(Part 4)

Laying there, Alan stared at Seles. After a moment, he spoke softly, "He said… he was the one who stole Liam's senses."

Seles turned to him, silent.

"He also said it's just the beginning… next will be everyone I care about," Alan continued, voice trembling. 

Seles responded calmly, "And you believe all that?" he asked, "Did you know dreams are often a reflection of how you perceive someone, Alan. They're shaped by your thoughts and emotions, not reality. This is your fear and mistrust towards him speaking, not the truth."

Alan nodded, but uncertainty lingered. "I hope so, but I can't shake the feeling…" he murmured, "Seles, I'm becoming weaker… and it's becoming harder to keep up. Isn't it ironic? I haven't even played a single match since the PSL began, and yet, I feel so drained. I haven't even faced him, but I'm scared…" "The World is yet to be faced, and the Platinum Ranker can't even lift his head to challenge them. I'm falling apart right now… so, how can I stay strong until the end?" Alan's voice faded as he drifted off to sleep.

Seles quietly approached, gently covering him with a blanket and whispering, "I have watched you grow and take every single step to the point where you are now. Your pain and strength are evident enough. Have faith, Alan. Simply believe in yourself, for this too shall pass one day." he encouraged softly.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated, pulling his attention away. "Hello, Yusuf?" Seles answered.

"The middle schoolers are asking for you, Seles," Yusuf replied, his voice sounding a bit worn.

Seles chuckled, "Already?"

"Yeah, they've been running like maniac! If they keep going, they'll drop dead," Yusuf sighed ironically.

"Haha, alright. Gather everyone at the gymnasium floor. I'll be there in a minute," Seles said, ending the call.

Glancing over at Alan, he quickly dialed another number, holding the phone to his ear. Grabbing his files, he gently closed the infirmary door behind him. When the call connected, he spoke, "Hello, Head Coach Nidou, it's Seles."

Nidou, who had just woken up startled thanks to his call, responded groggily, "Hm?"

"Alan's in the infirmary," Seles informed him.

Hearing that, Nidou immediately snapped out of his drowsiness and set aside the candidates' list for the next match that he held. "Why?" he asked.

"He had a strange dream about that boy. It left him pretty shaken. He was frantically looking for the middle schoolers earlier, so I gave him some medicine, and he's resting now. I just thought you should know since I'm heading downstairs to the gym," Seles explained.

Nidou sighed, standing up and grabbing his keys. "Alright, I've got it covered," he replied, hanging up.

Seles slipped his phone back into his pocket and headed toward the gym.

_____

Meanwhile, the middle schoolers headed back to the lodgings from the practice ground.

"Yawn~ I'm exhausted," Ezekiel yawned dabbing the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to stifle it.

"And I'm melting in this heat," Cassiel added ironically, wiping sweat from his chin.

"But Coach Seles wants us in the gym," Mikael reminded them, stretching.

Out of nowhere, a loud laugh cut through the group as Adam jumped with excitement. "I won! I won!" he shouted.

Feng sighed in disbelief, "What's so great about winning Rock, Paper, Scissors? You're acting as if you've conquered the world."

Adam smirked, "You just don't get it. I beat Poseidon! It's a matter of pride!"

"Yeah, after losing to Xavier, Helios, Gabriel, Ezekiel, and Seraph in a row," Heber teased, rolling his eyes, while Azazel and Christopher stifled their laughs.

Adam pouted, annoyed, "So what? They're all weird. Helios never loses, Gabriel's never wrong, Xavier loses on purpose, and Ezekiel cheats. What was I supposed to do?" 

"Offensive," Ezekiel raised an eyebrow, while Gabriel shook his head silently.

"And Seraph?" Poseidon asked, curious.

"Sera, Sera's split personality is to blame, not him," Adam responded with an innocent grin.

The boys turned cynically to Seraph, who chuckled awkwardly rubbing his temple.

Helios and Kenzo, walking ahead with Yusuf, remained lost in thought.

"How about a rematch, Ryan?" Adam suggested, turning to Ryan, who, despite not being in the mood, nodded to avoid being pestered.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" they went.

"And here we go again," Feng muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You're just jealous," Adam shot back with a huff. Suddenly, he gasped.

"And you lost again," Ezekiel teased, and indeed, he was right.

"No way!!" Adam cried as Ryan remained, clearly unamused.

Feng, Azazel, and Heber burst into laughter. 

"But I went with rock!" Adam complained, upset.

"And I went with paper," Ryan said flatly.

