Endless tournament

Chapter 3.

The day in America begins with a glorious sunrise as Apastar hovers over the city's buildings, his eyes scanning the horizon. His stoic figure stands out in the morning sky, his posture commanding. Soon, three other heroes—Amanta, Leos, and Parrot—approach him, their silhouettes cutting through the air as they glide toward him. Parrot, trying to break the silence, speaks up with a light-hearted tone, "It's a peaceful day, isn't it?" Apastar nods, his expression remaining stern, clearly consumed by his thoughts. Leos, more playful, taps Apastar on the shoulder with a grin. "Hey, we could spend the day together. Do something fun as a team, you know? How about bowling or pool? Something the rest of the team can enjoy too, especially those of us who can't fly."

Apastar turns toward Leos with a neutral but clearly unimpressed look. "And what exactly did you have in mind?" he asks dryly.

Leos shrugs casually, "Like I said, bowling or pool. Something normal."

Apastar listens, his demeanor growing more intense as Leos speaks. "Yeah, sure, you guys go do whatever you want," he says, his voice sharpening. "But let me remind you, **two hundred** Americans have gone missing. No traces, no evidence, no explanations... 17 of those missing were heroes. Do you really think we should be out playing games?" His tone is hard and commanding, each word landing like a weight.

Leos, Amanta, and Parrot exchange uneasy glances. Amanta's face shows a flicker of fear, while Parrot nods in agreement, realizing how serious Apastar is.

"No, you're right, Apastar. We can't just ignore this," Leos admits, and Amanta quietly echoes the sentiment with a shaky, "Yes, Apastar, you're right."

Apastar gives them a firm nod, his eyes still burning with resolve. Without another word, he launches himself into the air at super speed, disappearing into the distance.

Once Apastar is gone, Leos watches the sky where he vanished, a cynical thought crossing his mind: *As if you care about the other heroes, Apastar. You made it pretty clear last time how much you really care.*

He shakes the thought away and turns to Amanta and Parrot, trying to lift the mood again. "So, you guys still up for doing something with the others? You know... without Apastar?"

*Evening in Berlin, Germany*

Aasir walks near his house, trying to clear his head, which is still full of thoughts. The cool evening air does little to soothe the confusion swirling inside him. He takes a seat on a bench in a nearby park and grabs his phone, hesitating as he wonders if he should text Socita. It has been four days since she rejected him. With uncertainty gnawing at him, he opens her contact, but something feels off. "Where is she? She should be in my contacts..." he mutters to himself. Scrolling through, he realizes something strange and decides to search her account directly. His heart sinks when he sees the words "Add Friend" next to her profile. His mouth drops in disbelief. "She... deleted me? Why?" His fingers move quickly as he sends her a message: "Hey, Socita. I see you've deleted me. Have I done something wrong?"

Moments pass without a response. He stares at his phone, his mind racing. "Maybe love isn't meant for everyone... at least not for me," he thinks, a wave of sadness washing over him. As he sits, lost in

thought, his phone buzzes with a notification. It's from Socita.

"Hey, Aasir," her message starts. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. Actually, it's not about you at all. It's just me. I feel too bad keeping you in my contacts while you have feelings for me, and I don't." His confusion deepens as he reads her next messages. "Look, I need to tell you something."

Aasir feels a knot form in his stomach as Socita continues typing. She tells him about meeting a Chechen boy at her work, someone who's two years older than her and, in her words, has a "perfect age difference." She confesses that she normally doesn't give her number to anyone, but she made an exception for him because she found him handsome. They're still in the talking stage, and she told him about Aasir, explaining that he doesn't mind their friendship because she described Aasir as a good guy.