14 The Rivalry Unfolds

"Let me ask you something," said Zalika, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Rurki raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is that?"

"Why Mark? Why not me or Taylah?" Zalika's gaze locked onto him, demanding an answer. "Why not take us out instead?"

Rurki chuckled softly, leaning back casually. "Me, take you out? No. I want to beat at being the Sovereign Leader. Getting you eliminated would be the easy way out." He paused, a smirk forming on his lips. "If I put a target on you, you would've known, right? As for Taylah... I don't really have a reason, to be honest. But if I could make one is because you need her with her your strong and I need you at your strongest when i beat you."

Zalika raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a small smile. "Oh, I see. Well, my next question—how the hell did you feed information back to your friends to make them target you and Mark?"

Rurki's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, that's a secret," he said, leaning forward slightly. "Just like how at the last minute you decided to switch it up and gain points too with Taylah."

---

**Camera Room**

"Seems we've got a little rivalry on our hands," a man voice said while observing the growing tension in the group.

"Wow that was entertaining" said Irina

"Yes, we do," another voice replied.

"But this early? These students are something else. Especially him—Rurkiel Hunter. Son of ************ Hunter? Wow, let's see how far you go," said Alden, glancing over to another monitor displaying Rurki's information.

[Back To the others]

Jayda stood at the front, finishing up her announcements. "Alright, everyone, that's it for today. You're dismissed."

As the students began to disperse, Rurki made his way toward Zalika and Taylah, a confident stride in his step.

"I've got to say, you've got balls," Taylah said, giving Rurki a small nod of respect.

"Thank you," Rurki replied with a sly smile. "But that's not why I'm here." He turned to Zalika, his eyes narrowing. "Zalika, you owe me an apology."

"Really? For what?" Zalika asked, her expression neutral, but there was a flicker of challenge in her eyes.

"For saying that I'm not cut out to be a leader," Rurki replied, his tone unwavering.

Zalika laughed, a low, almost mocking sound. "Really? And you think a real leader cares about what people think of them or wants an apology? A true leader proves them wrong and lets their actions speak," she said, her voice steady, but a hint of pride in her words.

Rurki smiled faintly. "I just did that."

Zalika's eyes narrowed. "No, you didn't. You think planning a betrayal makes you a leader?"

Rurki shook his head. "No, it doesn't. But leading six other people while working on a betrayal and still watching the ones I'm about to betray—that shows I can lead in dark times."

"Wow," Mr. Dr. Alden said, clapping slowly. He stepped forward, a bemused smile on his face. "Well done, well done."

"Mr. Alden, sir," they all said, acknowledging his presence.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Alden greeted them, his voice filled with amusement. "I must say, that was fantastic! You guys are the first to make such a bold move in the first round. It was entertaining."

"Thank you, sir," the students replied in unison, their voices tinged with a mixture of pride and relief.

Alden's gaze shifted to Rurki. "She's right, Rurki. A true leader doesn't care what people think, and they definitely don't want any meaningless apology. They work hard to shut up what people say or think about them."

"I told you," Zalika said with a smug smile.

"And yet," Alden continued, his voice turning slightly more serious, "Rurki is right too. What he did today was impressive. A true puppeteer." He gave a nod of approval. "I like that."

"Thank you, sir. That means a lot," Rurki said, grateful for the acknowledgment.

Alden's expression softened, and he turned to Zalika. "But Zalika, you used Rurki, didn't you?"

Rurki blinked, a confused look crossing his face. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Alden smiled cryptically. "You were hoping he'd take out Mark from the start, weren't you?"

Rurki's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, what?"

Alden nodded. "Yes, I was. Mark is useless. I would never waste the wild card on him. All I need is Taylah and you, Rurki. You two are the ones I need to become Sovereign Leader. If you were eliminated, I would've used the wild card on you. That was the plan all along."