CHAPTER 169: END OF TOURNAMENT

The hall went silent as Principal Thompson made the announcement.

Many of the students didn’t know about the commencement global tournament registrations so it came as a surprise to them.

Some were unfazed, while others were panicking. If the registration forms were already out, that meant the deadline for registration would have already been set. Which meant, they had even less time to prepare.

Principal Thompson cleared his throat before proceeding with his announcement. "Any student above level 15 may apply, so long as they meet the physical and mental requirements."

A low hum buzzed through the students. The Global Combat was no joke. It was literally the one thing they’d been preparing for their whole life.

"To the parents, thank you for coming." he continued. "To the students, I appreciate your willingness to participate. This marks the end of your mandatory school attendance. You may decide to come to school or not. It’s your choice."

The students erupted in excitement.

"Yes! Finally, I’m free!"

"No way I’m coming to school again. I need to train for the global tournaments."

"Well, it’s been fun. See you all at graduation."

Principal Thompson chuckled at the sight of the students excitement. "Yes, you’re no longer expected to attend classes. But remember, registrations for the global tournament will be available here at the school. You are free to come and register for the tournament before the deadline." he stated.

"With that said... You’re dismissed. I hope to see you all at the tournament. Do enjoy the rest of your day..." he concluded. "...And good luck to you all. "

The arena lights dimmed.

And like that, the crowd began to disperse.

Some students rushed to their parents with excited faces, proudly holding their rewards. Others headed straight for the exit, deep in conversation, discussing future training, tournament dreams, and University goals.

Cassandra, Tasha, and Jessica walked together toward the stands. Jessica was still grinning, holding her medal with pride.

Tasha walked briskly toward her father, arms wide. "Dad."

Jacob was waiting with open arms, beaming with pride. He hugged both Tasha and Jessica tightly, lifting Jessica off the ground.

"I’m proud of you both! Harleen’s gonna flip over when she hears you both made the top ten." he laughed.

Jessica giggled. "She’s gonna love my new hoverboard."

Tasha elbowed her playfully. "Yeah, that’s the only thing that matters apparently." she said in a sarcastic tone

"I’m gonna get you both something to celebrate," Jacob added. "Consider it a proud-dad bonus."

The girls grinned, hugging him again.

Cassandra, meanwhile, slowed her steps as she approached Penelope, who was standing near the edge of the hall, arms folded, eyes sharp.. but smiling.

"Congrats, sweetie," she said warmly, pulling her daughter into a hug. "Mummy’s very proud of you."

But Cassandra didn’t return the smile. "I didn’t take first place, mum."

Penelope sighed, stroking a strand of her daughter’s hair. "I know. But you did your best. And that’s all that matters."

Cassandra stared up at her. "But... that means I won’t get to go wherever he’s going."

Penelope’s lips curled with amusement. "Can you tell me why exactly you want to go wherever Jayden’s going? Why you’ve suddenly decided to follow him on his path?" she chuckled.

Cassandra hesitated, glancing down. "I dunno. I just..." she trailed off. "...You wouldn’t understand."

Penelope raised an eyebrow, then chuckled softly. "Actually, I do. Which is why I’m striking the deal off."

Cassandra looked up. "Huh?"

"You’re free to go wherever you want to go," Penelope said gently. "And if you feel that it’s with Jayden... then fine. Go with him."

Cassandra’s eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You really mean that?"

"Of course," Penelope nodded. "I was never going to force you to go anywhere. I only said that to make you interested in the tournament."

Cassandra blinked. The words echoed in her head like a slap to the face.

"What?!" she asked, sharply.

Penelope smiled, unbothered. "Sweetie, for as long as I can remember, nothing really motivated you. You never wanted to train, leave your room, or even plan your future. But then you met Jayden. And everything changed."

"You started training. Going out. Talking. It looked like you finally found something to motivate you. And I could tell it was because of Jayden. So I made you give it your best in this tournament by turning Jayden into a wager. And look how that turned out... you got second place."

Cassandra was silent for a long moment. Then she sighed. "I guess you’re... right."

Penelope smirked. "What was that? I didn’t quite hear you."

Cassandra rolled his eyes. "Ugh! I said you’re right, okay!" she groaned.

"I lost interest in a lot of things after we came to Alpha. I didn’t have anything to fight for. But now I do. And I’m going to keep fighting. Training. Winning. I’ll make you proud of me, mum. I promise."

Penelope’s heart swelled. "Awwn! My baby. Mummy is already proud of you."

She wrapped Cassandra in a tight embrace, causing a few nearby parents to glance over at the rare public display of affection.

Cassandra’s cheeks flushed. "Mum! Everyone’s staring." she muffled. But Penelope didn’t stop. She couldn’t care less about what others thought of her. Afterall, was it a bad thing to love one’s child dearly.

Cassandra was finally able to break the embrace, she gently pulled away, clearing her throat. "I... uh... I have to go see some friends. See you later, mum."

She turned and hurried away, disappearing into the crowd.

Penelope watched her go with a satisfied smile, then strolled over to Jacob, who stood alone, watching his daughters laugh and talk with the other students.

"Your girls did really good," she said casually.

Jacob chuckled. "Yours too. Cassandra looked happy."

"She is," Penelope said softly. Then her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hey... have you seen Jayden?"

Jacob looked thoughtful. "Not since the final announcement. But I think I saw him walk out with the Principal and... those two agents."

Penelope’s expression darkened, just slightly. "The EVA agents?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. It could just be an early recruitment talk or something. They seemed really impressed with Jayden’s capabilities."

Penelope nodded. But her instincts were louder than the Jacob’s logic. "I don’t like the sound of that," she said, voice lowering. "Recruitment or not, the EVA doesn’t just talk. I’m going after them." she muttered sharply, forgetting that Jacob himself was working for the EVA.

"Wait—" Jacob began, but Penelope was already moving, slipping through the dispersing crowd and heading toward the arena’s side exit.

Her gut told her this wasn’t a normal meeting.

And when it came to Jayden, She wasn’t about to take chances.