Meanwhile, in reality...
Junes, the Vendal High secretary, was running out of breath through the administrative corridors. She rushed toward the Grand Master's office, the entrance to which was exceptionally locked and heavily guarded by a row of stern-faced bodyguards.
Bursting through the door, she was instantly struck by the tension reigning in the room. The Grand Master was pacing back and forth, his face crimson with a dark fury.
"Junes! Come here right now!" he roared upon seeing her enter.
The secretary approached, her body trembling with confusion and fear:
"Is... is there a problem, Grand Master?"
"How could you let this information leak?!" he exploded, pointing a finger at a massive holographic screen.
Junes, her legs shaking, looked up at what the Grand Master was watching with such rage. It was a full-screen video, already viewed millions of times. A familiar face appeared.
"Hello everyone, it's your influencer Roan Beck! Today, I am in absolute shock after receiving an anonymous video in my DMs this morning... This is total madness. Our heroes, the Chosen Ones, are tearing each other apart in secret, and I have data-backed, absolute proof right here on camera!"
The video cut to display the clandestine footage filmed in the living room:
Emron:"I see! All of a sudden, you're doing nothing but protecting this girl. Tell me... did you fall for her too? Admit it!"Ren:"What the hell has been wrong with you since yesterday?! You're completely acting weird, snap out of it, seriously!"
The influencer Roan Beck reappeared on screen, his face grave but ecstatic over the viral buzz:
"As you can clearly see, two elite members are fighting like alley cats! And that's not all. According to my sources, Leyla, the princess of the nation, has allegedly been expelled because of this famous Nova Black. Furthermore, we have absolutely no news of Aaron since his clash against her... And now, Caden! Where did Caden Dark go? If you look closely, for some time now, our heroes, the Chosen Ones, haven't been the same. And everything revolves around one single person: Nova Black. What is the future of Vendal City and our nation, once feared by all? Our global ranking is collapsing. The real question today is: will we even be capable of participating in the world competition?"
The secretary turned pale.
"Ex-excuse me, Grand Master... I was actually coming to talk to you about this very situation, but..."
"But what?!" the Grand Master roared, slamming his fist onto his oak desk. "This video is viral! It is absolutely everywhere right now! What do you plan to do to fix this disaster, tell me?!"
"Forgive me... I... I will find a solution to this problem immediately!" Junes stammered, shaking as she backed away toward the exit.
The moment she stepped out of the office, she grabbed her work phone with clammy hands and urgently dialed a number:
"Hello! Locate the exact position of Caden Dark's house immediately. Send elite reinforcements over there right now! And as for that video... crash the servers, delete it, make sure it stops immediately! I said RIGHT NOW!"
But outside, the damage was already done.
The media wildfire was uncontrollable. In the streets of Vendal City, the giant advertising screens no longer displayed the stock market updates or fashion trends, but replayed the footage of Emron and Ren savagely fighting on a continuous loop.
The sidewalks were packed with shocked citizens, their eyes glued to the massive screens. The whispers were quickly turning into a low rumble of panic.
"This is truly terrifying... If our protectors are killing each other, who is going to defend us?"
"What has become of the Chosen Ones?"
"Honestly, these guys have completely lost their minds," some passers by remarked with a nervous laugh to mask their deep anxiety.