Chapter 74 OBSTACLE COURSE
MERRIELYNN.
The moment Cormac’s body hit the ground, the air seemed to freeze.
There was sudden silence in the field, the deafening cheers of moments ago replaced by a quiet that crawled over my skin.
The Pinnthorpe players ran toward him to see what had happened.
I stood on my tiptoes, my hands holding the railing in front of me tightly, while my eyes darted back and forth, trying to find Cormac in the disaster.
“Do you see him?” I whispered to Emorie, my voice trembling slightly.
“No,” she breathed out, just as strained. “They’re all over him.”
I leaned forward, craning my neck, shifting left and right as though it would give me a clearer view of Cormac’s unconscious form. But his teammates were standing around him protectively, shoulders hunched and bodies tense as they probably tried to revive him.
Or something.
“Come on,” I whispered. My heart thudded painfully in my chest and I couldn’t help how anxious I suddenly felt at that moment.
A sharp whistle blew, and from the corner of my eye, I saw the other team score a goal, but it felt meaningless. The crowd barely reacted, and it seemed as if the game had already ended.
Because in a way, it had.
The Pinnthorpe team was no longer playing, and Cormac was still down.
The medical team soon got on the field, breaking through the tight ring of players. When the circle of players finally shifted, I caught a glimpse of them lifting Cormac on to a stretcher. His body was limp, and someone had taken off his helmet. I honestly didn’t know how I was feeling as I watched the scene.
My breathing felt labored, but most importantly, I was really worried about him.
I watched as his teammates walked alongside the stretcher, some of them with their heads hung low, while others stood in place, probably too shaken to move. I saw Valtor follow closely behind the medical team, eyes burning with a rage that was obvious to everyone.
Fear finally took a hold on me. I realized that this wasn’t like the other injuries.
This was worse. So much worse.
The tension finally snapped on the field. A shove. A yell. Then fists flew.
Fights broke out between the players, anger and frustration boiling over. The ref blew his whistle repeatedly, but no one listened. The coaches stormed onto the field, shouting, pushing players apart, and trying to restore some order.
“What the hell just happened?” Emorie whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
I didn’t know how to answer. My mind was occupied with half-formed thoughts, none of them making sense.
Cormac wasn’t supposed to get hurt.
Sure, we were sharing a punishment, but deep down, I knew why he’d been called in.
He was our best shot.
And now… it had all backfired in the worst possible way.
The game felt like a cruel joke now. The cheers, the energy, the hope—all of it snuffed out in an instant.
I sat back down, turning away from the riot on the field, my gaze instinctively searching for the headmaster. I spotted him near the edge of the bleachers, his face tight with worry. He was shaking his head, his free hand gripping the phone pressed to his ear. Whatever he was hearing on the other end, it wasn’t good. The tension could be seen on his shoulders, even in his footsteps as he walked away, disappearing behind the stands.
“This whole thing’s a disaster,” Emorie muttered beside me. “Like a full-on, certified shit show.”
I nodded, my throat too dry to respond. The word “disaster” didn’t even begin to cover it. Cormac was hurt. And my thoughts were racing with worry.
My eyes turned to the locker room door as I began to imagine what was going on behind those doors.
I couldn’t stop glancing at it, hoping Cormac would just walk out, unscathed and wearing his usual smirk, like none of this had happened. But the door stayed shut and I finally began to understand the gravity of the situation.
“Mere?” Emorie’s voice broke into my thoughts. “You okay?”
I forced a shaky breath. “I just— I need a minute. I have to use the bathroom.”
Emorie arched an eyebrow but then nodded at me.
I gave her a weak smile, grateful she didn’t press the issue. And I slipped away, my heart pounding harder with each step.
The further I got from the crowd, the more the noise dulled into a distant roar. I kept looking around, making sure no one was paying attention to me. And sure enough, nobody was. I weaved through clusters of students and players, some with helmets under their arms, others talking in hushed, worried tones.
“Those guys did this intentionally,” one said.
“What did they even do to him?” another asked.
“Men, I’m worried about Chaos,” a third one spoke.
I swallowed, acting like I wasn’t paying attention to their conversation as I looked ahead.
As I neared the locker rooms, the pathway grew quieter, almost eerily. I hesitated, glancing around.
No one was in sight. Good. I moved faster, my sneakers squeaking on the floor.
Almost there.
The door to the locker room was just a few steps away. I just wanted to see how he was, I told myself. Just a quick peek—to see if Cormac was okay, to know something other than the gnawing uncertainty that was eating me alive.
I reached for the handle. But before I could touch it, the door swung open.
I froze. Shit.
I thought I was about to get caught and sent back.
But then Valtor stepped out, his eyes dark with a dangerous frown. I was almost grateful that it was him. But when he took one look at me, I noticed that his frown only deepened.
I could see something else appear in his expression.
Something that looked like irritation.
He crossed his arms over his chest, looking me over.
And in a flat voice, he asked, “Can I help you?”