The arena still buzzed with disbelief, the echoes of Aezel's unlikely victory lingering in the air. Aezel herself stood frozen, her hand still raised from her accidental hit. Her mind raced, trying to process what had just happened. Did she actually win? She blinked, half expecting the referee to announce some kind of mistake, but instead, the official repeated, "Winner: Aezel!"
The crowd exploded into cheers, gasps, and even a few stunned silences.
Reina sighed, massaging her temples. "She won… by accident."
Ren smirked. "And yet, here she stands, victorious. What a legend."
Aezel finally snapped out of her daze, throwing her arms up in exaggerated celebration. "Haha! I told you! Strategy, my friends. All part of the plan!"
Sylvia, still on the ground, gritted her teeth. That message_no, the unknown caller_had completely distracted her. She clenched her fists, glaring at her phone as if it had personally betrayed her. Who was that? How did they know about..?
She forced a slow breath, then smiled_her usual, perfect, unreadable smile. She couldn't let her frustration show. If someone was watching, she had to act normal. And most importantly, she had to get close to Aezel. If she was going to figure out who the hell was threatening her, she needed to start there.
With that thought, Sylvia pushed herself up, dusting off her uniform. She gave Aezel a sweet, practiced smile. "Congratulations. I underestimated you."
Aezel tensed, her eyes narrowing. "…Thanks?"
Sylvia's smile didn't falter. "Let's talk later, okay? I'd love to get to know you better."
Reina instantly stepped between them. "She's busy."
Sylvia raised an eyebrow but simply chuckled, brushing off the hostility. "Of course. Another time then."
The Battle Tests Continue
Aeron, Reina, and Ren's turn came next.
Aeron stepped into the ring, his expression as unreadable as ever. His opponent shifted into a stance, eyes locked onto him. The bell rang—
And Aeron did nothing.
Literally nothing.
He just stood there, hands in his pockets, looking as if he was thinking about what to eat for lunch. His opponent hesitated for a moment, then took the opportunity to land a clean hit to Aeron's shoulder.
Aeron… barely reacted. He stumbled back a step, his face blank. The referee called it...he had lost.
The entire audience blinked in shock.
"What the hell was that? He didn't even try."
"...Did he just lose without doing anything?" someone muttered.
Ren leaned toward Reina. "You think he threw the match?"
And, eyes narrowed. "That wasn't normal."
Reina, still watching Aeron's retreating figure, crossed her arms. "No. It wasn't."
When Aeron returned to the sidelines, Aezel approached him, eyes sharp. "Oi. What was that?"
Aeron blinked at her, his face unreadable as usual. "I lost."
"Yeah, I can see that! But why? You could've won easily."
Aeron gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. "Not everything is about winning."
Aezel's stomach twisted slightly. There was something about the way he said that…
Reina frowned, watching Aeron walk off the stage, expression unreadable. "...Maybe. But why?"
Ren didn't answer, but something about Aeron's calm, deliberate movements unsettled him. Almost like he had something bigger in mind.
Then it was ren and reina's turn.
Ren's POV – The Smirking Spectator
Ren had been watching from the sidelines, arms crossed, amusement dancing in his eyes. When the announcement for the next individual matches came, he grinned.
"My turn."
Reina rolled her eyes but didn't protest as Ren walked up to the ring with an easygoing swagger. Unlike Aeron, who had been unusually quiet, Ren was still his usual self..grinning, cracking jokes, acting like everything was just a game.
Ren fight was much more straightforward. Ren dodged attacks like it was a game, laughing every time his opponent got frustrated. "C'mon! That's all you got?"
Aezel glanced at him. Something felt… off.
She didn't know why, but after everything that happened, she couldn't shake the feeling that Ren was hiding something.
Reina, on the other hand, was precise, calculating. Her opponent barely lasted before she took them down with cold efficiency. When she walked off the stage, she barely looked winded.
Their victories pushed their team's points dangerously close to Aezel's. The competition was far from over.
The Group Test Announcement
Just as the fights ended, the school's announcement system crackled to life.
"Attention, all students. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the group test scheduled for today has been postponed to tomorrow. Further details will be provided later."
The room filled with murmurs. Aezel's fingers tightened around her injured wrist.
Postponed? That meant more time to prepare… but also more time for whatever unseen force was playing behind the scenes to act.
Sylvia turned her gaze toward Aezel once more, that fake, innocent smile still on her lips. "Looks like we have some time to rest."
Aezel forced a smirk. "Yeah. Rest."
She wasn't buying it. Not for a second.
And as she glanced at Aeron, at Ren, at Reina_she couldn't help but feel that someone among them was watching her far too close
Aezel's Doubts
As the crowd dispersed, Aezel sat in the locker room, rubbing her temple. The mysterious message from before still lingered in her mind. Someone had sent her Reina's location during the last test. Someone was watching. Someone had planned it all.
She thought back to the voice on the phone. Cold. Emotionless. Precise.
Aeron? He was always quiet, always calculating… but he literally doesn't care about anything.what if it wasn't him?
She tapped her fingers against the bench. Ren. He was always goofing around, but sometimes… there was something off. Too much confidence. Too much knowledge about things he shouldn't know. Could it be him?
And then there was Reina. Aezel hated the thought, but… she had been acting strangely, too. Was there something more to her than she let on?
Aezel groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I need a nap."
Sylvia's Plans
Meanwhile, Sylvia sat in her dimly lit dorm, staring at her phone. Her face was blank, but her grip on the device was tight enough to turn her knuckles white.
She smiled. The same flawless, unreadable smile she always wore,but this time it doesn't reaches to her eyes.
And inside, she was furious.
She didn't know who was blackmailing her, but she would find out. And the easiest way to do that…
Was to stick close to Aezel.
After all, if someone cared enough about Aezel to threaten her, they'd show themselves soon enough.
Sylvia's smile widened. "Let's play, then."
The Silent Threat
That night, as the students returned to their dorms, Aezel received a message.
Unknown: Be careful tomorrow.
Her heart pounded. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she finally typed:
Aezel: Who are you?
There was a long pause.
Then, another message.
Unknown: You already know.
Her breath hitched.
Her mind raced. Was it Aeron? The way he threw his match, the strange tapping—was it a signal? Or was it Ren, always watching with that smirk? Could it even be Reina, who had been acting strangely protective lately?
She didn't know.
And that terrified her.
To be continued....