“Over here, Eydis!” Birgit's voice cracked, a strangled cry lost in the growing roar of the crowd, as she waved frantically at Eydis. The seats were filling fast, and they barely snagged decent spots for the fire-and-ice battle raging between Natalia and Melissa.

Who could resist a good novelty battle? Not her, obviously. Birgit’s musings were interrupted as Eydis glided over, her signature smirk making Birgit feel like a lab rat facing a hungry owl. But wait, there was… someone else in tow? 

Birgit's breath hitched like a malfunctioning clockwork bird. Silver hair like spun moonlight, glacial eyes that could flash-freeze a hydra... it was Lady Astra! But... exhausted? Impossible. Not the sorceress who once vanquished..." Birgit's mind conjured terrifying images of Astra effortlessly slaying beasts, a stark contrast to this weary figure. And there was that time where she whipped Lord Lukas into shape too, his arrogance melting away under her icy gaze.

Birgit couldn't help but recall the chills (both literal and metaphorical) of their last encounter. A late-night truth-or-dare mission led them to Lady Astra’s door, met with a very-annoyed, very-icy glare and a chilling, “Leave.”

Eydis, a walking hurricane of chaos, seemed the polar opposite of the reserved ice princess. How, in the name of all things logical, were they holding hands?

“Close your mouth, Birgit," Colete purred, her voice laced with amusement. "Or you might catch a frostbite."

Birgit yelped, nearly dropping her orange juice. “Would you stop channelling your inner Eydis impersonator?”

Colete giggled, “Ouch, that stings! But seriously, stop ogling them, will you?”

“O-O-Ogling?” Birgit sputtered, her cheeks flushing hot. “I was just...confused! Since when are Lady Astra and Eydis...buddies?”

Her Azuran friend's eyes gleamed. "Honestly? Can't say I'm surprised."

Before Birgit could stammer out a question, a warm purr vibrated against her ear. Eydis materialised beside them, the orange juice she held vanished with a gulp, replaced by a mischievous grin. “Is this mine, then? Thanks B!” 

Sighing, Birgit grabbed another bottle from her bag, aware of Colete's suppressed giggles. The silence was shattered by Astra's low growl, "Are we just going to stand here?”

'Still in character,' Birgit thought, yet a shiver skittered down her spine as Astra's icy gaze flickered between the half-empty juice bottle and Birgit. Maybe shrinking wasn't a bad idea.

Then, in a move of pure chaotic energy, Eydis turned to Astra and offered her the remaining juice. To everyone's shock, the ice princess tilted her head and drank it in one smooth motion, her gaze inexplicably softening... towards Eydis? Was this some unknown Silverkeep’s sorcery?

Birgit's stomach lurched. Was it possible the ice princess actually... enjoyed Eydis' feeding her? Birgit's mind short-circuited.

As they settled in, Birgit felt a prickle of unease. This was either the dawn of a beautiful, bizarre friendship, or the prelude to a disaster of epic proportions. Only time, and a healthy dose of popcorn, would tell.

**

Salt spray stung Natalia's eyes as the torrent of fire she conjured met a tidal wave of ocean magic in a deafening hiss. The very air crackled with raw power, the arena floor trembling under their feet. The crowd roared, their cheers drowned out by the clash of elements.

Natalia stumbled back, the heat licking at her exposed skin. Was this truly Melissa, the girl she knew? The arrogance once sparkling in her blue eyes had been replaced by icy shards, devoid of warmth, reflecting the chilling power Natalia now faced.

Gone was the nervous girl who almost lost to Adam. This was a different being, a terrifying Azuran sorceress wielding power with chilling, almost brutal efficiency. Melissa raised a hand, and a surge of pressurized water roared towards Natalia, carrying the weight of the ocean itself.

But Natalia was a lioness, not a lamb. Her fire roared back, meeting the wave with a defiant hiss. Fire and ice writhed in a maelstrom of steam, obscuring the combatants from view. Natalia screamed, pouring every ounce of her mana into resisting the crushing pressure. Water sizzled and evaporated as her fire pushed back, sending the wave crashing harmlessly onto the barrier surrounding the arena.

