The gym was buzzing. The crowd filled every seat, drums pounding, banners flying. Royal Court's name echoed through the hall, but the tension on the bench was heavy. After their last tough battle, everyone knew this game would decide whether Royal Court stayed strong in the standings or slipped behind.
King tied his shoes tighter, his eyes sharp. Mia leaned over and whispered, "You got this, baby." He smirked. She always knew how to calm him before tip-off.
Treasure was stretching, earbuds in, headphones drowning out the noise, while James was pacing like a caged lion. The whole squad could feel the pressure.
Then… the gym lights flickered. A loud cheer went up from one side of the stands. Heads turned.
Cadel was walking back in.Bag slung over his shoulder, jersey already on, that calm but cocky smirk on his face. The crowd lost it. Half cheering, half booing. Jasmine froze for a second — her eyes locking on him — and Ebun bit her lip hard.
"Yooo…" Dan muttered under his breath. "He's back."
Cadel walked past the bench, dropped his bag, and looked at King."Miss me?" he said with a grin.
King just nodded, no words. He was glad. Deep down, he knew the team needed Cadel's fire.
Tip-Off
The whistle blew, the ball flew, and the match exploded. Their opponents — a fierce team from another academy — wasted no time, raining threes early. But Royal Court struck back just as fast.
King went coast-to-coast, spinning past defenders and slamming down a dunk that shook the rim."Too easy!" he roared.
Treasure answered with his own rhythm — smooth mid-ranges, banking shots off the glass. Jasmine and Leyah hit quick corner threes, spacing the floor beautifully.
But the highlight?
Cadel.
The moment he touched the ball, the crowd leaned forward. He sized up his defender, pulled a stepback three… splash. Next possession, he drove, no-look dime to Ola for an easy layup. He was playing like he never left.
Jasmine whispered from the bench, eyes following him, "He's… different."
Ebun heard her and folded her arms tight, trying not to explode.
Clutch Time
The fourth quarter came down to just 2 points. The arena was pure chaos.
Royal Court was trailing. Opponents had the ball. With 30 seconds left, they tried to seal it with a three — but AJ flew out of nowhere, blocking it with a thunderous smack.
The ball went loose. King grabbed it, pushing in transition. He looked to his right — Cadel was sprinting alongside. For a moment, their eyes met. No beef, no pride. Just trust.
King tossed it up.
Cadel caught it mid-air and hammered down an alley-oop. The gym exploded.
Royal Court stole the lead.Their defense locked in the final possession, and the buzzer sounded.
Royal Court wins.
The bench rushed the court. The team piled up, screaming, celebrating. Cadel raised his fist high, sweat dripping, his smirk back. He was officially home.
Post-Game Moments
As the team celebrated, Jasmine walked over to him slowly."You really had to come back like that?" she teased, smiling but blushing.
Cadel leaned closer, whispering just for her:"Didn't want you forgetting me."
Ebun, standing nearby, clenched her jaw, then stormed off to the locker room.
Meanwhile…
Up in the stands, Pent Villa Court Academy was watching. Kiisi sat between her teammates Leng and Sophia Gale, her eyes drifting toward AJ. He was wiping sweat off his forehead, laughing with Chibz.
For some reason… her heart skipped. She quickly looked away.
AJ noticed. Just for a second, their eyes met across the court. Nothing was said, but both of them felt it.
Something was starting.