Chapter 19

The atmosphere had taken a big turn in the arena from all the cheers of the crowd for the Bayside Stars, which faded away into a very tense silence. Again, the lights dimmed until the entire stadium was cast in eerie twilight. A hush fell over the audience; the anticipation was so thick it could be touched. The spotlight flickered for just a moment, indecisive about where to land, before resting at the other end of the court. A low, haunting hum filled the air—a thing that seemed to set the very walls of the arena vibrating—and to turn the very ground under the feet of the listener to pulsate with a strange energy. Louder it grew; and changed again, until it became an uncanny, pulsating beat that seemed to send the blood in the body of every hearer thundering in time. The massive holographic screen above the field sputtered on, illuminating with a dark foreboding. It was a logo depicting a dark crescent moon partially obscuring a blazing sun, and underneath it in jagged, fiery letters was the name of the SOUTH BAY CRUSADERS.

The crowd buzzed now, murmuring to one another. From the tunnel where the Crusaders would emerge flowed forth thick fog. It billowed out across the floor, curling around the court like the tendrils of some ancient, malevolent force. The fog was thick, concealing nearly all that lay under it, leaving only shadows and the faint outline of movement visible within. "Ladies and Gentlemen, brace yourselves," the announcer's voice was low, almost a growl, reverberating through the arena with a weight that made every word feel like a thunderclap. "Here they come… the enforcers of the night… the warriors of the twilight… the SOUTH BAY CRUSADERS!"

The fog appeared to dance as it parted and showed the silhouettes of the crusaders, their forms hardly distinguishable in the dim light. They moved with an eerie grace, figures huge and menacing, features hidden behind shadows. Excitement built up, and everybody remained on tenterhooks for the full identity to be unveiled. Then, just as if lightning struck, harsh strobelike lights suddenly lit up the whole arena. The fog evaporated to show them, their figures clad in dark, intricate uniforms that seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. Their jerseys bore the same crescent moon emblem, reminding all of a team with a reputation so dark and mysterious.

The leading player in front of the formations mysterious sleek figure walked into the light. Her skin was the color of dusk and in strong contrast with her white hair hanging long on her back, cascading like a silver waterfall; it was quite a sight. Her eyes burned red with an intensity of firelight in the night, fierce, unyielding. There was effortless elegance with the way the dark elf carried herself; every step was of quiet, lethal confidence. It worked on the spectators like an enchantment; under its thrill, they became conscious at once of great admiration and uneasy apprehension. Their presence was overwhelming—it felt as though the air thickened up with the arrival of these South Bay Crusaders. And there she was: stepping into the spotlight, the glow of her eyes meeting the gaze of every individual in the arena, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped.

"Now captaining the South Bay Crusaders—the midnight star herself, the queen of the dark court: number 9, TIARA STARDUST!" There was no other sound but the excited silence from the audience. Tiara's reputation preceded her: it was as cold as it was revered. The moment her skills hit the court, it was as if a ghostly chill flowed up the opponent's spine. The whole arena was electric with energy as she would step closer to the center of the court and the rest of her team. In the storm of anticipation, the South Bay Crusaders arrived to make the night electric.

Reo stood there, motionless like a statue, the intensity of the moment keeping him glued to his chair. Not even Lira, who had interested him since he first saw her, could hold his gaze when Tiara Stardust entered the court. The whole arena seemed to be in a shift; it was like everyone had received an irresistible gravitational pull toward Tiara with her daunting aura. An aura.

"Long time no see," Tiara smirked as she came to stand in front of Lira, her voice laced with a combination of nostalgia and challenge.

"Likewise," Lira replied, her tone almost frosty, almost as though someone had flicked a switch in the court to turn the temperature down low. The air between them crackled with the unspoken history of past encounters.

The two teams gathered in their respective huddles, quickly discussing last-minute strategies before stepping onto the court. Gwenth Rockheart stood in the center of her teammates, the middle player for the Bayside Stars. She towered over the rest—almost considered small for a member of her kind—her light purple rock-like skin gleaming under the lights of the arena. Her build was alike to Rylai, massive and imposing but with a distinct grace about the movements as she set up for the tip-off. And across from her stood Teca Rextar, a towering reptilian whose bright red scales glowed like molten lava. Her red disposition was no less imposing, coiled in the middle of the floor like a snake ready to strike, perhaps likened to a spring under extreme pressure.

As Gwenth and Teca stood at center court opposite each other, the tension felt in the coliseum could be cut with a knife. The crowd was completely silent, the anticipation was so thick one could have cut it with a knife. The referee stepped forward, ball in hand, held high in the air. He looked at each to make sure they were set, then lobbed the ball up. Strong legs pumped Gwenth into the air, hand striking the ball at its zenith. She tipped it back where it floated neatly into the grasp of Xanna Xeth, the point guard for the Bayside Stars.

Xanna was a dream – small and delicate, with pinkish skin that glittered under the lights. Her almost fairy-like wings flapped in a tiny, delicate wave; and if she seemed about as fragile as a dream, her abilities were anything but. "Good tip!" she yelled toward Gwenth with a roguish wink at the audience, who cheered back at her. But the instant her dainty fingers made contact with the ball, everything was different. Her dribble was an undilutedly poetic gesture of her frame, though it belied all ferocity of the unfolding competition. Her feet scarcely seemed to touch the ground, and she glided up the court. The dribbling was an incredible waterfall of fluidity, every dribble of the basketball in complete harmony with this woman's agile movement. Reo was entranced. This hypnotic rhythm of her dribbling seemed to capture him almost as if he were under some magical spell.