She emerged from the steam, chest heaving, breath ragged. Her magic thrummed at the edge of depletion, mirroring the ache in her muscles. But her spirit remained unbroken.

Melissa, however, seemed untouched. Landing gracefully on the ground, she surveyed the scene with unsettling calmness. Where was the flicker of doubt, the strain of exertion Natalia expected? Just what dark secret fueled this chilling transformation?

The tension crackled in the air, thicker than the smoke swirling around them. The answer was not far off, Natalia knew. And she would find it, even if it meant pushing herself beyond her limits, even if it meant facing the terrifying truth behind the icy mask of her supposed ‘friend’.

Eydis's brow furrowed, her voice barely a whisper as she leaned towards Astra. "Something's off. Do you feel it?"

Astra's amethyst eyes narrowed at the scene, hardening like polished gemstones. To the untrained eye, it was a mere spectacle: water versus fire, the classic clash. But they knew better. The scene unfolding was deeply unsettling. Natalia, a powerhouse with near-limitless reserves, shouldn't be struggling like this. Melissa, while skilled, possessed a much smaller reserve. By now, she should be faltering, her attacks waning. Yet, the Azurean mage fought on, her movements precise, almost robotic, her eyes devoid of their usual spark.

"More than wrong," Astra growled, knuckles white on the handrail. "She looks...hollow. Like a doll animated by a cruel puppeteer."

Their hushed exchange was drowned out by a tidal wave aimed directly at the audience. Doctor Saito, earth magic thrumming at his fingertips, reinforced the barrier just in time. "Lady Melissa! Control your attacks!" he bellowed, his voice lost in her relentless onslaught.

Melissa ignored him, a menacing ice blade forming in her hand. With unnatural speed, she lunged for Natalia's throat. The fiery mage barely dodged, a startled gasp escaping her lips as she conjured a blazing ring of fire for defense. It should have melted the ice instantly, but the blade held firm, the chill radiating outwards.

Melissa pressed the attack, relentless and devoid of her usual playful banter. "Stubborn," she snarled, her voice chillingly devoid of emotion. An impossible blue, her eyes held none of the playful glint they usually did. This wasn't the Melissa they knew.

With a flick of her wrist, a razor-sharp ice dagger flew through the air, its target not Natalia, but Lionel.

With a desperate roar, Natalia threw herself in the path of the blade, knocking it aside. "What is this? Fighting dirty? You're beneath you!" she screamed, her voice raspy with anger and fear.

Melissa's smirk, cold and calculating, grated on Natalia's nerves. "A mere slip of the hand," she purred, her voice dripping with condescension. Her hand gestured, and the surrounding water obeyed, twisting into a monstrous spear aimed at Natalia's heart.

Seeing red, Natalia unleashed a torrent of fire, transforming herself into a living inferno. The water spear met the flames, hissing and sputtering into steam, obscuring the arena in a thick, white fog. But even through the haze, one chilling detail remained: the echo of Melissa's empty laughter, devoid of any semblance of the friend they knew.

Roaring flames licked the arena floor as Natalia unleashed a torrent of fire. Melissa, the water mage, defended with valiant barriers, each one dissolving in a hiss of steam against the inferno. 

Natalia, her crimson eyes blazing, fought with the fury of a cornered beast. Her fiery form danced through the steam, weaving a whirlwind of scorching attacks. But each time, Melissa countered with a surge of chilling water, her sapphire eyes reflecting a growing emptiness. 

Prince Adrian's voice, smooth as honey, broke the silence. "Now that's a fight worth the wait," he murmured, his golden eyes glinting with a predatory excitement. 

Duke Theomund, watching the raw power unleashed, felt a knot twist in his gut. These weren't mere students; they were conduits of an ancient magic, a magic teetering on the edge of control. "Perhaps we should intervene," he suggested, rising to reinforce the arena barrier. How long could this volatile dance continue?

