Chapter 32:
The school tournament sign-up sheet had come and gone.
Rayn had seen it — pinned just below the notice board beside the canteen. A few classmates had already formed groups, laughing and debating who'd play what role.
He remembered standing there for a moment too long. The idea of signing up had crossed his mind.
Just for a second.
But he had no close friends to ask. No mic presence to offer. No appetite for walking up to a bunch of guys and asking, "Need a fifth?"
So he kept walking.
The next day, the sheet was full. Teams were set. And Rayn… had decided to watch.
He looked up the date of the finals. Just to spectate — not because he wasn't good enough, but because the social part of competition felt like a wall he hadn't figured out how to climb.
---
That evening at home, after finishing his schoolwork, he set his books aside and powered on his device. The screen flickered to life. He didn't rush to play — just hovered over his profile.
Legend III.
Quiet, steady progress.
He queued up solo.
------
The match began. He picked Kael again — steady and reactive. His enemy laner was aggressive, trying to force early trades.
Rayn didn't panic. He absorbed pressure, pulled the wave back to his tower, and waited.
By minute five, he saw an opportunity mid and rotated cleanly, landing two assists and forcing a flash from the enemy support.
At ten minutes, he baited a 2v3 in the jungle, buying just enough time for his team to collapse.
They won the fight.
They won the game.
"Victory."
No flashy plays. Just presence. Control. Trust in his instincts.
----------
Meanwhile, in a different voice call...
Aether was mid-discussion.
"Alright," he said, checking the registration details on his second monitor. "Open slot's still up. I confirmed with Kray and Riku — they're locked."
"And you're roaming?" Flash asked.
"Always."
"So we've got: Kray on Gold Lane, Riku jungle, me mid, you roam. Just need a reliable EXP laner or flex."
Flash paused.
"Rayn."
Aether raised an eyebrow, even though no one could see it. "Still thinking about him?"
"He's calm. Reads the map. Doesn't tilt. And he's been grinding solo all the way up. That says something."
"He's sharp," Aether admitted. "But quiet. Doesn't talk. Doesn't banter."
Flash laughed. "I don't need banter. I need a fifth who shows up."
They were both quiet for a moment.
Then Aether said, "Let's wait till after the weekend. If we still haven't locked someone, I'll ask. Calmly. No pressure."
Flash agreed. "One match is all it'd take. He'll know."
---
Back in his room, Rayn opened match history.
One clean win.
No friend requests. No messages.
He was fine with that. But still — when he thought about the tournament sign-up board at school, he didn't feel regret.
Just curiosity.
Maybe, one day, he'd walk toward a board like that again — and not stop halfway.
-----------------------------------------------------------