Drex stood there for what felt like forever, breathing like he’d just sprinted up ten flights of stairs, chest heaving.

"Yeah... I’m done," he said again, louder this time, like he wanted everyone to hear it. His voice cracked a little, but he didn’t care. "You’re right, big guy. I’m too good for this circus."

The other guys shifted awkwardly, looking at each other, then at Drex, then at Nash, like they were watching a tennis match.

Mac finally spoke up, scratching the back of his neck like he didn’t really wanna be involved.

"Drex... c’mon, man..."

But Nash? Nash didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, arms crossed, face blank like he was watching paint dry. Maybe he really didn’t care. Maybe he was just that good at hiding it.

Drex took a step forward, close enough that Nash could probably smell the anger on him.

"You said I am a three-point monster, right?" Drex spat. "That I forced you to play me instead of benching me. That I played by your stupid rules. Well, guess what? If I’m too good to play your game, then I’m too damn good to sit here and be your backup dancer. I could have what you have. A whole damn team bowing at my feet. Doing whatever the hell I want. Breaking my own team. Just. Like. You."

"If you’re good enough to win even with a broken team, then sure." Nash shrugged, like he was talking about the weather.

Up on the railing, Dahlia’s eyes went wide.

"What the... M-Ma’am, we should really—"

But it was as if the dam had opened, and nothing could stop everything from pouring out. Drex wasn’t listening anymore and would not let this fire die. He turned, raising his voice so even the staff up there could hear him.

"Yeah. So I’ll just leave the team then. We’re done. If I’m that good, someone else will take me. I can go wherever I fucking want."

The whole team gasped like he’d just announced he was moving to Mars. Mac grabbed his arm, stronger now.

"Drex, you’re joking, right? This isn’t funny, man. Don’t do this!"

One of the NPCs tried too, hands up like he was surrendering.

"Bro, c’mon, let’s just talk about it—"

Drex shook them off like they were flies, eyes locked on Nash. Only Nash mattered to him in that moment.

"Nah. I’m done."

Nash stayed relaxed, like this whole thing was just another Tuesday. He looked at Drex, calm as ever.

"You could leave. But what makes you think another team would let you do whatever you want? There’s a difference between being good, being great, and being irreplaceable. If they could replace you here, then you’re just average somewhere else. You’d leave here and end up being a mid in another team."

Drex’s jaw clenched so tight you could hear his teeth grind.

"My problem isn’t about being king or getting girls. My problem is you. I hate you. I don’t wanna stand in your shadow anymore." His voice dropped low, venomous, like he’d been saving this one for years.

Nash sighed, like he was explaining math to a kid.

"You’re the one putting yourself there with this attitude."

But Drex didn’t give a damn.

"Done."

Nash shrugged.

"If you want to go, fine. I won’t stop you." He scratched his cheek. "Honestly? It works for me too, for my selfish desires."

The guys lost their minds.

"What the hell?!"

"You’ve got to be shitting me!"

"You fucking bastard!"

Mac looked really nauseous. He grabbed Drex by the shoulders and shook him, hard.

"Drex, for fucking... You can’t be serious right now!"

Up there, the staff were freaking out, whispering urgently to Victoria.

"Ma’am, this is bad," one muttered. "We need to stop this before it gets worse!"

The boys finally noticed Victoria still standing on the railing, arms crossed like a queen watching her subjects tear each other apart. A few of them flinched, as if they were committing a crime. But panic was stronger than shame. Mac was the first one to snap.

"Ma’am!" he yelled, desperation cracking his voice. "Please! Do something! He’s really about to leave!"

"Yeah, stop him!" one random NPC shouted. "This is insane!"

More voices piled on, overlapping, frantic. The whole court, which had been split by anger just seconds ago, suddenly united in sheer desperation, everyone except the girls, who just watched quietly. All eyes were on Victoria, the only one who could fix this mess.

But...

Victoria didn’t move.

She just stood there, tapping her golden fingers slowly against her folded arms. Her sunglasses hid her eyes, so you couldn’t tell if she was bored because the show ended too fast or if she was waiting for someone to throw a punch.

The silence stretched. Ten seconds. Fifteen. The longer it went, the heavier the air felt. Even Dahlia beside her had gone stiff, like she was afraid to breathe too loudly.

Finally, Victoria stepped down from the railing.

Every click of her heels echoed through the court like in a small room. When she reached the floor, everyone shut up instantly. Even Drex and Nash stopped moving.

"I told you the day I created this team," Victoria began, "that I would do anything, sacrifice anyone, to get what I want."

She slowly pulled down her sunglasses, piercing every face with the two burning saphirs of her face.

"You are all pawns. Every last one of you. Pieces I put on the board. Even I don’t get to step outside of that."

She took two slow steps forward. Her heels clicked like a ticking bomb.

"If you can’t do your job..." Her lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I will gladly get rid of you."

No one dared to speak. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Like the whole world was holding its breath.

But that was it.

Victoria put her sunglasses back on and turned away, walking toward the hallway.

"The only truth I’ve heard here is that power decides everything. If you’re not irreplaceable, you’re worthless. Just another useless bastard in this damn world." She paused in front of the hallway, back still turned, not even bothering to look at them. "And right now, only one person on this team is irreplaceable."

Dead. Silence.

"Drex. My office. Two hours. I’ll process your release. Blaze. My office. Now. The rest of you can stay or rot for all I care."

And just like that, she walked off without a second glance. Dahlia hesitated, like, for half a second, eyes wide, before scrambling after her like a scared puppy, clutching her notebook like it was a lifeline.

The court was dead silent.

No one moved. The only sound was the fading echo of Victoria’s heels down the hallway. Every heart pounded, every eye darted around, looking for someone, anyone, to say something.

But no one did. No one would be the one, nor even have something to say.

Nash just stood there, arms limp at his sides, staring at the empty hallway where Victoria had disappeared. And then, slowly, so slowly you might miss it, the corner of his mouth twitched into a tiny smirk.

Not satisfaction. Not happiness. Just... a chance. A wild, unpredictable situation. And just like he’d said earlier, once again, he was the rat in a deadly game, faking it until he turned it into gold.