TWELVE: THE GAMES (2/2)

With just a minute left on the clock, Caveroop were down by three points.

Aaron Sullivan, feeling the weight of his team's hopes, dribbled past Caveroop defenders with a blend of skill and desperation.

He passed to his teammate, Mark Johnson, who made an impressive shot from the corner. The ball swished through the net, Caveroop was now only down by one point.

Caveroop called a timeout, their coach furrowing his brow in concern. They had one last play to make.

The whistle blew, and the game resumed.

With only seconds left, Aaron Sullivan received the ball and prepared for what seemed to be a game-winning shot. But Jesse, with unmatched focus and bravery, dashed toward him.

In a breathtaking moment, he leapt, blocking Aaron's shot just as the buzzer sounded.

The crowd erupted in a mix of shock and exhilaration as the referee signaled the end of the game.

The scores was tied.

The game would go into overtime.

In the overtime period, the Warriors revealed just how deep their grit ran. The crowd buzzed with electricity, chants rising, sneakers squeaking, the rhythmic bounce of the ball echoing like a heartbeat in the gym.

With just under two minutes remaining on the clock, the score sat at a tense tie. Aaron from the Underdogs dribbled with intensity, weaving through defenders. But Jesse, eyes sharp and focused, anticipated his move. With a swift lunge, he intercepted the ball, snatching it cleanly from Aaron's grasp. The crowd erupted.

Jesse tore down the court, adrenaline fueling every stride. He spotted his teammate, Daniel Martinez, perfectly positioned near the three-point line.

"Daniel!" Jesse shouted, launching the ball toward him.

Daniel caught it, took one dribble, rose for the shot then darkness swallowed the court.

The gym fell into pitch black. Gasps, murmurs, and the metallic screech of chairs dragging filled the void. Phones lit up like scattered fireflies. The scoreboard blinked off. The atmosphere, electric moments ago, now turned thick with confusion and fear.

"What's going on?" voices echoed from all sides.

Mrs. Adams, the principal, stepped forward near the scorer's table, her voice steady but firm.

"Everybody calm down. Please remain in your seats."

A blonde girl in the stands, donning the Underdogs' colors, clutched her phone and asked nervously, "Is this normal? What's going on?"

"It's just a temporary issue. Likely a power surge. No need to panic," Mrs. Adams replied, though the worry in her eyes betrayed her calm tone. She turned toward one of the uniformed security guards near the exit and gestured sharply. "Go. Check the circuits and report back immediately."

Across the gym, where the cheerleader positioned, Pink turned to Clary, her brow furrowed. "What the hell is happening? Why did the lights cut out?"

Clary didn't respond immediately. Her eyes darted around the room, then widened as a chill crept down her spine. A memory surged, a shared dream from just nights ago, eerie and too vivid to dismiss.

"Jennie…" she whispered under her breath, her face pale. Without another word, she pushed through the crowd and hurried toward the back exit.

"Hey! Clary! Where are you going?" Pink shouted but Clary didn't even glance back.

Before Pink could follow, Summer grabbed her arm, her blue eyes scanning her. "Wait, are you seriously going after her? In the middle of all this?"

Pink hesitated for a breath, glancing toward the exit, then toward the dim, restless crowd. "If Clary's heading out like that, she might've sensed danger. I can't just leave here."

She shrugged off Summer's hand and moved quickly through the shadows. "You coming or not?"

Summer bit her lip, looking conflicted, but after a few moments of indecision, she exhaled sharply and followed. Together, they slipped through the exit, vanishing into the darkened corridor beyond the gym toward whatever danger lay waiting.

The hallways were eerily quiet, It seemed nearly everyone in the school had gathered there, caught up in the thrill of the overtime showdown.

"Where to?" Pink asked, her footsteps quickening as she and Summer followed closely behind Clary.

"The clinic," Clary answered without slowing down, her voice clipped and urgent, like she already knew what was happening.

"The clinic?" Summer echoed, frowning. "Why there?"

Clary didn't answer. Her face was tense, she was clearly focused on getting there before it was too late.

As they rounded the corner near the science wing, they stopped abruptly. Eska was up ahead, struggling slightly as she carried someone on her back.

"Eska!" Pink called out, hurrying toward her only to freeze when she recognized who it was.

"Oh my god... Terra?" Pink gasped, staring at my unconscious body slumped against Eska's shoulders.

"What happened?" Summer demanded, wide-eyed.

Eska's expression was grave. "It's Regina. She's back… and she's inside the school."

Pink's blood ran cold. "No. No, no, no."

"That can't be good," Summer whispered, her voice shaking as she exchanged a worried glance with the others. "We've got to hurry."

