Friday, October 6th
The morning sun rose over the campus like a slow-spreading warmth, spilling gold across the courtyard and glass-paneled halls. After two relentless days of competition, the air felt heavier now- thick with anticipation and the quiet weight of elimination.
By 7:30 A.M., all eight qualifying groups had gathered in the main hall. The seats were full- teammates, coordinators, and even a few curious seniors who had come just to witness the quarterfinals unfold.
Student Council President Simmons stepped to the podium, her boice steady and clear over the microphone.
"Good morning, everyone. Congratulations to the top two groups from each bracket. From here on, it's simple- win, and you move forward. Lose, and your journey ends with the quterfinals. So give it everything you've got."
Applause rolled through the hall like a wave.
Behind Present Simmons, the digital display flickered to life, revealing the Quarterfinal Lineup:
Group 1 vs Group 23
Group 10 vs Group 29
Group 6 vs Group 3
Group 15 vs Group 11
Ashley Boone leaned back in her seat, eyes scanning the board. "So, we're last," she murmured.
Guess if we win- and Emilia wins hers. I thought, catching Emilia's gaze across the asile.
A few rows ahead, Emilia- leader of Group 3- turned slightly and waved. Her group, one of the tournament favorites, was set to face Group 6, led by Class President Zoey Myers, in what everyone was already calling the clash of the quterfinals.
The quarterfinals had begun.
The sophomore coordinator's voice echoed through the hall, assigning rooms inside the gym:
"Groups 1 and 23, proceed to Room 1."
"Groups 10 and 29, proceed to Room 2."
"Groups 3 and 6, proceed to Room 3."
"Groups 11 and 15, proceed to Room 4."
Ashley Boone walked with her group toward Room 4, notebook in hand, the hum of distant chatter weaving through the hallways. Pale sunlight streaked across the polished tile foor.
Ryan Neal leaned closer. "Heard Group 15's leader is Xavier Vega- Class Vice President. Is he tough?"
"Yeah," Ashley Boone replied. "Strong in logic and speech rounds, but their essays were rough in the bracket stage."
Avery Lynch's looked up from her notes. "Then we staym sharp. No errors. No wasted seconds."
Ashley Boone nodded. "Exactly. We don't have to dominate- just outthink them."
We checked our folders, pens, and ID tags- the familiar pre-match ritual, heavier now. Ashley Boone led us into the room, sunlight gleaming off the floor.
"Let's make it count," she said softly.
Room 1 - Group 1 vs Group 23
Ezra Miller- Freshman Liason- sat poised, eyes fixed on the scoreboard. Across from him, Clyde Nash- Class C Vice Representative and leader of Group 23- leaned forward, his trademark smirk concealing quiet determination.
Sophomore coordinator Axel Scott stood at the front, holding the small black draw box.
Round 1
"Ezra Miller," Axel Scott announced. "Please draw the first subject."
Ezra Miller reached in, unfolded the slip, and read aloud: "General Knowledge"
Buzzers cracked through the air like sparks. The questions came rapid-fire. Ezra Miller's group moved with machine-like precision, while Clyde Nash's group countered with daring speed. But one costly slip in the final few questions tipped the balance.
Group 1 leads 1–0
Round 2
Clyde Nash stepped forward, confidence flickering behind his grin. He drew a slip and read aloud: "Psychology"
Questions came one by one quickly. Clyde Nash's group rallied, sharp and reactive. His voice cut clean through the room on the last question, earning them the round.
Groups Tied 1–1
Round 3
Ezra Miller stepped up again, calm and composed. He drew the next slip: "Economics"
Questions came quickly. Ezra Miller's group's composure never wavered. Every answer landed clean and measured. His team reclaimed control and widened the lead.
Group 1 leads 2–1
Through six exhausting rounds, the ritual repeated- draw, tension, release.
By the end, Ezra Miller's group stood firm.
After Six Rounds: Group 1 - 4 Group 23 - 2
Room 2 - Group 10 vs Group 29
Down the corridor, Room 2 buzzed with energy. Jessie Robinson- Class Secratary and leader of Group 10- stood calm, his focus unwavering. Across from him, Peyton Atkins- Class G Representative and leader of Group 29- wore her trademark grin, confidence hiding an undercurrent of strain.
Sophomore coordinator Sophie Delgado stepped forward with the draw box.
Round 1
"Jessie Robinson," Sophie Delgado announced. "Please draw the first subject."
Jessie Robinson reched in and unfolded the slip: "Mathematics"
Questions came one after other quickly. Jessie Robinson's teammate solved the questions and answered with speed and clarity. Peyton Atkins's group gambled on shortcuts- until one rounding error cost them dearly.
Group 10 leads 1–0
Round 2
Peyton Atkins stepped forward with a sharp smile. She drew and unfolded the slip: "Marketing"
Questions came quickly. Peyton Atkins's group impressed with flair answers, but Jessie Robinson's group countered with structured reasoning that won the round.
Group 10 leads 2–0
Round 3
Jessie Robinson stepped up again, and drew a slip with steady confidence: "Chemistry"
Questions came one after one rapidly as both sides raced to answer the questions. Jessie Robinson's teammate buzzed the last question half a second earlier than Petyon Atkins's group- and answered correctly.
Group 10 leads 3-0
By Round 6, Peyton Atkins's group clawed back with three decisive wins, tying the match.
After Six Rounds: Group 10 - 3 Group 29 - 3
Room 3 - Group 6 vs Group 3
Room 3 was soient- reverent, almost sacred. Emilia and Zoey Myers- Class President and leader of Group 6, faced each other with unflinching focus.
Sophomore coordinator Marco Reyes stood between them with the draw box.
Round 1
"Emilia Stevens," Marco Reyes announced. "Please draw the first subject."
