strength of your mother burning inside you, and boys that will stand by you always. If you are asked to fight, you will succeed.”

I buried my head in his shoulder, “I should have left. It’s too dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” My dad laughed and I could feel the vibrations through his chest. “If a fight is dangerous, than what have you been doing since we left you alone here?”

I tried to fight back the giggle that fell from my lips. “Staying safe?” I tried.

“You haven’t been safe since we dropped you off, Sky. You’ve risked your life far too many times, for things no one else would be stupid enough to do, but you are braver than anyone I know. Whatever happens after this match takes place, you will get through it, because you have faced far darker things.”

“Why can’t Mom be here?” I pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes.

Dad smiled down at me, “Something she will tell you about later, it’s not for me to share and I understand very little of it anyway.”

“I guess I have to take that.” I grumbled. “Mom is the worst at keeping people informed.”

“That she is.” Dad kept an arm around my shoulders and led me further into the tent behind the final arena. “Now, if today the Champion chooses to take on the Descendant, your Warriors must return to their Cards, and you will descend onto the arena grounds and take up stance at the east. As the highest ranked Dealer here, no one can preside over or command this match. You call when it starts, and when it ends. We are here to watch and observe the coming battle so the ruling from the end is incontestable.”

I peered out of one of the tent flaps at the crowd slowly gathering in the stands to find the best seat. Everyone was gathering. Everyone at the Academy wanted to watch the final fight should it happen, and by the numbers filling in, everyone is betting on it happening.

“Uproar will probably ensue, which I will dispel as quickly as I can, then I will go over the final rules for you as you are not yet completely familiar with presenting them.” Dad continued, motioning for me to take a seat in the canvas shelter before we would have to go and let this mess continue its course. “At that point it will then be on you to begin the match by summoning your Warriors. It is customary to allow your opponent to make the first move, then the fight properly begins.”

“What’s considered a ‘first move’?” I took a seat in the chair he offered me.

My dad settled in the seat next to mine before answering. “Stepping over the marking point or giving a command to his Warriors.”

I nodded my head in acknowledgement, as I tired not to think of the filling stands outside my view.

The wind had been picking up as the day went on, so it was a light gust at this point, causing my hair to fly around my face as it blew through the tent. Pulling a hair tie out of my pocket, I twisted my hair up into a bun to keep it from getting in my eyes.

“How are you holding up?”

Startled, I looked over my shoulder to find my youngest cousin leaning on the back of my chair. “Hey, Zelo. Worse than I thought, but better than some.”

He laughed and ruffled my hair. “Sky, you’ve been trained since you were a kid in physical combat, and have been taught by the strongest Warriors in existence on how to combat their kind and control their powers. The only thing you have to fear is your own self doubt and worry. Shed your fear, little cousin, and no one will ever be able to stop you.”

I nodded, unsure how to respond to him.

The small tent was bustling with activity as I looked around. Zelo moved off after speaking we me to group up with his brothers and their friends. Yongguk continued to try to keep Youngjae away from Daehyun, but that was not very successful, and it seemed he was starting to give up at this point. He would still be a pain for them, I was sure, but his anger over it had faded slightly.

Tao was in the corner talking with Kris and Kai. Luhan was nowhere is slight, nor was Suho or Chen, and I knew Chanyeol and Baekhyun were already out sitting in the stands. Lay was chatting with one of the teachers and Xiumin wasn’t far from him. Sehun and D.O walked though the entrance with a billow of air opening and closing the canvas for them. The two of them made their way over to my Father and I.

“Hey.” I spoke looking up at the two other them. “Anything?”

D.O shook his head. “We are going in blind if you are going to have to fight. He is refusing to tell anyone what he is going to choose. We have to be ready for the fight.”

“A lot of whispering going on about seeing the Descendant fight, though.” Sehun added. “Apparently it’s been a while since anyone has been able to directly fight the Descendant. It has always been another Royal in atten