CHAPTER 10: THE FINAL ROUND👏
602 Words
The school hall was filled with excitement as the final round of the Evercrest Academy Quiz Competition began.
Students cheered loudly as the remaining teams took their places. SS2 Gold had made it to the finals, and everyone was surprised.
"I can't believe Ethan helped them get this far."
"Maybe he's smarter than we thought," another student replied.
The sentence irritated Vanessa, but she didn't show it.
Beside Ethan, Sophie adjusted the team's answer sheet while Jemimah quietly revised a few notes.
"No matter what happens," Jemimah whispered, "let's stay calm and remain focused."
The quiz master stepped forward.
"Welcome to the final round. The team with the highest score will be crowned this year's champions."
The first few questions were challenging, but the teammates worked well together.
Sophie solved a difficult Literature question.
Jemimah answered a tricky Government question without hesitation.
Then came a difficult Mathematics problem.
The hall fell silent.
Ethan carefully worked through the calculation and confidently gave the correct answer.
The audience burst into applause.
Even some students who had doubted him couldn't hide their surprise.
After several rounds, the judges announced a short break while they calculated the scores.
The contestants returned to their seats.
"I think we're doing well," Sophie said with a smile.
"We're not celebrating yet," Ethan replied. "The competition isn't over."
Just then, a loud voice echoed from the back of the hall.
"Someone has stolen the answer sheets!"
The room instantly fell silent.
Teachers rushed towards the judges' table.
The sealed envelope containing the completed answer sheets had disappeared.
Students stood up from their seats, trying to see what was happening.
Within minutes, the hall was filled with confusion.
The principal walked onto the stage.
"Everyone, remain where you are. No one is to leave the hall until we understand what has happened."
Teachers searched the stage, the judges' table, and the surrounding area.
Nothing.
The envelope was nowhere to be found.
Then one of the prefects called out.
"Sir... I found something."
He held up an envelope.
The principal opened it slowly.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
Across the page, written in bold black ink, were the words:
"Some victories are built on lies."
A murmur spread through the hall.
"What does that mean?"
"Is someone playing games again?"
The principal looked around the room.
"This is no joke."
As the teachers continued searching, Mrs. Wilson noticed a folded paper beneath one of the contestants' chairs.
She picked it up.
It wasn't an answer sheet.
It was a list of names.
At the top of the list were three names written in red ink:
Ethan Johnson
Sophie Williams
Jemimah James
Below the names was one chilling sentence:
"They're getting too close."
Mrs. Wilson quickly folded the paper before anyone else could read it.
Her expression changed.
Something far more serious than a school panic was happening.
A few minutes later, the missing answer sheets were found inside a locked storage cabinet near the stage.
The quiz resumed, but the excitement had vanished.
Every contestant was distracted.
When the final scores were announced, SS2 Gold came second.
Although some classmates looked disappointed, Ethan wasn't thinking about the competition anymore.
As the three friends walked out of the hall together, Jemimah broke the silence.
"Whoever is doing this..."
"...they don't just want to spread rumours," Sophie finished quietly.
Ethan looked at the now-empty hall.
"They want to stop us."
High above them, from the second-floor balcony, someone watched the three friends leave the building.
The figure turned away before anyone noticed.
The game wasn't over.
It was only becoming more dangerous.....
- Writer
