The arena buzzed with excitement as anticipation for the finals of the swimming competition grew. The crowd had increased significantly, and this time, members of the press were present to cover the event.

With all eyes on them, a certain amount of pressure weighed on the girls participating in the contest, urging them to give their best and strive for victory.

However, Sora didn't seem to be bothered by the pressure affecting everyone else and she kept looking around the crowd hoping to see David but unfortunately he was nowhere to be seen.

Recalling what she had said to him the day before made her feel guiyand Chloe noticed this and snapped out of her thoughts while clearly taking notes of the kind of expression she was wearing on her face. 

Chloe: Hey... Come on, the finals are about to start.

Sora seemed a bit shocked that she had been that much distracted and quickly called herself to order.

Sora: Right...

Chloe: (to herself) I wonder what's gotten her so upset. 

Recalling that she was looking around prior, Chloe then remembered that David was always here to watch the whole thing happen and then realized that he wasn't here at all.

Chloe: (to herself) So that's why...

*****

Back at school, students began streaming the finals on their phones, while others rushed to the cafeteria to turn on the television where the event was being broadcast live. Among those watching in the cafeteria was David.

The announcer; a tall stern looking woman probably in her 40s, made her way to mic and then began: 

Announcer:

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final day of the Regional High School Swimming Championships! After two days of intense competition, after countless heats and eliminations, it all comes down to this moment. The arena is packed, the cameras are rolling, and today… we crown the champions.”

She paused, letting the cheers rise, her voice sharp and commanding as it cuts back through.

Announcer:

This year’s finalists have proven themselves through skill, endurance, and determination. Two schools remain standing at the very top, fighting for the gold. On my righ, (gestures toward Sora, Chloe & Ava) the rising force of Haruna High School!

The crowd erupts in cheers, the school’s name echoing across the pool. The camera flashes linger on Sora, Chloe, and Ava for a moment and everyone watching the event in school cheered as well.

Announcer:

And facing them, defending their reputation with pride and precision… Seiryuu Academy!

The opposing team stepped forward, receiving their own thunderous applause and their captain smirks confidently, and she locked eyes briefly with Sora.

Announcer:

And now for the finals, tradition dictates that the last event will be… the relay. Three swimmers and one seamless chain of trust and strength. It is not just about speed, but unity. Only the school that swims as one will leave today as champions!

The stadium roars even louder, the energy practically vibrating off the walls. Both teams walk toward their starting blocks, the pressure finally setting in.

*****

Hearing that she was supposed to team up and rely on her teammates sent a wave of shock down Sora's mind as she then recalled that David was trying to tell her the exact same thing the day before.

Sora looked at the press taking photos, then at the other school swimmers getting ready, then to crowd and then back at her teammates. As she struggled to accept the reality playing before her, David's words began to replay in her mind.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this but I think you should have some more faith in Ava and Chloe." 

Sora: (to herself) Have faith in them...?

Sora then briefly recalled the last time she chose to place her faith in someone and how that decision had cost her the very thing she was striving for.

Sora: (to herself) Damn it... Not again...

The sharp blast of the whistle snapped through her thoughts. The relay race had begun. 

Ava launched off the block like a bullet, cutting into the water cleanly. Her form was sharp, her strokes wide and powerful. Sora leaned forward, heart hammering. Every muscle in her body screamed that Ava wouldn’t be fast enough. That the gap would open before the race even truly began.

But Ava didn’t falter. Stroke after stroke, she fought against the water like it had wronged her, each pull surging her forward. The opposing team’s swimmer was strong, but Ava held her own. By the final lap, she touched the wall and passed the baton in second place, barely a breath behind Seiryuu’s lead swimmer.

Chloe dove next.

The crowd thundered as she cut through the water, but Sora’s chest tightened almost instantly. Seiryuu’s swimmer beside her was fast; much faster. Stroke after stroke, the gap widened by fractions, then by more.

Chloe’s strokes turned frantic, her legs kicking harder, her lips twisting in frustration beneath the water.

Chloe: (to herself) Damn it, damn it… I can’t fall behind now…

But no matter how hard she pushed, the other swimmer continued to inch ahead. By the time Sora touched the wall, her hand slapped the edge just a second too late.

And that single second felt like a lifetime.

In that moment, Sora saw it; the proof of what she had feared. Her teeth sank into her lip so hard she nearly drew blood.

Sora: (to herself) I knew it. I knew she’d let us fall behind.

The baton was passed to her and then she dove in immediately trying to pick up the pace they had just lost. 

She tore through the water like a blade, her body fueled by a cocktail of rage and fear. The cheers blurred into nothing. It was just the water, the wall, and that widening gap she was determined to erase.

Her pace was brutal. Each stroke faster, sharper, more merciless than the last. For a few electrifying seconds, it looked as if she would do it. She cut the gap in half, the distance shrinking with every kick.

But desperation has a cost. Her muscles burned, her lungs seared. She was fighting not just the water but the weight of every choice she had ever made. And the Seiryuu anchor swam with the cool efficiency of someone who trusted her team had already secured her ead.

By the final stretch, the gap had widened again and at that point, the victor was already decided.

The stadium erupted in cheers for Seiryuu’s victory.

Sora surfaced, gasping, her goggles fogged, her chest heaving. The water dripped from her face, but it couldn’t wash away the look in her eyes: that quiet storm of failure, of fury, of something breaking inside her.

On the bench, Chloe sat with her towel over her head, whispering curses at herself. Ava tried to pat her back, but her own jaw was clenched tight, her eyes glassy with frustration.

And Sora… she climbed out of the pool slowly, gripping the edge tighter than she needed to. She didn’t say a word, but the silence was louder than any scream she would've let out at that moment.