Prince Adrian chuckled, amusement dancing in his narrowed eyes. "Don't be such a killjoy, Duke. Sit back and enjoy the show."

A monstrous wave erupted around Melissa, hoisting her high above the terrified crowd. Her eyes, once warm blue, now blazed like icy furnaces, greedily devouring the very water mana from the air. Gasps echoed through the stands as Azuran mages clutched their chests, their vibrancy fading like embers doused in water. With each stolen spark, the wave grew, morphing into a towering leviathan poised to unleash its chilling fury.

Colete crumpled to the ground, her body convulsing. "What's happening?" Birgit stammered, her face pale with terror.

Eydis, eyes sharp and focused, rushed to Colete's side, pouring her healing magic into her friend.

Captain Lionel, his voice choked with panic, yelled, "Natalia, stop her! Before it's too late!"

Melissa's grin was manic, her face contorted with a disturbing glee. "Who needs a personal reserve when there's so much to take?" 

The fight escalated. Melissa, her voice distorted by the stolen mana, unleashed a torrent that threatened to drown the arena. Natalia, her own reserves dwindling, conjured a wall of flames, the heat scorching the air itself. The audience gasped, their cheers replaced by terrified murmurs. This was no longer a controlled display; it was a desperate struggle for survival.

A blur of silver and grace sliced through the torrent, a shimmering diamond blade leaving a trail of awe-inspiring light in its wake. Lady Astra.

"Stop this madness! Are you trying to kill your friend?" Astra demanded, her voice firm as she stood protectively in front of the battered Natalia.

For a fleeting moment, recognition flickered in Melissa's sapphire eyes before glazing over. She snarled, "The fight isn't over! Yield, Natalia!"

Natalia coughed blood, her body scorched and aching, but her crimson eyes burned with defiance. "Blue, I don't know what's happened, but I'll fight you!" Her voice, now a powerful resonance, broke through Melissa's facade.

"I-I..." Melissa stumbled back, clutching her head, the stolen magic causing agonizing backlash. "N-Natalia..."

Astra, her knuckles white around her diamond blade, nodded at Natalia and stepped out of the battleground.

Natalia, her voice laced with pain and a flicker of hope, spoke again. "I don't know how you steal mana now, but you're not yourself. Not the girl who took the wrong Eydis to dinner," her voice softened, "not the Blue who stood by me despite the darkness we saw in the woods."

Memories flooded Melissa's mind, a kaleidoscope of shared moments with Natalia. The girl she admired, the girl whose fiery smile and unwavering support she craved. Why, then, was she trying to hurt her? A scream ripped from her throat, a cry of anguish and self-loathing.

But the darkness wasn't easily banished. It clawed back, whispering promises of power, of control. Melissa, her eyes wild, conjured an ice blade, its chilling gleam a stark contrast to the inferno Natalia wielded. Their clash was a dance of desperation and despair, each blow echoing the pain of their fractured bond.

Tears streamed down Natalia's face as she fought, each parry a desperate attempt to reach the friend buried deep within Melissa. "We can fight this together, Blue! Don't let it consume you!" Her voice, raw with emotion, resonated through the arena. 

The fight raged on, a brutal ballet of fire and ice. But amidst the chaos, a crack appeared in Melissa's facade. The ice blade faltered, her movements hesitant. With a final, desperate cry, Natalia unleashed a wave of flames, not to attack, but to envelop them both in a searing embrace.

The inferno burned bright, then flickered, leaving behind a stunned silence. Melissa, weak and trembling, collapsed into Natalia's arms. The fire around them subsided, leaving only the smouldering embers of their shared pain. The crowd, breathless, erupted in cheers, but it was a hollow victory.

As medics rushed to the injured, Natalia cradled Melissa's fragile form, a chilling dread settling in her heart. What had happened, and what horrors awaited them all?