Chapter 109 (Part 20)
The morning sun rose over the festival grounds, but there was no celebration in the air.
The stands were packed with students, teachers, and spectators from all sixteen schools. Flags fluttered in the light breeze, but the energy was tense, expectant. Everyone was waiting for the final announcement.
Alok stood at the edge of the crowd, his hands in his pockets, his expression calm. Rihan stood beside him, his jaw tight.
"Something's wrong," Rihan murmured.
Alok didn't answer. He had already seen the signs. The committee members were too calm. The Chairman was smiling too broadly.
The Chairman stepped up to the podium, his voice echoing across the grounds.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the City Sports Tournament has come to a close. After careful calculation of all scores and performances, we are proud to announce this year's champion..."
He paused. His eyes swept across the crowd. For a brief moment, they landed on Alok.
Then he smiled.
"...Nordmark!"
Silence.
Then murmurs. Then shouts of confusion.
"What?"
"Nordmark? But Castrone won the football final!"
"The scores don't add up!"
Rihan's fist clenched. "This is rigged."
Alok placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know."
Rihan turned to him, his eyes blazing. "We're not going to just stand here and let them...."
"Rihan." Alok's voice was calm, steady. "They want us to react. They want us to make a scene. Don't give them what they want."
Rihan stared at him, then slowly unclenched his fist.
The Chairman continued, his voice smooth and rehearsed. "Nordmark has shown exceptional performance across all events. We congratulate them on their victory."
The Nordmark team looked just as confused as everyone else. Their captain stepped forward, accepting the trophy with a bewildered expression.
Alok watched the Chairman.
The Chairman watched him back.
And in that moment, Alok understood.
They're not just changing results. They're sending a message.
And the message is meant for me.
POV SHIFT – Rihan's House (Later That Evening)
Rihan's house was quieter than Alok expected.
The walls were thin, the furniture worn, but there was a warmth to the place that Alok's own home lacked. Family photos lined the hallway Rihan as a child, his parents, his younger sister. Laughter frozen in time.
Alok stood in the middle of the living room, his hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning the room without really seeing it. His mind was elsewhere.
Rihan came in with two cups of tea, handing one to Alok. "You've been quiet since we left the festival grounds."
Alok took the cup but didn't drink. "I've been thinking."
"That's never a good sign."
Alok almost smiled. Almost.
He set the cup down on the table and turned to face Rihan.
"Castrone isn't what we thought it was."
Rihan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, there's something underneath it all. Something we didn't see because we weren't looking."
Rihan leaned back, his expression shifting to serious. "Talk to me."
Alok took a breath. The words came out measured, deliberate.
"Vaelia was afraid of me. Not because of what I could do. Because of what she thought I was."
"She asked if you were a government soldier. I remember."
"Yes. I thought it was just her fear talking. Paranoia. But now..." Alok paused. "Now I see she wasn't wrong. She was just afraid of the wrong thing."
Rihan frowned. "I don't follow."
Alok began to pace, his steps slow and deliberate.
"Think about it. One night. One committee meeting. And suddenly the entire tournament results change. A school that didn't win is declared the winner. No explanation. No protest. Just silence."
Rihan's jaw tightened. "So they had the power to do that."
"Exactly. And that power doesn't come from nowhere. It comes from something that's been here for a long time. Something that's been watching, waiting, controlling."
Alok stopped pacing and turned to face Rihan.
"Castrone isn't just a city. It's a stage. And the people who run it aren't just politicians or officials. They're something else. An organization. Underground. Hidden. But powerful."
Rihan was silent for a long moment. Then he spoke, his voice low.
"You think they're the ones who took Stian Vale."
"I think they're the ones who take a lot of people. And I think they've been doing it for years."
Rihan ran a hand through his hair. "That's... a lot to take in."
"I know."
"So what do we do?"
Alok met his gaze. His eyes were cold, sharp, calculating.
"We leave."
Rihan blinked. "Leave?"
"Feilw Land. Not just me. All of us. You, Ravel, Sera, Tira. And our families."
Rihan stared at him. "You want to take our families to Feilw Land? A place we barely know?"
"Better a place we don't know than a place where we're being watched."
Alok began to pace again, his steps measured, his voice steady.
"Feilw Land isn't like Castrone. It's family controlled. The noble families run everything. That makes it easier to move in the shadows, to find a place where we won't be noticed."
Rihan shook his head. "You're talking about running away."
"I'm talking about surviving." Alok stopped and turned to face him. "If we stay here, they'll find us. They'll use our families, our friends, anyone we care about. If we leave, we have a chance."
Rihan was silent. Then he spoke, his voice quiet.
"You've already decided, haven't you?"
Alok didn't answer. His expression shifted a small, almost imperceptible smile curling at the corner of his lips.
It was not a warm smile. It was cold. Calculated. Unsettling.
"One stone," Alok said softly. "Two birds."
Rihan stared at him. "What?"
"Ceya is in Feilw Land. She needs to be saved. My family needs to be protected. One trip. One destination. One plan." Alok's smile widened just a fraction. "One stone, two birds."
Rihan felt a chill run down his spine. He had seen Alok angry before. He had seen him determined. But this this was something else.
"Alok..." Rihan began, but the words caught in his throat.
"I'll talk to the others tomorrow," Alok said, turning toward the door. "Get some sleep. You'll need it."
He walked out without looking back.
Rihan stood in the middle of the room, the cold tea still in his hand.
Alok's changed, he thought. He's not just fighting anymore. He's planning.
And I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
POV SHIFT – Alok (Outside)
The night air was cool against Alok's face.
He stood on the porch, staring up at the stars. The pendant was warm against his chest, pulsing softly.
Feilw Land, he thought. Family controlled. Shadowed. Perfect.
He thought about Ceya. Her empty eyes, the mask she wore, the word she had written in the dirt. HELP.
He thought about his mother. His sister. The people he had to protect.
He thought about the man in the black coat, the woman in the dark jacket, the committee chairman who had smiled as he changed the results.
They think they're winning. They think they're in control.
Alok's lips curved into a cold, quiet smile.
They don't know what's coming.