Xanna's forward progress soon came to a halt as Zonya, a red-skinned humanoid sprouting jagged horns from her forehead, stepped into her way. Zonya's yellow eyes blazed fiercely as she entered a low, aggressive defensive stance—arms spread wide, readied to spring—nothing but solid muscle and menace made ready to ooze raw power from each square inch of her. "Ain't nobody coming past me," she growled, voice low and dangerous, like the rumble of a storm just beyond the horizon.

"Oh, so much spunk," Xanna responded quietly with an amused smile and honeyed voice laced with steel. "You never change, Zonya." That was when the tension became unbearable, as Zonya dipped and sprung forward, to the amazement of the audience, who let their collective breath stay in their lungs. The gap between the two players closed almost immediately, replaced by Zonya's predatory instincts as she tried to yank the ball out of Xanna's hands.

"And we're off! Zonya isn't letting Xanna get an inch!" the announcer bellowed over the arena, and the crowd bellowed even louder. "Can Xanna use her finesse to outplay Zonya's strength? Everybody is up in arms! But Xanna had other ideas. Just as Zonya's hand shot out to snatch the ball, Xanna did a perfect spin move; her body spiraled in a display rivalling that of a dancer. The ball never left her control, just transferred smoothly from one hand to the other as she twirled around Zonya, who ended up grasping at nothingness. The crowd erupted as Xanna dashed past Zonya with uncanny smoothness; the lane was now clear. Her lavender eyes, usually lily-colored, shot wide with surprise and frustration at Xanna's move toward the basket.

"She's through! What a move by Xanna Xeth!" screamed the announcer, his voice barely containing the thrill of the moment. "Zonya's left in the dust, and Xanna's got a clear shot! This could be the first score of the game!"

Xanna had her eyes locked on the hoop, and as she approached the paint, with a slight hop, she released the ball into the air. Her form had been perfect, the arc of the ball promised to be clean and effortless. The crowd held their collective breath, every eye in the arena following the trajectory of the ball. "Is it in?! "Here she comes, pushing the ball up the court. She makes her way to the top of the key, pulls up and sets a bomb loose!" the announcer shouted as the ball seemed to stay in the air forever. The ball swished through the net with a satisfying *whoosh,* and the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and applause.

Xanna landed lightly on her feet, flashing a triumphant smile as she jogged back on defense, her wings fluttering behind her. "First blood to the Bayside Stars! What a way to start the game!" bellowed the announcer; his excitement practically matched the amped-up energy of the crowd. Reo wouldn't take his eyes off the court under any circumstances.

Reo could barely believe his eyes. "Holy shit, these girls came to play," he murmured in amazement to himself as he watched all that was happening on the court, his eyes widening with every battle that unfolded. His eyes become fixated on Zonya who had just gotten the inbound pass from Teca. There was something unsettling in her movement, though. The dribble was fierce, almost violent—like she was going to break through anything or anyone that got in the way.

"My turn," Xanna declared confidently before stepping in front of Zonya to defend. But Zonya's only reaction was a wicked smile, her sharp teeth shimmering under the arena lights. Zonya suddenly picked up speed and made a feint to the left; her body moved like a blur. Then Xanna quickly stepped to her left, blocking Zonya's way. But moments later, she knew she had been fooled. Zonya was gone from her left side, sprinting by her right in what seemed like a flash of unnatural quickness.

"What the hell was that?!" Reo yelled, his voice barely heard amidst the roaring crowd. Zonya had moved with such speed, such precision, that it had left Xanna grasping at air. As if she slipped through the very fabric of space, reappearing on the other side of the court in the blink of an eye. But before Zonya could drive to the hoop, a tall green-skinned girl with what looked like vines and leaves in her hair, tangled together, stepped up to block the lane. "Good job, Dabie! Sorry about that!" Xanna shouted out, her voice carrying that mix of apology and gratitude. Dabie, the small forward for the Bayside Stars, had seen this play before and was now the last line of defense.

"Is that their small forward?" Reo mumbled aloud, his suspicions answered by the announcer's thundering voice as he supplied the play-by-play. Dabie's eyes were keen, spread wide and low, as if she was set to take whatever Zonya was about to dish out to her. Zonya had barely begun, though. A malicious grin danced across her lips as she faked left again. Dabie pursued closely from behind, and just when she thought she had a sealing Zonya, lightning quick, Zonya made an around-the-back pass. The ball slipped with ease across the floor into the corner of the three-point line, where Tiara Stardust awaited.

Reo's eyes widened as effortlessly as Tiara was in catching the pass; movements so smooth and on point. But it was the black energy that surrounded her which caught his eyes truly, shadows surrounding her in some kind of tendrils as she set up for the shot. The form that Tiara took was perfect, the jump shot she was making pure beauty in the released ball out of her fingertips, spinning end over end with a perfect backspin. The crowd was unilaterally gasping as the ball left her hands and traveled through the air with no perceivable deviation in its path. And then, in a soft *swish,* the ball seemed to whistle through the net without even touching the rim. It was a shot full of grace; one made only by someone on whose playing even the most seasoned put their brains on pause to watch.

The stadium echoed with a cacophony of cheering and applause, ringing from the rafters to the very marrow of the arena's bones. Reo could be observed as the silent observer amongst the chaos, his thoughts racing a mile a minute, battling states of admiration and disquiet. Something in Tiara's presence on court made him uneasy—more than what was met by her skill. Her aura was more than intense; it was dark and almost forbidding, as if her very essence attracted the shadows themselves. Reo felt a shiver down his spine the moment Tiara jogged back to the end of the court, totally unaffected by all the noise around her. This was no ordinary game, and the players on the court were no less ordinary. At the bottom of his heart, he knew this was just the beginning of anything going on. The battle was actually beginning now, and it was going to be very different from anything that had gone before.