Pendulum || TAENNIE FF

⚔Chapter 34: Ring the bell

A U T H O R

"Hinker in one week! Place your bets under your champion's undername!" The flying posters announced all over the corridors. The students had been visiting the Silver Hall to see the undernames the players had chosen for themselves. The names had been hanged just recently so everybody's excited. It is also allowed to spend golds for their champion and those who win the game get to use the money however they want. For those who lost, the money will be donated to the school.

Maya and Heather left the cafeteria and headed to the Hall the moment they finished eating. "What are those two excited about?" Chase asked Firo who is enjoying his chicken meal. "Are you prepared for the game, Firo?"

"I'll do what I can like I did last year. It's not always about powers. There's this thing called 'wit' too. I just have to survive until the end." Firo answered and smiled after seeing a leftover slice of strawberry cake on Heather's plate. "Mine." He happily said and took it to his plate.

"Why are you eating a lot today? That's unusual."  Chase said with a judging look. "Did something happen?"

"I had to skip dinner and breakfast for practice. I should survive long enough to look for her in the game. If Heather's injured one bit, I will only end up blaming myself and that's a bigger regret than skipping my meals. I have to be there to protect her."

"There it is! There it is!" Maya said and pulled Heather to the wall where the players' undernames are hanged in marble frames. "Everyone's really here." 

Heather started looking for her chosen name and found it between two frames with their boxes filled with coins. Hers had nothing but an empty wooden box. "If I could just vote for myself but that would be too low." She returned to where Maya was standing. "Who are you going to vote for?"

"Some of the names are already familiar. They're the same players from last year. I'm looking for last year's winner, Pyre. He doubled the gold he received and gave everything away to those who voted for him. But the others said he's not chosen this year--"

"Pyre's right here!! He's joining!!" A guy shouted and everyone in the hall rushed to where he was standing. Maya quickly left Heather and counted the number of gold she had while running in that direction. 

Heather's curiosity knocked again and decided to squeeze through the crowd to see Pyre's frame. Her eyes widened when she saw more than three boxes full of gold under his name. "Heaven's sake..." 

"Heather," Maya called and stood beside her. "Aren't you gonna bet on yourself?"

"That's almost close to cheating and being pathetic. I'll pass. Besides, everyone's betting on this guy. Even if I win, I'm still getting my own coins so it won't be necessary."  Heather explained and left. She may have no chances of winning but after remembering her deal with Flake, she can't help but worry about it. Her academic performance depends on this game too. 

"Are you planning on giving up now?" She lifted her head and found Flake walking towards her. "I can hear your worries all the way from entrance." 

"Here to annoy me again?" Flake smiled and nodded. "I shouldn't have made that deal with you in the first place. I knew I wasn't capable but I still pushed through. But because I have some manners left for you, I will not back out on my words. Win or lose, then that's just it."