Score — @15: 8 — @11: 15
Timer — 2:00
---
Viraj stood there.
A storm inside him—
How…? This easily? Why me? Why is it always me?
A long silence.
Then he looked up.
And said to himself—slow, but clear—
"God… this isn't fair."
---
Amit stepped toward the line.
But—
He was different.
Completely different.
He wasn't the same Amit who used to laugh and say "I'll devour everyone."
Not the one who got caught earlier.
This—
Was a changed Amit.
From his body—
An aura emerged.
Black.
So dense. So heavy.
For a second, Viraj felt—
Like he was facing a ghost. Something that could drain even a soul.
---
Amit whispered to himself—
"From today… from this very moment…"
His eyes briefly shifted to Varun—
"Varun… I'll leave you so far behind… that you'll never even reach me again."
---
Amit stepped into the court.
Applied pressure on Shubham and Vedant—
Shubham reacted instantly—
"Cover! Both sides!"
Viraj and Surya moved right—covering.
Amit backed off—then shifted pressure toward Viraj and Surya—
---
Surya—
Just once. His blind spot. Just once…
---
Shubham and Vedant covering left. Viraj and Surya on the right.
Do or die.
Less time. More points needed.
---
Then—
Amit made a different move.
From left to right—
A 3-point circular motion—
Raj—who was slightly ahead—
Tagged.
While turning—
Vishal—
Tagged.
Line—touch.
---
Vishal and Raj—
Shocked.
"When…? How…? We couldn't even predict it—"
---
From Amit's body—
That black aura—
Like a ghost brushing past them.
---
Viraj—
"What… was that? Where did that speed come from? He wasn't like this before. How did this happen? What was that?"
His mind started racing—
Then—
Tane's words echoed.
"Crooked moves. Crooked paths. Crooked ideas."
Viraj's eyes—
Now… I'm starting to understand.
---
Shubham was about to go for the raid—
Then—
Vedant stepped forward.
Calm. Direct. Serious.
"Shubham… let me go."
Shubham looked at him—
"But… it's my turn."
Vedant—
"You go on my turn."
No argument. No explanation.
Just certainty.
Shubham paused for a second—
"…Go."
---
Vedant stepped to the line.
Stopped.
Looked at the entire @11 team—
One by one.
That same cold presence from Chapter 14—
Was still there.
But now—
Something more had joined it.
A wild bear.
Before hunting—
Scanning the entire field once.
In Vedant's eyes—
Today… it's either you… or me.
---
— Chapter 19 End —