The opening day of the EMR Invitational crackled with energy. Streams went live across the continent. Commentators introduced brackets with polished flair. And amidst the noise, Dominion Order found themselves matched against the one team they didn't want to meet just yet—Red Reign.
The tournament favorites.
Red Reign had been dominating the scene for over a year. Polished. Funded. Ruthless. They were tacticians, brawlers, and entertainers wrapped into one unstoppable force. Dominion Order, on the other hand, was a patchwork of old friendships, new trust, and growing synergy.
The stage was set.
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Upper Bracket Match – Round 1: Dominion Order vs. Red Reign
Game 1 was brutal.
Red Reign suffocated Dominion Order from the start. Every jungle invade was calculated. Every rotation, precise. Airi was locked down repeatedly. Tenzin's side lane was split in two. Zee couldn't secure any objectives. The game ended in 12 minutes. Clean. One-sided.
In the post-game cam, Dominion Order looked shaken.
Game 2 was different.
Raihan initiated early tempo with aggressive lane pressure. Rakus denied enemy roams with perfect vision. Airi's crowd control turned mid-game skirmishes. Tenzin dove with confidence. Zee closed it with a clean Lord steal. The chat exploded. Dominion Order had tied the score.
But in Game 3, Red Reign adapted too fast. They drafted pocket picks. Played hyper-aggressive. Dominion Order made a few positioning mistakes—and that's all Red Reign needed. A 2:1 loss.
Knocked down to the lower bracket.
---
If the upper bracket exposed their weaknesses, the lower bracket refined their strengths. One by one, they dismantled every team they faced. Fast games. High tempo. Controlled aggression.
They weren't just winning—they were evolving.
By the end of their seventh game in the lower bracket, Dominion Order was in the finals.
Against Red Reign.
Again.
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Grand Finals: Dominion Order vs. Red Reign
Game 1 was a déjà vu of their first match. Red Reign came out swinging, abusing rotations, zoning Airi, collapsing on Zee, tearing through their mid-game. Dominion Order lost.
Again.
Raihan stared blankly at the screen. Rakus slammed his headset. Airi looked pale. Zee muttered something under his breath.
That's when Vyr called in.
The voice boomed from their bootcamp monitor.
"Get Echo in here," he said.
---
The screen flickered. Echo's voice poured in, steady and composed.
"They're winning on pressure. They isolate mid. Delay jungle. Create a split between top and bot by stacking early top aggression and forcing mid prio to collapse jungle pathing. You're reacting instead of predicting."
Zee leaned forward.
"Force the early jungle contest," Echo continued. "Draft safer mid with clear wave. Pick disengage tools. Flip their rotations on themselves. They play linear. Break the line."
It was silent. Then Raihan nodded.
"Let's destroy the line."
---
Game 2
Dominion Order drafted differently. Airi picked a control mage with wave-clear. Rakus went with a disengage-heavy tank. Zee forced early invades, ignoring buffs for tempo.
And it worked.
Red Reign crumbled under unexpected pressure. By 9 minutes, Dominion Order had map control. By 13, they had Baron. Game 2 was theirs.
1–1.
Game 3
This time, it wasn't just strategy. It was execution.
Zee's jungle routes flowed perfectly. Airi out-zoned their star mid laner. Tenzin tanked 1v3s. Rakus orchestrated rotations. Raihan cleaned up everything.
When the final Nexus fell, the arena chat exploded. Commentators screamed. Cameras zoomed in on Dominion Order, erupting from their seats.
They had done it.
Dominion Order were EMR Invitational Champions.
---
They raised the trophy together. A moment frozen in screens, screenshots, fanpages. Raihan held it high. Airi's eyes welled with tears.
Then came the closing ceremony.
The prize money was announced—€4,000. A major chunk for the young team. Along with it, each player received the latest "IGNITE Pro", the newest budget flagship gaming phone from the tournament's sponsor. Lightweight. Fast refresh rate. Built for mobile esports.
But the biggest announcement?
MVP: Airi.
She didn't cry until her name echoed in the stream. Standing beside the others, she smiled—shy, soft, proud.
Then Vyr was called on, through the live online feed.
---
He appeared on screen, backlit by a warm desk lamp. Sharp jawline. Dark hair slicked back. A calm but intense look in his eyes.
"This is just the beginning," he said. "We weren't invited here as favorites. But we leave as champions. Dominion Order is here now, and we're not stopping."
He paused.
"To every team out there holding the crown—"
He smiled faintly.
"—we're coming for it."
The feed exploded.
The first order had been issued.
---
New City, New Life
After the tournament, Vyr sat alone.
The bootcamp could run itself for now. Dominion had momentum. Raihan was handling team ops. Coaches were lined up. The system worked.
Vyr? He needed to focus on himself.
He went for a haircut. Trimmed, modern, light fade. Bought three new outfits. Walked taller. Shoulders broader. Muscles toned. Standing 6'2 now. Healthier skin. Clean diet. Sharp jawline. Dark hair, slightly messy, just the right amount.
Even the mirror couldn't hide it—he had grown.
His boss at the supermarket chain called him in.
"Inventory operations have expanded," she said. "We're opening a central hub in Leipzig. You're already doing more than your pay grade. I want to promote you officially."
Vyr nodded. "Position?"
"Head of Logistics and Forecasting. You'll handle four stores. Better systems. Better control. €2,800 monthly gross. Health perks. Bonuses quarterly."
He accepted.
8 hours a day. Evenings for AscendX. Weekends for Dominion.
Balance.
He opened a map. Marked three cities. Chose one.
Leipzig—a mid-sized German city, known for startups, fresh culture, and beautiful infrastructure.
He started hunting for apartments. Visited four. Chose a two-room studio near the park. Clean. Natural light. Quiet.
Rent: €950/month. Worth every cent.
He moved into the new apartment.
It was perfect—not lavish, but refined. A two-room studio located on the third floor of a quiet complex near Leipzig's central park. Floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the space with natural light during the day. The living room was sleek and minimalistic: charcoal-grey L-shaped sofa, a compact coffee table with a wireless charging pad built-in, and a mounted OLED screen doubling as a second workstation display.
A small dining nook sat adjacent to the kitchenette, which was outfitted with state-of-the-art appliances—induction stove, smart refrigerator, and an automated coffee machine that Vyr had already synced to his phone.
The bedroom was tailored for rest and routine. One wall was lined with bookshelves and open compartments filled with notebooks, digital devices, and fitness gear. A queen-sized bed with memory foam bedding sat opposite a vertical mirror. The back corner of the room housed his primary workstation: triple monitors mounted on an adjustable arm, an ergonomic chair, and custom LED lighting configured for both late-night coding and calm strategic planning.
The bathroom was sleek and modern with a glass rain shower, a heated towel rack, and automatic lighting.
Lastly, a compact balcony overlooked the tree-lined boulevard, perfect for early morning workouts or quiet evenings with a book.
Everything Vyr needed to run AscendX, manage Dominion Order, and grow as an individual was here—efficient, quiet, and empowering.
And one night, he stood in front of the mirror.
But he didn't see himself.
Not quite.
He saw Echo.
Echo smiled.
Vyr smiled back.
No words were needed.
They were becoming one.
Perfect synergy.
Dominion Order had made its first move.
And so had Vyr.
The path was open.
The crown?
Already within sight.