¹ Claws of Legacy: Legacy's Descent ✓

Chapter 10: Tourney

You and the girls sit on the bleachers, watching your friends on the field. You're rooting for them wholeheartedly, and as you watch, you can't help but overhear the conversation between Jay, the coach, and Carlos, who always underestimates himself. Part of you wants to run out there and encourage Carlos to tell him he can do it if he tries.

Soon enough, Jay gets Carlos onto the field, and you smile proudly. Mal and Evie are standing close to you, their shoulders brushing against yours. You sense that something exciting will happen today, perhaps even more fun than yesterday.

The game begins, and you cheer with the crowd as your friends score. Mal covers her ears at the screams from Evie and Lonnie, but you laugh and cover Mal's ears for her, earning a convincing look from her. However, you smile at her and continue to watch the game.

"What a team!" exclaims the announcer. "Incredible! And it's the new guys, Jay and Carlos, set up the prince for the win. What a victory! A wonderful end to one of the best games ever! Here they come, folks, the winners—"

Ben grabs the microphone from the announcer's hands and says, "Excuse me! Excuse me! Can I have your attention, please?"

The crowd falls silent, and you furrow your brow, feeling the tension building around the young prince. Ben scans the ground and his teammates then smiles. "There's something I'd like to say!" he announces.

Ben surveys his captivated audience. "Gimme an M!" he shouts, raising his arms in the shape of the letter M.

The crowd echoes with the letter, copying his moves.

"Gimme an A!" Ben continues, arms at his sides.

"A!" roars the crowd.

"Gimme an L!" Ben throws his arms up.

"L!" booms the crowd.

"What does that spell?" Ben asks.

"Mal!" the audience declares.

You laugh and nudge Mal as Ben starts to sing. She gives you a look, but you wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Lighten up, girl. This is what you wanted. Well, that wand is as good as ours now," you say. When Ben begins to sing, Mal sighs and smiles back, stiff as a stick.

You chuckled silently as you watched Ben roll around in the grass, singing with his team. Everything seemed so joyful, yet a strange feeling lingered within you. However, you dismissed it, convincing yourself it was a passing sensation. It would fade away soon enough, wouldn't it?

Well, even a raptor can be trapped by the siren's call.

-ˏˋ♥̩͙♥̩̩̥͙♥̩̥̩ ⑅

When the game was over, you retreated to the dorm, trying to figure out why you felt like you did. You hadn't developed feelings for anyone on the Isle before, so this confusion was unsettling. Could it be love? But Mal liked Ben.

"I'll just get in the way of our plan if anyone catches feelings for one another. We're friends, and we'll always be," you thought to yourself, mustering a smile before falling into a deep sleep, not even bothering to change out of your clothes. However, your dream was filled with bloodshed and the screams of humans. You caught glimpses of Mal and the others, either dead or crying out for someone they loved.

You knew it all too well. You were the cause of it.

Restlessly turning in your sleep, you tried to find a more comfortable position but couldn't. Mal and Evie entered the dorm, arriving quite late. They had been searching for you and were now checking the dorms. "Oh, there you are!" Evie exclaimed, rushing over to you on the bed, only to see you tossing and turning. Mal approached as Evie gave her a wide-eyed, worried look.

"I think she's having a nightmare. Oh, I feel bad," Evie whispered. Mal nodded and gingerly touched your shoulder, causing you to still. "She must've had a nightmare. Oh, I feel bad about doing that love spell. I think..." Mal trailed off, giving Evie a pained expression.

"What do you mean?" Evie asked. Mal looked up and sighed, still gazing at your restless form. "I mean, I feel bad about how much pressure this whole situation has put on me, and I think it has affected Y/n more than we realize."

Evie looked down at you, her gaze softening. "You're right. Y/n always tries to take care of us but forgets herself," she said, her voice filled with soft sadness. "We need to be there for her more, especially now that we're going to take over Auradon," Mal declared. Evie let out a sigh, then walked over to her bed. "Let's get some sleep," she said. Mal hummed in agreement, and the two girls performed their nightly routines before settling down for the night.