Chapter 25--The Storm (1)
The next day finally came.
The air around the arena felt thick — not just with excitement, but with tension so sharp it could slice through silence.
Imperial High against Alliance High.
The second semi-final match.
The one that would decide who'd face Excellence High for the championship.
The rules were simple: 100 questions, each worth a point.
The first team to hit 60 points wins.
Sounds easy, right?
Not when every single student in the room was staring at you, waiting for the tiniest mistake.
Emery's palms were sweating so much that Violet had to hand him a tissue before the questions even began.
Vira inside Violet sighed dramatically.
"Host, if that boy doesn't calm down, I swear he'll set a world record for nervous sweating."
"Shh, Vira," Violet whispered under her breath, a small smile tugging her lips.
The competition began.
Question after question flew.
Numbers. Equations. Logic. Pure calculation.
It was like watching lightning strike repeatedly — quick, sharp, beautiful.
Violet was fast, precise, and calm — her hands hitting the buzzer almost before the question ended.
Emery and Jeff followed right behind, his brain moving in sync with hers, like they'd been training for years instead of months.
Alliance High tried.
They really did.
But when the screen flashed Imperial High – 60 : Alliance High – 40, the crowd erupted.
They'd done it.
They'd made it to the finals.
Emery froze for a moment before letting out a wild cheer.
He hugged Violet so tightly that Vira groaned inside her.
"Host, I think your ribs are gone. I'm calling an ambulance."
Violet couldn't help but laugh softly. For the first time in a long while, it wasn't out of defiance or pain — just genuine happiness.
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Back at Imperial High
When the news reached Andrea, he was in the student council room, mid-meeting.
Angelo burst through the door without knocking, shouting, "Boss, she won!"
Andrea blinked. "Who?"
"Who else?" Angelo grinned. "Your wife, of course."
For a second, Andrea's expression froze — then his face broke into the widest smile anyone had seen in months.
He stood up so fast his chair screeched against the floor.
"I knew she would," he said, his voice proud, low, and full of warmth he couldn't hide.
It was as if he was the one who won, not violet.
Dannon, leaning against the window, whistled.
"Congratulations boss,she really is the iron lady."
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At the De'ora mansion, Kingsley and Lily were also watching the livestream in the sitting room.
The moment Violet's team won, Kingsley couldn't help but stand up, pumping his fist into the air.
Then hugged his wife tightly, spinning her in the process,before letting go of her.
"That's my girl!" he said proudly, while Lily's eyes softened , she laughed through her tears.
"She's grown so much…"
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But somewhere else…
Far away from the cheering, in a dark corner of Migan City , a girl in a hoodie stood watching the same livestream from her phone.
Her lips curled upward into a smirk, but her eyes gleamed with something far colder.
"Enjoy it while you still can," Clara whispered softly.
"Laugh… while you still can."
"This will be the last anyway".
Her laughter echoed faintly down the empty hallway, quiet, sharp — the kind that promised trouble.
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Night settled gently over Migan City, the kind of night that looked peaceful — but carried a strange stillness beneath its quiet.
The competition arena was finally empty, its lights dimmed.
Only the faint hum of the city outside reminded everyone that tomorrow… everything could change.
Each student rested in their assigned dorms.
For some, it was the calm before victory.
For others, it was the quiet before a storm.
Jeff sat by the window, his reflection faint against the glass.
The moonlight touched his face, and for the first time in a long while, his expression softened.
He looked down at the open notebook on his lap — full of formulas, notes, scribbles, and red marks from their practice sessions.
They'd come so far.
From being just classmates who barely spoke to standing together in the top two of an interschool competition.
He let out a slow breath, almost smiling.
"Tomorrow," he whispered, "we'll win. We've worked too hard for it to go any other way."
His fingers tightened around the pen.
He didn't know why — but somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered that it wouldn't be that simple.
Still, he brushed the thought away.
At this point, nothing could possibly go wrong.
Or so he believed.
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On the other side of the dorm, Emery was anything but calm.
He lay on his bed, rolling from side to side, hugging a pillow as if it could calm his racing heart.
Every few seconds, he'd sit up and grab his phone, rechecking the schedule for the finals.
"Tomorrow's the day…" he muttered to himself, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt.
"Imperial High made it to the finals! Hah! We actually did it!"
He jumped off his bed, did a little spin in the air, and collapsed back down, laughing softly.
If Violet could see him now, she'd probably shake her head and say he looked like a kid who just got his first gold star.
He didn't care.
For once, Emery felt like all the sleepless nights, the stress, and the fights had been worth it.
