The energy in the tournament hall still hadn't settled. Dan Doom was gone. His sister had exited with all the menace of a shadowy mid-boss. And Riggs Park—the prodigy turned sketchbook prophet—had just declared me as his next opponent. I could barely process it.

  Then Riggs' Sync Ring buzzed. He glanced down at the display, and his expression actually changed. Just a flicker as his brow tightened, mouth drawing into a straighter line, but enough for me to notice.

  He tapped his band, and a faint, whispery click echoed from the speaker as the call connected. Riggs turned in his seat, back slightly to the crowd, shielding his voice. I couldn't make out much, just a few clipped words.

  "Riggs Park speaking."

  The voice that answered came through distorted slightly by static and the scratchy speed of urgency.

  "Riggs… it's Nessa from the clinic. We've got a live case. Emergency jaw impaction. It's bad. Real bad."

  Riggs straightened in his seat. "Is Dr. Hye there?"

  "Out. Trapped in a conference in West Quadrant. You're the only one cleared to handle a split-root Zeldritch case."

  There was a pause, longer than it should've been. His fingers drummed the edge of his sketchbook. He glanced at me, then to the tournament table, then back to the glowing red on his Ring.

  "Send me the transport route. I'll meet them at Bayview Dock."

  Sarah nudged me, whispering, "You think it's about a Zeldritch breach?"

  I shook my head. I didn't know. And neither did she. But Riggs' demeanor had shifted completely. The relaxed sketchbook artist? Absolutely gone. This was a different Riggs who was tense, controlled, and already halfway packed before the call even ended.

  I watched as he stood, stuffing his notebook into his satchel with practiced speed, like he'd done this too many times before. Tournament officials tried to flag him down, but he barely glanced their way.

  "Jake," he said, stopping just beside me. His voice was steady, but not casual anymore. "You're a good player. You've got instincts. Don't stop here."

  My mouth opened, but before I could ask anything, he offered a final line:

  "Win or lose. I think you're about to matter a lot more than you think."

  Then he was gone, sweeping through the exit doors with his coat trailing behind him and the Sync Ring still pulsing a faint amber hue. Gone before I could even ask what was wrong. Before I could even try to face him.

  An official hustled onto the floor a moment later, clearly rattled. He tapped his mic.

  "Attention all finalists. Due to an emergency forfeit, Riggs Park has withdrawn from the final match."

  Gasps spread like wildfire. Even Sarah's jaw dropped.

  "That means..." the official continued, glancing at a tablet before confirming, "Jake Garm is the winner of the 28th Ten Singles Deck Challenge." My name and winner.

  The words didn't feel real. Not right away. But then Sarah let out a short breath and turned to me, eyes wide with disbelief and barely-contained pride.

  We locked eyes. That shared, stunned, what even just happened look.

  "You did it," she whispered.

  "I… I guess I did."

  The applause started slow. Then faster. Louder. I stood there like I was made of glass, heart pounding, adrenaline still crashing through me.

  I didn't know what to do with my hands. Raise them? Pump a fist? Bow?

  Somewhere in the noise, I thought of what Riggs said before leaving.

  "You're about to matter more than you think."

  And I couldn't help but wonder. Was that a compliment? Or a warning?

  ???

  I found myself outside of the Duel Center, sitting down on the steps with my monsters beside me. It was night, and it was a beautiful clear sky with twinkling stars above us. Sarah sat next to me, quietly typing on her phone. I knew she had to be writing up a story or something.

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  My gaze went to my phone as I checked my new stats:

  Jake Garm's ZP: [30] → [180]

  Jake Garm's Ranking: [196542] → [168920]

  Jake Garm's Crystal Credits: [2503] → [5503]

  From that tournament I discovered that a grand total of 3000 Crystal Credits and 150 ZelPoints were delivered to my profile. Those hundred-fifty points had raised my total ranking to a satisfactory extent. If I kept the pace, I believe I would break the hundred-thousand by a month.

  And despite the tournament being over. I hadn't made it far, but it had been one eventful day. My mind was still buzzing with plays I could have made, strategies I should have seen coming, and, most of all, the fact that Riggs Park had actually talked to me.

  But right now? I was just grateful to be outside, breathing in the cool night air as Sarah, Alf, Spade, and I began walking down the city streets. We traveled further through area, and I began to register the next part again when we took a turn at the block. Why was she still trailing beside me?

  "You're still here?"

  She adjusted her glasses, pushing them up with the back of her wrist while clutching a fresh booster pack in her hands. "Not bad for your first real competition, Garm. You didn't get completely wiped."

  I scoffed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll treasure it forever."