"And, you lost again," Feng added with a mischievous grin.

"Stop repeating that!" Adam growled, chasing after Feng, who ran off laughing.

"Catch me if you can, haha!" Feng teased.

"How about a next round with me?" Xavier offered, his gaze following them.

"No, you lose on purpose. I can always tell," Adam puffed his cheeks.

"Then how about Kenzo?" Ezekiel suggested, pointing at Helios and Kenzo. "They wouldn't even flinch if a meteor strikes earth," he exaggerated.

"Yeah! Come on, Ryan," Adam grabbed Ryan's hand and walked toward Kenzo.

Poseidon exchanged a concerned glance with Seraph.

"Hey, Kenzo! How about a round of Rock, Paper, Scissors? Let's see who wins," Adam playfully (intentionally) slapped Kenzo on the back.

Kenzo, unfazed, glanced back. "What's wrong? Didn't the others entertain you enough?" he asked.

Adam grinned, "Hmph, just admit you're scared of losing. I already beat Poseidon!"

"After losing five times…" Heber chimed in as Adam glared in mid-sentence, "Don't you dare say it."

Feng, Mikael, and Xavier giggled, while Poseidon patted Helios on the shoulder, who smiled in response.

Kenzo raised his brow skeptically but soon extended his hand before Adam, "Go ahead." he simply said.

Adam, slightly surprised, glanced at Ryan, who looked on with interest.

With a grin, Adam raised his hand, "Rock, Paper, Scissors!" he said.

Just before revealing his choice, Ryan whispered something inaudibly into Adam's ear. The result: Adam showed scissors, and Kenzo revealed paper.

Adam blinked in disbelief, turning to Ryan and Feng. "I won! I won! I beat Kenzo!" he exclaimed, hugging Ryan and then turning to Seraph and Cassiel. "Did you see that? I beat Kenzo! Haha, I'm the best!" he danced around in triumph.

"Well done," Xavier clapped with approval, while Gabriel walked away, unimpressed by the childish sight.

Helios looked at Kenzo, who remained calm, his hands in his pockets.

"Did you seriously lose, your highness?" Azazel asked, incredulous.

Kenzo sighed, "What do you mean? It's just a silly game."

"I won! Admit it, Kenzo ShahJahan! I'm better than you!" Adam taunted, standing proudly in front of Kenzo with a mischievous grin.

But instead of the usual playful banter, argument, or hearing Kenzo's sarcastic and overly irksome remarks, everyone was shocked to see Kenzo gently ruffling Adam's hair. "Yeah, yeah…" he said casually before walking away.

Adam, the most surprised of them all, looked around, seeking confirmation. "K-Kenzo, right? That was Kenzo, right?" he asked, still in disbelief.

"Yep, looks like him," Feng responded, rubbing his eyes.

Ezekiel smacked Feng's head, adding, "What do you mean, looks like him? He is Kenzo,"

"B-but…" Feng started, as Xavier interrupted, "Yeah, that was definitely unlike him."

"Hey, Heli, Heli! He really, really ruffled my hair!" Adam exclaimed in disbelief.

Helios chuckled, "Yeah, he did." He too playfully ruffled Adam's hair, making him blush.

"So cute, haha!" Heber teased, poking Adam, who pouted, "I'm not cute!"

"Yeah, you're adorable," Feng teased again as Adam chased after the two.

As they went past Yusuf, Yusuf looked back and called, "Hurry up, everyone!"

"Coming!" Xavier and Mikael responded, following.

With a smile, Helios gave Kenzo a gentle push. "Come on, don't act so strange."

Kenzo blinked, confused. "What?"

"Yeah, for a second, I didn't even recognize you," Cassiel added with a smirk.

Kenzo raised his brow, amused, "Oh really? Maybe I should remind you who I am by knocking one of you out."

Poseidon chuckled. "Now that's more like it."

"Then, who's the lucky one?" Gabriel asked with a mischievous grin.

Kenzo's mind wandered to Ibn Sena's smug face, as he grinned, "That Fancy nails guy."

Helios blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter, "Haha!"

"He's not even one of us," Seraph chimed in, clearly amused.

"Still," Gabriel said, grinning wider, "someone's gotta teach him a lesson."

Kenzo glanced at Helios, whose spirits now seemed noticeably lifted. "Feeling better?" Kenzo asked.

"Awfully better." Helios laughed, "Fancy nails—haha, your naming sense rules Kenzo."

The others too joined in with laughter, as the sun rose higher in the sky, marking the beginning of a new day.