Chapter 206. Familiar Faces

Celeste’s POV

After nearly a full day of travel following the bird’s subtle guidance, we finally arrived at a wide-open clearing nestled in the heart of the forest. The space was enormous, ringed by towering trees whose branches arched overhead like cathedral vaults.

Scattered throughout the clearing were several purpose-built arenas, each clearly designed for a specific sport—arched goals here, padded obstacles there, and even a high, taut net strung between stout wooden posts.

Not far off, a gentle river meandered around the edge of the site, its dark water reflecting shafts of sunlight. Floating on the current were dozens of rubber balls in every hue you could imagine—bright reds, deep purples, sunny yellows—drifting lazily like colorful moons bobbing on a midnight sky.

Right in the center of the clearing lay a massive stone platform, perfectly smooth and roughly circular, clearly intended as the main stage where the most important contests would