  She grinned but didn't reply immediately. Instead, she flicked the corner of her Sync Band absently, deep in thought. The streetlights overhead painted soft gold highlights into her chestnut hair, making the already vibrant streaks seem even more striking.

  It was weird. I hadn't known Sarah for long, but something about her presence was… grounding.

  "So…" I scratched the back of my neck, unsure of how to steer the conversation. "Tell me more about yourself, Sarah. I mean, all I really know is you're a serious Zeldritch player, but, you know… there's gotta be more to it than that."

  Her smile softened as she glanced at me, eyes thoughtful for a moment. Then, with a little shrug, she gave me that glint in her eye like she was about to let me in on a secret.

  "You really want to know?" she asked. There was a brief pause before she continued. "Alright, so here's the thing. You've probably heard of Khimera Tamer Academy?

  "Of course. It's one of the top places to study Zeldritch taming, right?"

  Sarah gave a small nod, her smile tight with the edges of something that felt almost nostalgic. "Yeah. Well, I'm a Professor Aide there. Sarah Vinaldi Lin by the way." She said it casually, like it was a throwaway detail, but the words hit me like a freight train.

  Professor Aide? At Khimera Academy? It wasn't quite a professor title, but it was the closest thing to an instructor in the field that I could think of. Sarah must have been some kind of genius. Or prodigy.

  "That's amazing!" I exclaimed as I turned toward her. "How did you even become one so young? I thought only older adults got those positions."

  She didn't say a word, but her stance spoke volumes of hesitation. Her eyes danced nervously across the street as she tightly clenched her purse. She tugged me along, and we rounded the corner into a quiet alcove where industrial brick walls and faded graffiti surrounded us.

  "Hey, where are we—?"

  Her voice dropped to a whisper, so low I could barely make out the words. "Hush, we're being followed. Don't draw attention."

  I heard her, but I couldn't shake the feeling of doubt, glancing toward the shadows that seemed empty. Then I noticed her gaze fixed on a flickering streetlamp just a few feet away.

  "It's okay," she murmured. "We're safe here."

  A soft shuffle echoed from the alleyway, and a moment later, the shadows coalesced into a sleek figure—a man clad in a techno-suit, with pointed ears and gleaming, curled horns.

  My fingers tightened. Was that…?

  He ran past the alley, a blur of speed that would've made Dan Doom jealous. And he was gone before I could even blink.

  "We're in the clear." Sarah's shoulders sagged as she let out a relieved sigh. "Follow me."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Where are you leading me?"

  "A shortcut," she replied, offering me a wry smile. "Let's head to my place… I want to show you something." Her grin widened. "It's close."

  Ten minutes later, Sarah stopped in front of a shop with freshly cleaned windows and a blinking "OPEN" sign that was only half-lit. The name on the door was slightly faded, as if the owners had tried to scrub it clean, but the paint simply wouldn't budge.

  Summon & Supply. The words hand-painted and slightly crooked.

  She dug out a key and unlocked the door. "This is where I work… and live. Promise it's safe."

  "It's closed?" I asked.

  She gave a non-committal shrug as she stepped inside, waving for me to follow. "It's a family business. My dad's got the storefront now, so I've got the apartment upstairs."

  My eyes scanned the room. It was small, but neat. A bookshelf against the wall. A worn sofa tucked into the corner. And a massive display table in the center with a few cards already splayed out across its surface.

  "You run an actual store?" I asked, trying to keep my jaw from dropping. "I mean, I knew you played, but… this is your actual job?"

  "Yeah." She gave another shrug, like it wasn't a big deal. "Been doing it since I was a kid. My dad used to run a monster supply shop back in the day. I started working it when I was ten. He still handles most of the floor stuff. I'm just here for the games. You can look around, if you want."

  "Thanks," I said, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the display. I'd never seen a store like this. There were Zeldritch material lining the wall, a massive rotating stand of figures, and a small corner set up with a monitor and two chairs. "Why bring me here?"

  "Because I wanted to talk without eavesdroppers."

  "About what?" I asked.

  "About how you're gonna be the next Riggs Park."

  Her words hit me like a sucker punch, knocking the wind out of my lungs. My eyes widened as I stared at her, stunned. "Wait—what? Me?"

  "Yeah." She moved to the counter, pulled a few cards from a drawer, and spread them across the display. "Now that you're the reigning champion of the Singles Deck Challenge, I thought it was finally time to inform my business partner."

  "Business partner?" I repeated slowly.

  She nodded in affirmation. "Think about it—'Newcomer upsets the bracket after Riggs Park's withdrawal.'"

  "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

  "It means we could work together. I've been observing you today, Jake." She leaned in closer. "I believe we could make a great team. Welcome to your second job, Jake."