Challenge # 7: The Sovereign leaders

Rurki lay sprawled on the couch, his arm dangling lazily over the edge. He turned slightly, his body aching from the awkward position. With a groan, he opened his eyes, squinting against the morning light streaming through the window. His phone buzzed on the coffee table next to him.

"What time is it?" he muttered, reaching for it.

11:45 AM.

"What the hell? Our first meeting is at noon!" Panic shot through him as he bolted upright, nearly tripping over the edge of the couch. His heart raced as he glanced at the clock. He had only 15 minutes to make it to the meeting.

He rushed upstairs, his breath coming in short gasps, and knocked urgently on Taylah's door. No answer. He knocked again, louder this time.

"I'm coming in!" he shouted as he turned the handle, bursting into her room. Empty.

"That little bitch" Rurki cursed under his breath, slamming the door behind him. He tossed his phone onto the bed and grabbed his bag, rushing to the bathroom. He ran a quick shower, managing to pull himself together in record time.

Ten minutes later, he emerged, dressed in his uniform, and finished the rest of his preparation in fifteen minutes flat. His heart was still racing. He snatched his phone and bag, slinging the strap over his shoulder, and bolted for the door.

As he hurried down the hallway, he pulled out his phone and typed in the location for the Calder Courthouse Chamber.

He ran.

His sneakers slapped against the floor as he reached the building, breathless. He spotted the door and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before he pushed it open. The room fell silent as soon as he stepped inside.

His presence commanded attention. His aura, fierce and unyielding, seemed to radiate from his body. His eyes, intense and unwavering, held everyone's gaze. The room stopped—just for a moment—as if time itself paused.

Jayda, who was standing at the front, took a few steps toward him, her expression cool but firm.

"You're late, Mr?" she said, her voice carrying the weight of authority.

Rurki immediately spoke his voice sincere but hurried. "Rurki, I'm sorry, Miss Jayda. I—I lost track of time."

"No excuses for a leader," she said, cutting him off. "This is your first strike, baby. Now look, you see your name on the seating chart? Take a seat."

Rurki glanced around the room, noticing his classmates sitting in different areas. So they split us up from the start. He located his name on the chart and made his way to the seat beside Taylah.

"You're late," Taylah said, her tone sharp, but there was a faint smirk on her lips.

"Wow, thanks for the help, you little bitch" Rurki bit his tongue. He couldn't afford to make a scene.

"Remember," she said, leaning in slightly, "this is war. Every man for himself."

Rurki glanced down, catching sight of the girl from yesterday he saw sitting with franscico. huh its the girl from yesterday shes even more beautiful up close Rurki thinks to himself.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as Jayda spoke again, her voice commanding attention.

"Okay, good afternoon, my babies. Today is when we officially begin this program," Jayda said, her smile wide but professional. "We're going over the rules, the structure, and how this all works. But who better to explain it than the current Deputy Sovereign Leader?"

She motioned toward the girl standing beside her. She had sleek black hair pulled into an elegant afro style and sharp brown eyes behind round glasses. She wore a blue top and a white skirt, and she looked as calm as a still lake.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the girl said, her voice smooth and confident. "I'm Brittany Coombs, the current Deputy Sovereign Leader."

"She's the Deputy Sovereign leader"

"Wow shes pretty"

"All the girls are pretty here"

Rurki leaned forward, his eyebrows raised. "She's the Deputy Sovereign Leader?"

"Yeah, but she's not what I expected," he thought to himself. She seemed so normal—almost unassuming. I thought they'd have a more... formidable presence.

Brittany's smile didn't waver as she began speaking again.

"Yea i know I don't look like the leader type but i am so let me explain how this program works," she said, her tone light but authoritative.

"It's very simple you guess will be taught the fundamentals of becoming a proper leader remember these words ego driven extraordinary leadership special abilities chemical reactions these are all the things we guess will be taught here and you will have to improve them with experience which you don't have this is where the program shines the most you all will be preforming special activities games testes to build your experiences most of these test are team based but with that said every man for themselves only one can become the Sovereign leader."

She paused, allowing the words to settle. "I was close to becoming Sovereign Leader myself, but the person who won wasn't necessarily a better leader. They knew how to play the formal game—and they knew when to use it to win. That person was Irina Petrov."

As soon as she said the name, the door to the room slammed open. Everyone stood up automatically, their bodies moving before their minds could catch up.

A tall woman stepped in, her presence electric. Her white hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her red eyes pierced the room. She wore a sharp blue suit, and her aura was heavy, almost suffocating. It was the kind of energy that made you want to bow your head and step aside. Her aura red surrounds her body.

"Good afternoon, everyone," she said, her voice commanding. "I'm Irina Petrov, your Sovereign Leader."

The room filled with an involuntary chorus of "Good afternoon, Sovereign Leader."

Rurki couldn't help but feel a shift in the air. Something about Irina's presence felt different. It was the same way he felt when he walked into the room—unstoppable. She was a leader through and through.

The games were about to begin. And this was no ordinary competition.