GUARDIANS

IX. Why Don't We Be Optimistic?

UCA Stadium

Exiting the center stage, both teams shook hands with one another. "That was a good competition, Elliott," Artemis said with a warm smile.

Elliott returned the gesture with a determined grin. "We won't lose next time!"

Artemis chuckled heartily. "A rematch sounds good." They shared a firm handshake before parting ways.

After leaving the hall, Elliott and his team headed to the green room to take a brief rest before returning to the participants' stands. The atmosphere inside the room was tense, a heavy silence hanging over the group. No one seemed ready to break it, weighed down by their recent loss.

Until—

"Are we just going to sit here quietly and ignore what happened?" Ayva's voice pierced the silence, her tone edged with frustration.

"Ayva—" Elliott started, only for her to cut him off.

"You're the leader, Elliott. Say something optimistic!" she demanded.

"Optimistic?" Wynter scoffed from his seat in the corner. "You want optimism after that disaster?"

Ayva held her ground. "It's not the end of the world. This just means we have room to improve—"

"Improve?" Wynter's voice dripped with sarcasm as he stood, his fists clenched. "Room to improve? Are you kidding me? Is there even room left for improvement in this team?"

"That's enough, Wynter," Elliott warned, his voice low but firm.

Wynter ignored him, pointing an accusatory finger at each member. "Ayva has a blind spot whenever she uses her present. Faith hasn't even discovered hers yet. And you, Elliott—you can't control your wind beyond 30 meters! How is that supposed to get us anywhere?"

Elliott's composure snapped. "And you? What about you, Wynter? You think you're perfect?" He stood up, his glare meeting Wynter's head-on. "Say it. Go on. You were the one who insisted on getting the target alone. That was your call, wasn't it?"

"That's because I could do it!" Wynter shot back.

"And what happened? You went alone, Artemis' team fought back, and we lost anyway. If you'd just trusted the team, we might've had a chance!"

Wynter let out a bitter laugh. "This coming from the guy who can't even beat me in training? Spare me the lecture, Ell."

"You—"

"Enough!" Faith shouted, stepping between the two. Her voice wavered as she tried to assert herself. "This isn't helping anyone! Can't you see—" She stopped, overwhelmed by the hostile atmosphere and the weight of the argument. Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned on her heels and rushed out of the room.

Ayva exhaled sharply, glaring at both boys. "Well done, gentlemen. Really inspiring teamwork."

Elliott and Wynter watched the door swing shut, the weight of their argument settling heavily over the room. Neither of them spoke, shame quietly replacing their anger.

"Faith?" Ayva's concerned voice pulled her from her thoughts, but Faith was nowhere to be found.

Faith continued walking down the empty hallway, her pace quickening with each step. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, blurring her vision as she struggled to hold them back. Turning a corner, she collided with someone.

"I-I'm sorry—" she stammered, her voice breaking.

"Finally! I found you!" The woman she bumped into said with a breath of relief.