The wind howled one last time across the arena.
Level five had been running for so long that nobody remembered when it had started.
Arms were shaking.
Legs burning.
Hands numb from holding the rope for hours.
Seven fighters from each team were still on the platforms, reserves already used, replaced, fallen, replaced again.
The waves were at full power now, crashing hard against the suspended plates, sending water high enough to splash their helmets.
Ghost stayed flat on the platform, chest pressed against the padding, arms wrapped around the rope, legs spread to keep balance.
Every muscle hurt.
Every breath felt heavy.
Across from him, Bloomy held the exact same position, helmet tilted slightly forward, one arm locked around the rope, the other pressed against the plate.
The wind hit again.
Hard.
Several platforms swung sideways at the same time.
Someone screamed in another team.
A slip.
A grab.
Too late.
Splash.
The entire arena reacted at once.
On the giant screen, the system flashed.
TEAM 1210 — ELIMINATED
A second later another plate tilted too far.
Another fighter lost balance.
Splash.
TEAM 1307 — ELIMINATED
Gasps everywhere.
The referee voice echoed through the speakers.
"Stand by… checking teams…"
The waves kept hitting.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Even the crowd in the stands was silent now.
The screens changed.
Remaining teams:
1393
1421
1502
1444
1184
1378
Another wave.
Another gust.
One fighter tried to adjust his position.
His knee slipped.
He grabbed the rope.
Held.
Lost it.
Splash.
The siren screamed.
The screens flashed red.
FIVE TEAMS ELIMINATED
MATCH END
For half a second, nothing happened.
Then the pumps shut down.
The waves slowed.
The wind stopped.
The platforms kept moving a little, then slowly stabilized.
Nobody moved at first, like their bodies didn't believe it was over.
Ghost lifted his head slowly, breathing hard.
Jon laughed in the headset, almost hysterical.
"We… we still here…"
Another voice shouted.
"We did it!"
On the central platform, referees started talking fast into their radios.
The giant screens lit up again.
WINNING SIDE CONFIRMED
Crowd exploded.
Cheers.
Whistles.
People standing up everywhere.
On the stage, Ivy removed one side of her headset, exhaling slowly like she had been holding her breath for hours.
Then she took the microphone.
Her voice echoed through the entire arena.
"Match one… complete."
More cheers.
Players on the platforms looked at each other, exhausted, smiling, some almost falling just from relief.
She continued.
"The winning teams… confirmed."
Names appeared on the screens.
KINGDOM 1393 — WIN
KINGDOM 1421 — WIN
KINGDOM 1502 — WIN
KINGDOM 1444 — WIN
KINGDOM 1184 — WIN
The arena roared.
Jon screamed in the headset.
"LET'S GO!"
Someone from another team yelled.
"WE SURVIVED!"
Ghost stayed still for a moment longer, then finally pushed himself up to his knees.
Across from him, Bloomy did the same.
Their eyes met for half a second.
Even with helmets.
Even with distance.
He could see she was smiling.
Ivy raised the mic again.
"All fighters… remain on platforms."
Groans everywhere.
"Oh come on!"
"We done!"
She almost laughed.
"Relax."
A pause.
Then:
"You can jump now."
For a second nobody reacted.
Then the crowd exploded.
"What??"
"In the water??"
"Yes," she said, smiling now.
"Challenge is over."
Another pause.
"And reminder…"
The screens changed again.
FINAL COMPETITION REWARD — 10 000 $
The arena got loud again.
"That's the final prize!"
"For the whole event!"
She continued.
"The ten thousand dollars is for each player of the final winning alliance."
"This was only the first challenge."
Groans and laughs mixed together.
"Of course it is!"
"We still alive though!"
She nodded.
"You're still in the game."
Then she raised the mic again.
"You may enter the water."
That was enough.
One player jumped first.
Splash.
The crowd screamed.
Then another.
Then five at the same time.
Water everywhere.
Laughing.
Shouting.
Helmets flying.
Life jackets floating.
Ghost sat up fully, pulling his helmet off.
Jon yelled in the headset.
"WE JUMPING OR WHAT?"
Ghost smirked.
"Yeah."
He stood carefully on the platform, legs still shaking from hours of tension.
Across from him, Bloomy stood too, pulling off her helmet, hair wet, breathing hard but laughing.
Someone yelled.
"Last one in loses!"
She shrugged.
Then jumped.
The water closed over her head with a loud crash.
For half a second he just watched the spot where she disappeared.
Then he stepped forward—
—and jumped.
Cold water hit him instantly, making his muscles tighten.
He came back up, pushing water from his face, hearing shouting everywhere.
Players swimming.
Laughing.
Splashing.
Cameras filming from every angle.
He turned—
—and saw her a few meters away, floating, wiping water from her eyes.
She looked at him.
For a second neither spoke.
Too much noise around them.
Too many people.
Too many cameras.
He swam closer anyway.
Not touching.
Just close enough.
"You survived," he said.
She laughed softly.
"I told you… I hate that thing."
"You built it."
She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah… well… it looked easier on paper."
Someone splashed water next to them.
"1393!!!"
Jon swam past.
"We still in the game!"
Ghost looked back at her, voice lower.
"You didn't fall."
She shrugged.
"Had to cross."
"You crossed at level five."
"Didn't have a choice."
A wave from someone diving pushed them closer for a second, their shoulders almost touching before drifting apart.
Neither moved away right away.
He watched her.
"You always do that."
She tilted her head.
"What."
"Disappear… then show up when it gets hard."
She blinked once, then smiled slowly.
"Oh…"
She leaned a little closer so he could hear.
"If you get hard…"
She smirked.
"I'm sure I'm gonna be there."
He stared at her, surprised, then laughed under his breath.
"You're impossible."
"You like impossible."
Another splash broke the moment.
Players shouting.
Staff calling people out of the pool.
Screens changing for next match.
She grabbed the floating rope with one hand.
"This doesn't mean we won," she said.
"I know."
"The ten thousand is for the final."
He nodded.
"So we keep going."
She smiled.
"You survived this."
He looked at her.
"Barely."
Jon yelled again.
"GHOST! BLOOMY! COME HERE!"
She laughed.
"Saved by the team."
Ghost smirked.
"Yeah."
She started swimming toward the others, then turned back once.
"Next round…"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
She smiled.
"Don't fall."
He shook his head.
"No promises."
Around them, the arena lights shifted again.
Next challenge loading.
And even with hundreds of players in the water, cameras everywhere, noise, shouting, and celebration…
it still felt like neither of them had really left the platform yet.