The next morning arrived quickly.
Yet, the moment Theo opened his door, he already knew this day would be like no others.
The entire street was packed, barely allowing him to step outside.
Groups of people filled every corner, their voices overlapping into an overwhelming wave of noise as they pushed towards the arena.
Some wore makeshift merchandise, others sang an old folk song, and a few even argued about who'd take the win.
Security had tightened as well, barriers set up along the main roads while staff guided the crowd forward in controlled streams.
Theo's wide eyes moved across everything slowly.
Compared to the day before, the scale had nearly doubled.
'So this is what it looks like when it really matters,' he thought.
Occasionally, he'd hear his name echo out from the crowd, making him look up each and every time.
'Good thing I decided to go early today,' he thought. 'Otherwise I might've really been unable to get there in time.'
