The league called an emergency meeting two days after the conference.
No press, no cameras — just executives, coaches, and team captains sitting under cold white lights.
"Public behavior affects sponsorships," one official said, his voice smooth as glass. "Personal rumors between captains and players can disrupt balance."
They weren't looking at anyone else. Only me.
I folded my hands on the table. "So you'd prefer I lose quietly?"
A faint rustle went through the room.
"Of course not," he said, "but the league must appear neutral."
Neutral.
A polite word for obedient.
When the meeting adjourned, I left without another word.
Outside, the cameras waited, but Lao K was already there — leaning against the wall, cap low, pretending to scroll through his phone.
"You heard," I said.
"Every word."
"Then you know what they want."
He looked up. "You to keep winning. Without me in the picture."
I met his eyes. "That's not possible anymore."
He said nothing, but the silence felt heavier than argument.
---
ECLIPSE Headquarters — Later that night
Ashen and Luna were already in the training room, voices sharp.
"You're letting him inside your head," Ashen said. "Since ZGDX, your focus drifts. That's not leadership."
Luna frowned. "She's still the reason we're even on the board."
"Yeah, but if she falls, we all do."
I stepped inside before it could escalate.
"Enough," I said quietly. "I'm fine."
Ashen didn't back down. "Are you? Because the league doesn't think so."
He stormed out, headset dangling.
The door hissed shut behind him.
Luna sighed. "He worries because he's loyal. The rest of us still believe in you."
I nodded once. "Then believe harder."
When she left, I sat alone before the glowing screen.
Every victory had a cost — this one, apparently, was trust.
---
Private message — 11:02 p.m.
> Lao K: Rough night?
Me: Team politics.
Lao K: You can't lead and fight rumors at the same time.
Me: I don't have the luxury of choosing one.
Lao K: Then let me take a little of the noise.
I hesitated, fingers over the keyboard.
> Me: You can't. You're ZGDX.
Lao K: Maybe I'm just me tonight.
For a moment, I let the cursor blink. Then I closed the chat.
---
League Practice Arena — The next day
The scrims were brutal.
ECLIPSE faltered in early rounds, coordination slipping.
Ashen's timing was off; Luna's focus wavered.
My own thoughts tangled — Lao K's message echoing where strategies should be.
After the fourth loss, I called break.
Ashen muttered, "You can't lead us if you're somewhere else."
His words hit harder than any defeat.
He wasn't wrong.
I looked around — at the team I built from nothing, at the cracks I'd ignored.
Control was slipping, and control was all I'd ever known.
---
That night, the city rain streaked down glass like falling code.
I stared at my reflection — half shadow, half glare.
Somewhere in the noise, my phone vibrated again.
A single message.
> Lao K: You don't have to do this alone.
I didn't reply.
Because I knew the truth: in my world, alone was the only safe formation.
---
✨ End of Chapter Eight — "Breaking Formation."
---