Allegiances [2]

The final ceremony wasn't too complex. It was something that would be done after every round of the competition, so it couldn't be too much work to do.

The top three would be placed on a podium and celebrated as they were, and the next round would be announced. 

That was the end of it.

The cheers of the crowd never seemed to fade, though. 

August, Valerie, and Eris were led out into a separate tunnel from which they could covertly leave the arena. The rest of the geniuses also followed.

All the way, they listened to those cheers. 

For some, it was motivation. For some, it was envy. For some, it was hatred. And for some, it was joy.

Their mixture of emotions would become the norm as the heir wars continued. The disparity in points would become larger and larger until only a select few could hope to feel the more positive emotions connected to this departing moment.

Unfortunately, not everyone could be happy with what they had.