Eska nodded, adjusting her grip on me. "Also… Joy's in the staff room. She's badly hurt."

Clary's face tightened. "We don't have time to waste, but we can't all go."

Pink stepped forward, already taking charge. "Clary, you and Eska take Terra to the clinic, fast. Summer and I will get Joy. We'll meet you there."

Everyone nodded without protest. The group split in two, darting off in opposite directions through the darkened halls, the urgency thick in the air.

...

Back at the basketball court, the tension remained palpable beneath the surface of murmurs and glowing phone screens. The lights still hadn't come back.

A security guard approached the principal with a troubled look on his face, leaning in close so the students and spectators wouldn't overhear.

"I checked the main power line and the emergency generator," he said in a low voice. "This wasn't a mechanical failure. Someone cut the lines deliberately."

Principal Adams kept her face neutral, though her pulse quickened. "Are you absolutely sure?" she asked, careful not to raise alarm with the onlooking guests.

"I'm very certain, ma'am," he said with grim finality.

The principal sighed quietly, her eyes scanning the darkened gym.

Why now, of all times? she thought.

...

When Pink and Summer reached the staff room, the sight stopped them cold.

Papers were scattered across the floor, drawers flung open and chairs overturned. The air smelled faintly of ink, moisture and blood.

"God… what happened here?" Summer whispered, clutching Pink's arm.

They stepped further in and that's when they saw her.

"Rejoice!" Pink cried, rushing to the still figure lying crumpled near the desk. Summer knelt beside her and pressed two fingers to Rejoice's neck.

"She's still breathing," Summer said with relief, though her voice trembled.

Without wasting another second, the two girls carefully hoisted Rejoice between them and rushed toward the clinic, their footsteps echoing down the hall.

By the time they arrived, the power had returned, casting a harsh, sterile light over what was no longer a place of healing.

The clinic had become a battleground.

Beds were overturned. Shelves smashed. Medical kits spilled across the floor, contents shattered. Blood smeared the walls and floor. And in the center of it all, Zack stood motionless, holding Annie in his arms. Her face was blank, but her wide, haunted eyes were fixed on something just beyond him.

Resa. Alexa. Charles.

All three lay sprawled on the ground, unmoving.

Pink and Summer froze, their breath caught in their throats. Slowly, they lowered Rejoice to the floor, unable to tear their eyes from the scene.

Clary, who had already arrived earlier with Eska, stood rooted to the spot, her face pale with disbelief.

Regina was pinned to the far wall by glowing threads of magic, her arms restrained above her head, her head slumped forward in unconsciousness or shame. Jennie was nowhere to be found.

Raymond stood just inside the clinic's doorway, gripping the staff like it had betrayed him. His face was blank, stunned. Guilty.

...

Back at the gym, the referee blew his whistle sharply.

"Timeout!" he barked, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. The players reluctantly retreated to their locker rooms, whispering to each other, glancing nervously at the still-dark scoreboard.

He turned to Mrs. Adams, frustration etched across his face, and shook his head slowly.

As if on cue, the lights blinked back on.

Meanwhile, at the clinic, Pink's voice cracked under the weight of fear. "Wh-Wh-What happened?" she stammered, stepping closer. Her eyes locked on Resa's body. "Why isn't she getting up?"

No one answered. The silence was too loud, too unbearable.

Zack turned his head slightly and whispered, "Annie…"

Annie didn't respond. She stood stiff in Zack's arms, murmuring to herself in a distant, broken voice.

"It's not my fault… it's his fault. I didn't mean to… I didn't want to…" Her voice trailed into incoherent whispers, as though she were trying to drown out the truth echoing in her mind.

Clary finally found her voice. "How did this happen?" she demanded. No one responded.

Then she screamed, "What the hell happened here?!"

Raymond flinched. His knuckles whitened around the staff.

"It was… an accident," he said finally, his voice hollow. "Annie and Jennie just… wouldn't let go. Annie, she wanted me to change her grades...."

"And you killed my sister!" Annie's voice exploded, cutting through the room like a blade. Her entire body tensed, and something dark flickered in her eyes.

"You killed her!" she screamed again, and this time her voice was not entirely human. It deepened, warped by grief and rage.

A violent wind surged through the clinic. Windows cracked. Cabinets flew open. Lights flickered. Everyone had to brace themselves against the sudden magical storm that Annie's fury had unleashed.

Then, silence.

When the dust settled, Annie was gone.

Resa's and Alexa's body gone too, only Charles remained, lifeless on the floor.

Clary gasped and fell to her knees. "No… no, no, no…"

Tears welled in her eyes as she shouted desperately, "Annie!"

But Annie was gone.