Challenge #8: The Wild Card

"Good afternoon, everyone," Irina said, her voice commanding and crisp. As she spoke, the atmosphere in the room shifted, a sense of authority and power emanating from her. "I'm Irina Petrov, your Sovereign Leader."

The room filled with an involuntary chorus of "Good afternoon, Sovereign Leader," as the students quickly stood, bowing their heads in respect.

"You all can be seated," Irina continued, her tone softening just slightly, though it still carried weight. The students obeyed, settling into their seats, but the energy in the room remained electric, charged by her presence.

Rurki couldn't help but observe her closely, taking in her icy demeanor and calculating gaze. *So this is the Sovereign Leader?* he thought, eyes narrowing slightly. *I expected someone more... traditional. A guy, maybe? But this—this is different. Very different. She's not just a leader; she's the embodiment of control. Far different from Brittany.* His gaze shifted to the Deputy Sovereign Leader,

"Wow, I love your suit, hun," Brittany said, her voice full of admiration.

"Thanks, girl," Irina replied with a wink,

Jayda, standing at the front, cleared her throat loudly, a sharp reminder that the meeting was not yet over. "Oh, sorry. Carry on, Brittany," Irina said with a casual wave, her attention already moving on.

Brittany continued, unperturbed. "As I was saying, these games, tests, and activities are for your benefit. Some people will be eliminated during these activities, but sometimes, no one will be eliminated." She paused, letting the words sink in. "If you, the students, think someone should be eliminated, you will bring your argument to me, the Sovereign Leader, and the staffs. We will decide on the elimination, but you must provide a good reason and evidence for it. That's all, right."

Jayda nodded in agreement. "It is, but you're missing something," she said, her voice sharp and commanding. "It's called the Wild Card."

"Wild Card?" The students' voices mixed in confusion.

"Yes," Jayda confirmed, her eyes glinting with excitement. "One of you will have the chance to bring someone back who has been eliminated."

"That's a boring explanation," Irina chimed in, her voice cutting through the air. "Plus, you're forgetting something important. Not only can you bring back an eliminated student, but you can also bring in a student leader from your school—or even someone from another school. As long as you use the Wild Card, they can join. It doesn't matter if they weren't part of this program from the start."

The room fell silent as everyone processed what Irina had said. The implications were vast. Not only could they reverse eliminations, but they could also alter the course of the entire competition by introducing new players with different skill sets.

A hand shot up from the front of the room. The girl in front of Rurki—Zalika Williams, the Head Chancellor of T.B.C. Private High—stood, her expression serious.

"Hmm, yes," Irina acknowledged, nodding toward her.

Zalika stood tall, her voice confident as she spoke, "I'm Zalika Williams, the current Head Chancellor of the Head of Council from T.B.C. Private High. I have a few questions about the Wild Card. How will we be able to use it, and how much time can we use it? Also, if we keep the Wild Card until the person who has it gets eliminated, can we use it to bring ourselves back?"

Rurki raised an eyebrow. *Head Chancellor? And Head of Council? What's that?*

Irina smiled faintly, clearly impressed by Zalika's sharp questions. "Those are great questions," she said, her voice steady. "The Wild Card is a one-time use only. Once it's used, it cannot be used again by anyone. How you'll be able to use it is simple: If a good number of people are eliminated, and we have an odd number of participants left, the person with the most leadership points that week will be able to use the Wild Card. As for your last question, yes and no. If it takes you three months to be eliminated, and for those three months you hold the most leadership points, then no. The moment you lose that lead, you lose the Wild Card as well."

Zalika seemed satisfied, but she pressed on. "What exactly are leadership points?"

Brittany jumped in, smiling warmly. "I'll take that one. Leadership points are earned when you complete special events and tasks. You can also lose points, so don't think it's just about collecting them. Currently, all of you have zero points. But here's the catch: you can use money to buy leadership points. Money can buy anything and everything here, including points. If you pass your exams and complete leadership tasks, you'll gain points."

Rurki's mind raced as he absorbed the information. *So money plays a big role in this... That's one hell of a system. We're not just playing for leadership here, but for currency too.*

Brittany's gaze swept across the room. "Are there any more questions?"

No one answered immediately, and Jayda smiled with satisfaction. "Miss Zalika, because you were being a true leader and asked four great questions, you will get 40 Leadership Skill Points. Look at your phone."

Zalika pulled out her phone, her expression turning serious as she saw the points added to her account. "Thank you," she said with a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Now," Jayda said, clapping her hands together, "shall we start our first game? Kicking off the official start of the program."

The students stood up, the room humming with anticipation as the first test of leadership was about to begin.

Rurki couldn't help but feel the tension rise in his chest. This wasn't just about winning; it was about surviving, proving himself in a place where only one could reign supreme.

The games were about to begin.