Emilia drew a slip and read aloud: "English Literature"
Questions came one after other quickly. Emilia's group answered with precision. Zoey Myers's group matched them, insight for insight. A millisecond difference on the final question gave Emilia's grouithe edge.
Group 3 leads 1–0
Round 2
Zoey Myers stepped forward and drew a slip: "Accounting"
Questions came one after another rapidly. Zoey Myers's group precision was impeccable, reclaiming ground instantly.
Groups Tied 1–1
Round 3
Emilia stepped up again and drew a slip: "Biology"
Questions came quickly as Emilia's group answered the questions calmly without giving any chance to Zoey Myers's group, securing another round.
Group 3 leads 2–1
Through six rounds, tension never broke. Every question was a duel of intellect and instinct- but Emilia's group faltered late, losing three rounds in a row.
After Six Rounds: Group 6 - 4 Group 3 - 2
Room 4 - Group 15 vs Group 11
Sunlight painted the desks in warm gold. Ashley Boone sat composed, across from her, Xavier Vega- Class Vice President and leader of Group 15 mirrored that calm intensity.
Sophomore coordinator Lina Carver placed the draw box on the table.
Round 1
"Ashley Boone," Lina Carver announced. "Please draw the first subject."
Ashley Boone reached in, unfolded the slip, and read aloud: "World History"
Questions came quickly as both sides answered each question with precision. When the last question came, Jenna Gardner answered incorrectly and the question was given to Group 15 who answered correctly resulting in claiming the round.
Group 15 leads 1-0
Round 2
Xavier Vega stepped forward and drew a slip; "Environmental Science"
Questions came one after other quickly as another neck-and-neck answering questions unfolded. But this time Miles Dalton answered the last question correctly resulting in claiming the round.
Groups Tied 1-1
Round 3
Ashley Boone stepped up again and drew a slip: "Mathematics"
Questions came quickly. Xavier Vega's group answered the questions instantly without giving any chance to us to answer which led to the losing of the round.
Group 15 leads 2-1
By the sixth round, neither side had broken through resulting in a deadlock.
After Six Rounds: Group 15 - 3 Group 11 - 3
Outside, in the waiting area buzzed with whispers- freshmen, coordinators, even seniors who'd dropped by to watch. Every few minutes, the digital screen setup in the waiting area flickered, updating live scores from the four rooms.
Cheers and gasps rippled through the crowd with each change.
Room 1 — Group 1 vs Group 23
After Nine Rounds: Group 1 - 6 Group 23 - 3
Axel Scott set the draw box on the table. "Final Round - Teacher Round," he announced. "Clyde Nash, please step forward amd draw the final subject."
Clyde Nash reached in, unfolded the slip, and read aloud: "Phisics"
Five questions. Five bursts of tension. Buzzers flashed, voices clashed, minds racrd- and when the dust settled. Ezra Miller's group had answered four out of five questions resulting in their victory.
Final Score: Group 1 - 7 Group 23 - 3
Ezra Miller extended a hand. "Good game- you made us earn it."
Clyde Nash nodded. "Thank you for the match."
Room 2 — Group 10 vs Group 29
After Nine Rounds: Group 10 - 6 Group 29 - 3
Sophie Delgado tepped forward. "Final Round - Teacher Round. Peyton Atkins, please step forward and draw the final subject."
Peyton Atkins reached in, unfolded the slip: "Business Strategy"
Questions came quickly. The buzzers flashed in rhythm, every answer a duel of precision. Peyton Atkins's group took the final round narrowly- but the war was already won by Group 10.
Final Score: Group 10 - 6 Group 29 - 4
"You earn it," Peyton Atkins said shaking Jessie Robinson's hand.
"Thank you for the match, we had a good game," he replied.
Room 3 - Group 6 vs Group 3
After Nine Rounds: Group 6 - 4 Group 3 - 5
Marco Reyes placed the draw box on the table. "Final Round - Teacher Round. Zoey Myers, please step forward amd draw the final subject."
Zoey Myers reached in, unfolded the slip: "Philosophy"
Questions came one after other rapidly as both sides flashed the buzzers almost same answering the questions correctly. In the end Emilia's group had took the round with answering three out of five questions.
Final Score: Group 6 - 4 Group 3 - 6
Nice match Class President," Emilia said, shaking Zoey Myers's hand.
Zoey Myers smiled faintly. "Thank you for the match and good luck in semifinals."
Room 4 - Group 15 vs Group 11
After Nine Rounds: Group 15 - 5 Group 11 - 4
Lina Carver placed the draw box on the table. "Final Round - Teacher Round. Xavier Vega, please step forward amd draw the final subject."
Xavier Vega reached in, unfolded the slip: "Astronomy"
Questions came one after other quickly as we traded blows with Group 15 back and forth. When the dust settled, we had taken the round 3–2, forcing a tie.
Score: Group 11 - 5 Group 15 - 5
"Tiebreaker!" Lina Carver announced. "Seven questions, drawn from all previous subjects."
Seven questions. Seven chances. Both sides traded blows- buzzers flashed and voices clashed. When it ended- we stood victorious, 4-3.
Final Score: Group 15 - 5 Group 11- 6
Ashley Boone extended her hand. "Thank you for the match. That was intense."
Xavier Vega nodded. "We had a great time. You earn it."
At 10:10 A M., four doors swung open. Teams spilled into the corridors — some laughing, others silent, all changed.
The central screen glowed with new names:
Advancing to Semifinals
Group 1 - Ezra Miller
Group 10 - Jessie Robinson
Group 3 - Emilia Stevens
Group 11 - Ashley Boone
Applause rippled through the hall. Eight had entered. Four remained.
Across the crowd, I caught Emilia's eye. A brief smile, not of rivalry, but of respect.
The semifinals awaited at 11:00 A.M.