He closed his eyes, whispering into his pillow,
"Tomorrow, we're going to win this… no matter what."
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But somewhere else, in a quieter room, the air felt… different.
Violet sat at her desk, the only light in the room coming from the small lamp beside her.
Her textbooks were closed — she'd studied enough — but her heart refused to rest.
She leaned her head on her hand, staring blankly at the notebook in front of her.
Something in the air felt off.
Like a quiet pulse of unease echoing deep in her chest.
"Host," Vira's voice echoed softly inside her mind, "do you feel that?"
"Yes," Violet whispered, eyes still fixed on the window. "Something's… wrong."
The silence stretched for a moment, heavy and uncertain.
"Do you think it's about the competition?" Vira asked, sounding serious this time.
"No," Violet said finally. "Maybe!, I'm not sure. I can't explain it."
The two of them fell silent.
Outside, the wind rustled softly against the window.
The moon looked unusually pale.
Then Violet took a deep breath, forcing herself to smile.
"It doesn't matter," she said quietly. "As long as it doesn't affect tomorrow, I'll ignore it for now."
"If you say so, host…" Vira murmured, though her tone carried unease.
Violet closed her notebook and turned off the lamp.
The room fell into darkness.
Her heart was steady, but the weight of that uneasy feeling refused to fade.
Tomorrow was the finale.
Tomorrow could change everything.
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The Next Day
It was finally the day everyone had been waiting for — the grand finale.
Excellence High against Imperial High stood side by side on stage.
The auditorium buzzed with life; parents, teachers, and classmates filled every seat, their cheers echoing through the air.
The competition began, and questions flew one after another.
In the first half, Excellence High took the lead — 20 to 10 after the first 30 questions.
They were giving a break of 10 minutes, before continuing.
In the second round, they still held the upper hand — 45 to 40 after 85 questions.
And then came the final stretch.
Only 15 questions remained.
Every heart in the room was pounding, every eye glued to the stage.
This time, In the third and final round, Imperial High fought back with everything they had.
They won 11 of the last questions, Excellence only 4.
All thanks to Vira inside Violet.
The last round had been filled with tough university-level questions — the kind meant to crush confidence — but Violet answered eight of them flawlessly. Jeff got two, and Emery one.
When the final score appeared on the board — 51 to 49 — the room erupted.
Cheers roared through the air.
Students from Imperial High jumped up, screaming and waving their flags, tears streaming down their faces. Even teachers were shouting in joy.
Excellence High's side, on the other hand, sat in quiet disbelief. The students looked crushed, their earlier confidence shattered.
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It was finally the time for the awards.
Excellence High was called first, receiving their second-place trophy amid polite applause.
Then came Imperial High — the champions.
The MC smiled, ready to hand the shining golden trophy to Violet's team —
— when suddenly, someone ran up onto the stage and whispered something into his ear.
The MC froze mid-motion, his expression changing. The crowd quieted.
After a tense second, he turned to the team.
"Students of Imperial High," he said slowly, "please follow the officials. There's been... a report. You're required to come with us for investigation."
A wave of confusion rippled through the hall.
"Investigation?" Emery whispered.
Jeff frowned, feeling something twisting inside,he muttered, "No no, it can't be what I'm thinking?"
Violet, however, felt something twist sharply in her chest — a dark, heavy feeling.
This… this isn't right.
Vira's voice echoed faintly inside her.
"Host… something bad is about to happen."
And for once, Violet didn't argue.
Because deep down — she felt it too.
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They were led towards the teachers' lounge — its silence pressing heavier than the air outside.
Emery and Jeff with imperial high teachers were told to wait outside, only violet was allowed in.
When she entered, a man in a neat suit was seated behind the desk, another man stood stiffly behind him, his expression already filled with hostility.
"Miss Violet De'ora," the man seated spoke first, his voice calm and formal.
"Hello, sir," Violet replied, steadying her tone, though her palms felt a little clammy.
"I'm the principal of Migan City College," he said, folding his hands on the table. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but we've got a few questions to ask."
Behind him, the standing man scoffed — loud, impatient. "Principal, why are you being so polite to a thief?"
The word thief cut through the air like glass.
Violet froze, her brows furrowing.
The principal frowned sharply. "Enough. Watch your mouth," he said, turning to the man to silence him.
But Violet had already heard it.
Her heartbeat quickened, her eyes narrowing slightly. A thief?
She couldn't help but ask, her voice cold but calm,
"Sir… can you please tell me why I'm being called that?"
The principal sighed, sliding a tablet across the table.
"Please, just watch this video first… and then tell me what you think."