Chapter 25: The challenge
Just as Valerie turned to leave, a loud voice broke through the charged silence.
"Then prove it—both of you!"
Everyone turned. A senior from the medical research class stepped forward, his arms folded, eyebrows raised in challenge. His name was Felix Adebanjo, well respected, known for his fairness and ambition. He wasn't part of Sophia's clique, but he wasn't afraid of them either.
Felix (clear and loud):
"Why don't we stop all this back-and-forth? Valerie claims she made it. Sophia says she did. Let's settle it like scholars."
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"He's right."
"Battle of the brains."
"Let them both make it from scratch."
Excitement sparked in the air. Students, eager for drama and truth, surrounded them in a widening circle.
Sophia's jaw clenched. She wasn't expecting this.
Valerie, steady as a mountain, said nothing. She only watched Sophia.
Another student shouted:
"Tomorrow. Science Hall. After school. You both recreate the calming pill—under supervision!"
Loud cheers erupted.
"Battle of the Fittest!"
"Let the real genius win!"
Phones were already recording. Whispers turned into hashtags. This was no longer about a whisper in the hallway. It had become a public reckoning.
Margaret stepped close to Sophia, lowering her voice.
Margaret:
"Do you actually know how to make it?"
Sophia forced a smile, eyes on Valerie.
Sophia:
"Of course I do."
But Valerie saw it.
The flicker of fear in her rival's eyes.
Tina leaned toward Valerie, whispering, "This is your moment. Don't hold back."
Valerie didn't answer. She didn't need to.
Tomorrow, the truth would speak for itself.
---
Scene: Late Night – Albanian Tower, Private Study
The city outside King Albanian's penthouse gleamed like spilled diamonds. But inside the sprawling study, darkness clung to the walls like a second skin. Only the blue hue of multiple digital screens lit the room. The clock on the wall ticked to 3:14 AM.
He hadn't slept in four days.
King sat slouched in his leather chair, shirt unbuttoned at the collar, eyes bloodshot and distant. A near-finished glass of whiskey rested on the desk beside him, untouched since he poured it.
On screen, graphs blinked from his security reports—medical charts, herbal compound breakdowns, and one constant:
"Unknown Masked Girl – Missing."
Last seen: Royal Atlantic Hotel, Suite 49.
All leads: Dead ends.
Wayne, his personal assistant, stood nearby with visible reluctance. He'd brought something... but knew the wrong timing could snap the thread King was hanging from.
Wayne (carefully):
"There's something you might want to see. It's been circulating all night..."
He placed a tablet before King and pressed play.
---
[Video Footage: Academy Courtyard]
The video, shot from a student's phone, played shakily at first—but clear enough.
Sophia, standing with her entourage, smirking. Valerie, composed, firm.
Valerie: "I made it. You stole it."
Felix: "Then prove it—both of you."
Cheering. Whispers.
"Battle of the Fittest!"
Hashtags flashed at the corner of the footage:
#ValerieVsSophia
#CalmingPillChallenge
King leaned forward.
He didn't blink.
Wayne:
"It's going viral. Half the capital is watching. Students are placing bets. The school is even assigning professors to monitor the challenge. She—"
He hesitated.
"—She's the one who said she made the calming pill."
King (quietly):
"She?"
His voice was soft—too soft. But Wayne knew that tone. A dangerous simmer.
King rewound the video and watched again. And again. His eyes locked on Valerie's expression. The calm fire. The steadiness. The quiet fury in her tone.
Wayne (clearing throat):
"If Sophia made that pill… she'd have done it by now. She's stalling. Avoiding lab access. But the masked girl… that night… she gave you the original, didn't she?"
The glass on King's desk cracked under the pressure of his fingers.
King (to himself):
"She doesn't even know… she was in my room…"
A silence stretched between them.
Then King stood up—slowly. A decision forming behind his haunted eyes.
King (sharp):
"Send someone to the academy. Watch the challenge."
Wayne:
"Watch only?"
King:
"For now."
He turned to the dark window, staring into the night that never let him rest.
"If she wins… no one can protect Sophia anymore. And if she loses—"
He didn't finish her statement.
---