Time seemed to freeze as the basketball hit the ground.
The stadium lights gleamed off its surface, and the echo of the buzzer rang in the background, loud but somehow distant.
The noise from the crowd felt muffled, like it came from underwater. The Shizi Dogs celebrated in the middle of the court. However, even then, they couldn’t fully comprehend what had just happened.
In the VIP area, the Elites leaned back in their chairs, shaking their heads in disbelief. Fang crossed his arms and let out a low chuckle.
"It really happened," he muttered, a small smirk forming on his lips. "I can’t believe he managed to beat all three of us." His eyes flickered toward Zheng, who sat rigid with an unreadable expression.
Calvin leaned forward, a teasing glint in his eyes as he pointed at Zheng. "You’re going to lose too, you know," he teased, nudging Fang to share the joke. But Zheng remained motionless, not even cracking a smile at Calvin’s jab.
Fang clapped a hand on Zheng’s shoulder. "Come on, don’t take it too hard. After today, I think the only one who could stop that team is Jian," Fang said. "Right, Calvin?"
Calvin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it’s lucky that you don’t have to play with their team. They’re a menace to face."
Zheng remained silent, glancing toward the court where the Shizi Dogs were. "I’m not so sure."
"What was that?" Calvin asked, not really hearing what Zheng had said.
Zheng’s jaw tightened, and he spoke once more. "I’m not sure either."
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He wasn’t sure if Jian could also tame the Dogs.
The court was in chaos. The cheerleaders screamed and danced, completely losing themselves in the moment.
Gina and David had stood from their seats in disbelief.
"I can’t believe this!" David exclaimed with wide eyes. "For the first time in years, a team who has no prior experience with the Nationals had reached the finals!"
"What kind of team are the Dogs to be able to pull off something like this?" Gina asked, shaking her head. "How far can they go?"
Kai stood in the center of it all, his fist raised high in the air in triumph, his chest heaving with each breath. His teammates followed behind him, moving as they made their way to the bench where Yuze sat.
Slowly, one by one, they knelt down before their captain, bowing their heads in a show of respect and gratitude.
Yuze, still nursing his injury, shook his head, his throat tight with emotion. He was touched—deeply touched. A part of him had doubted whether they could pull it off, especially after he had been forced to leave the court.
But they had done it.
They had won.
And now, here they were, kneeling before him as if he were some kind of king. It felt surreal, but at the same time, he knew—he knew that this moment, this victory, was something he would never forget.
He blinked back, the tears forming in his eyes. Somehow, deep down, Yuze realized that this was his last game. And maybe, just maybe, that was okay. His teammates had proven they could go on without him. They had proven they could fight, even when the odds were stacked against them.
"Stand up now. You’re embarrassing me," Yuze said in a fake stern voice. However, it betrayed him in the end when it cracked.
Across the court, the Knights crumbled. The finality of their loss weighed heavily on them as they fell to their knees, some staring at the ground in disbelief, others with their heads buried in their hands.
They had come so close. It was so close, only to have victory snatched from them in the final moments.
Fabin clenched his fists, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the scoreboard, unable to accept what he was seeing.
A six-point deficit.
It didn’t make sense. They had been ahead for so long, even beating the Shizi Dogs during the Preliminaries. How could it have ended like this?
Max, standing a few feet away, shook his head. There was no anger in his face, no bitterness in his heart. He turned to look at Ailun and Fabin, who were watching him with a puzzled expression. Ailun expected Max to be furious and devastated by the loss.
But Max smiled—a small, genuine smile that caught the two completely off guard.
"He beat me," Max said softly, his voice filled with admiration. His eyes were focused on Kai and the rest of the Shizi Dogs, who were now celebrating their victory. "They were simply better."
Fabin, still fuming, turned toward Max, disbelief written all over his face. "How can you say that?" he asked. "We had them! We had control! They just got lucky—"
But Max shook his head, cutting Fabin off. "Trust me," he said, his voice firm but calm. "They deserve it." He glanced back at the Shizi Dogs, who were now embracing each other, their faces lit up with the joy of victory. "They wanted it more. They fought harder.
Fabin wanted to argue, to shout, to question how Max could be so calm, so accepting of their defeat. But when he looked into Max’s eyes, he saw something there—something he couldn’t deny.
Max had played his heart out. He had given everything, just like the rest of them. And yet, somehow, he had found peace in their loss.
Deep down, Max knew that the Shizi Dogs had earned this win.
The Knights slowly gathered themselves, picking up the pieces of their pride as they walked toward the Dogs to congratulate them. It was a painful walk, but it was one they needed to make.
As the players shook hands, Kai turned to look at Max. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them said a word. There was no need for words. They had both given their all on that court, and they both understood what it meant to fight for something bigger than themselves.
Max extended his hand, and Kai took it, shaking firmly. "Good game," Max said, his voice sincere.
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"You too," Kai replied. "Good game."