A Collision of Hearts and Heroes

Chapter 30

Warning: This chapter consists of content that may be distressing to some readers, including graphic depictions of violence, such as references to knives and blood. Reader's discretion is advised.

Clarissa's POV

Blood

We've been in Cambodia for the MSC tournament for two months and one week now. This tournament is the Southeast Asia Cup. The participants who get to compete for this are those who secured first and second place in MPL.

Obienna reached the finals and is now the defending champion. At this moment, Astral and Lunatix from the Malaysian team are battling it out against each other. Ang mananalo sa match na ito ay magiging kalaban namin sa championship.

Naghiyawan ang mga manonood dahil sa tensyon ng laro. Some fans waved their long balloons with enthusiasm that added splashes of color to the sea of anticipation. Each of the supporters is getting hysterical while gazing at the massive screen, with hearts pounding fast due to the intensity of the game.

"Hindi makaka-tiyempo si Reyv," Byron said beside me.

"Lugi kasi sila sa picking pa lang," I spoke.

Game five na ito at parehas patas ang points. I was actually worried because Lunatix is currently taking the lead. Their core's performance on Alpha in this match was crucial, as he effectively countered Lyle's Fanny pick.

Sayang talaga at na counter pick pa ang Fanny ni Lyle. Ang dami ring crowd control ng Lunatix—may Minautor at Terizla—na naging dahilan kung bakit nahihirapan sila kapag team fight. The draft phase affects the outcome a lot. And in this case, Astral's choices didn't align well with their game plan.

In professional tournaments, if a team starts at a disadvantage during the picking and banning of heroes, no miracle can turn things around. Hindi ito kagaya sa normal na rank game na kahit tatlong mages pa kayo ay makakaya niyo pang manalo.

"Lunatix, paved the way!!" The caster exclaimed as Astral failed to defend their base any longer.

Napasapo sa mukha si Dave at si Alejandro, halatang nanghiginayang sa kanilang laro. Si Lyle naman ay napadukdok sa lamesa na agad tinapik ni Vince sa balikat nang marahan para pakalmahin ito. Gasper, on the other hand, removed his headphones and briefly covered his face with both hands. He appeared calmer than the rest of his team, but I know that he was really hurt.

Astral takes their final bows, and watching them go through this is truly heartbreaking. Losing is so painful for all players. And I wanna hug my boyfriend right away.

"Puntahan mo na si Yew," Adrian mentioned to me when Astral left the stage.

I stood up and went to Astral's waiting area. Nauna akong nakarating sa kanila kaya naghintay ako ng ilang segundo. Bagsak ang mga balikat nila nang pumasok ako, pati nga si Coach Eddie ay parang ang tamlay-tamlay.

Gasper rushed to me as soon as our eyes met and pulled me into a tight embrace. He buried his face in my neck as his hug tightened. Ramdam ko ang panghihinayang at pagkabigo niya habang nakapulupot ang braso sa akin.

"Sayang," the only word that escaped his lips.

"At least you're in third place, right? Not everyone gets that honor," I said, hoping to ease his mind.

"I just needed to recharge. Nakakapanghina, e," aniya.

"Get some of my energy," I softly spoke.

Defeat truly hurts players, and I know how deeply it affects us whenever we lose. Napagdaanan namin itong lahat at hindi ito madaling pagdaanan.