THE COMPETITION FLOOR

The coffee shop incident had been a turning point for Anya. With the ridiculous suspicion that Sameer could be Zero now completely erased from her mind, she felt lighter. The two worlds that had been warring in her head—her academic life with her sweet, brilliant crush, and her online life with her infuriating, childish rival—were now neatly separated. She could focus on her project with Sameer without a shadow of a doubt, and she could channel all her competitive energy into defeating Zero without any conflicting emotions.

The week leading up to the competition finals was a blur of caffeine and code. Anya and Sameer put the finishing touches on their project, their easy, quiet partnership now the most stable thing in her chaotic life. He wished her good luck for the competition, a genuine warmth in his eyes, and she wished him a relaxing weekend, secretly thrilled that he would be on her mind as a supporter, not an opponent.

The day of the finals arrived, and the atmosphere was electric. The competition wasn't held in some dusty lecture hall but in a massive auditorium, converted into a high-tech arena. Brightly colored spotlights swept across the stage, where two long rows of identical gaming stations sat waiting. A huge screen hung above, ready to display the live scoreboard. It felt less like a university event and more like a professional e-sports tournament.

Anya, checked in under her alias "Nyx," felt a familiar thrill course through her. This was her element. The roar of the crowd, the hum of powerful computers—it was all fuel. She found her assigned station, number seven, and began setting up, the rest of the world fading away as she entered her zone.

A few minutes later, Sameer arrived. As "Zero," he was given station number twelve, just four seats down from Anya in the opposite row. The noise and the bright lights were overwhelming for him. He kept his head down, his focus narrowed to the single task of getting to his seat without making eye contact with anyone. He sat down, the high divider between the stations providing a welcome shield from the chaos around him. He was here to solve the puzzle, not to soak in the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, in the third row of the audience, Maya was vibrating with an anxiety so intense it was almost comical. She clutched a lukewarm soda, her eyes darting between Anya’s station and Sameer’s. She knew. She was the only person in the entire world who knew that the two people her best friend cared about most—one she loved, one she "hated"—were about to engage in digital warfare just a few feet apart from each other.

Maya: (muttering to herself) "This is fine. Everything is fine. It’s just a friendly competition between two people who have no idea they share a hoodie. No big deal."

A voice boomed over the speakers, slick and professional. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the grand finals of the National Cyber Warfare Competition!"

The crowd roared. Anya took a deep, steadying breath, her fingers hovering over her keyboard. Sameer put on his noise-canceling headphones, blocking out the world.

"Our top twenty finalists from across the country are here today," the announcer continued, "but only one can be crowned champion! Let's get ready for the final showdown!"

Anya cracked her knuckles, a small, confident smile on her face. This is for all the times you annoyed me, Zero.

Sameer adjusted his monitor, his expression calm and focused. This should be fun, Nyx.

On the giant screen, a massive timer appeared.

10... 9... 8...

Maya squeezed her eyes shut. "Please don't let anyone get their feelings hurt," she whispered.

3... 2... 1...

The timer hit zero, replaced by the word BEGIN. A deafening air horn blared through the auditorium.

The competition had begun.