Chapter 3: The Aftermath

Chapter 3: The Aftermath

The silence was deafening.

Kai Ashford sat alone in the dimly lit practice room, staring blankly at the now-dark screen in front of them. The sound of their own shallow breathing was all that filled the space. Damon's words echoed endlessly in their mind—"We're moving forward without you."

They could still hear the finality in his voice, the smug satisfaction of someone who knew they had won, who had orchestrated everything to perfection. Kai had been blindsided—and worse, they had been powerless to stop it.

How could this happen?

Everything felt distant, like the world had tilted off its axis. The team they had poured blood, sweat, and endless hours into was gone. The teammates they had trusted had turned on them. And the career Kai had fought so hard to build now lay in ruins.

Kai's fingers twitched slightly, hovering over the controls as if they might somehow undo the disaster that had just unfolded. But nothing happened. The empty arena screen stared back at them, mocking their helplessness. The tournament was still happening—their team was still out there competing—while Kai was stuck here, discarded like some useless extra.

Their vision blurred as they tried to blink away the shock, but no matter how many times they replayed the moment, it didn't make sense. How could Damon do this? He'd always been brash, but they had won together, fought together. This wasn't just a betrayal of the team—it was personal. Damon had torn everything away from them with one ruthless, calculated move.

And the rest of them—Reyes, Livia, Sarai—they hadn't said a word. Not even a glance in Kai's direction as they were thrown out. It hurt more than Kai wanted to admit. Were they all part of it? Did they really believe Kai had been holding them back?

A harsh laugh broke from Kai's throat, dry and bitter. So much for loyalty.

The sudden jarring ring of their phone snapped Kai out of their thoughts. For a split second, hope flickered—maybe Reyes was calling to apologize, or Livia to explain. Maybe they hadn't all betrayed them. But when Kai saw the name on the screen, the sinking feeling in their chest only deepened.

It wasn't a teammate. It was tournament support.

Taking a breath, Kai answered, the line crackling slightly. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Tournament Support, we wanted to confirm that you have been removed from your team and have been disqualified from the current event due to a captain-initiated request. Is this information correct?"

How could they celebrate like that? Didn't they feel the loss? Didn't they care that Kai was gone?

Apparently not.

Time stretched on, and soon the glow of morning crept through the practice room window. The tournament had continued without a hitch, and the world of AAO moved on, leaving Kai behind in its wake.

Kai slumped back in their chair, physically and emotionally drained. They had been through tough losses before—plenty of setbacks in their career—but this was something else. This was betrayal on a scale they hadn't prepared for. And no matter how much they told themselves they would find a way to fight back, the truth was staring them in the face: Kai had been outplayed.

In the cold light of dawn, reality set in fully. There was no going back to Phoenix Reborn. Not after what Damon had done. Not after the team had stood by and let it happen.

But what now? Was this it? Was this the end of their career?

For the first time in years, Kai didn't know the answer. They had no team, no support, and now, no place in the competitive world of Ancient Arena Online. Everything they had built, everything they had worked for—gone.

The bitter truth was, they were starting over. From the bottom.

Kai stared at the blank screen in front of them, hands trembling with exhaustion and anger. But deep beneath the pain, something else stirred. Something that hadn't been snuffed out, not yet. Determination.

If Damon thought he could bury Kai and take everything, he was wrong.

This isn't over. Not by a long shot.

Kai's fists clenched. They would rise again. They had to.

And next time... they would make sure Damon Steele knew exactly what it felt like to fall.