Twilight enveloping the elegant city of peace, floodlights began to light the cricket arena strikingly. For, night had finally laid its cover over Islamabad.
"Time really flies." Xavier whispered looking at the sky.
"This must be the first time you are all playing at night?" Ren asked.
"Yes, due to academy schedule all our matches were organized in the morning or afternoon at most. We never played at night." Seraph replied.
"This must be a good experience then. Nothing changes at all. Even floodlights light up the stadium as if playing under the sun." Isa said.
Slamming the ball with a cover drive, Adam and Ezekiel took a run. "For a two! For a two!" Ezekiel called running back as Adam once again completed the run towards the runners crease falling down, panting. Standing up again he dusted his clothes.
Ezekiel going over patted his shoulder, "Are you alright?"
"Of course…" Adam replied between breaths.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Adam. We are already doing great." Ezekiel assured.
Adam nodded heading back.
The last ball of the 7th over, Ezekiel tapped his bat looking up.
Jahangir stepping on the popping crease bowled a Googly.
Ezekiel reading the ball stopped it with a dot return. "His aim and pitching line is well polished just like Vice-captain Poseidon's. I better not put my guard down at any cost." he thought alerted.
The over ending, the two switched sides for the next over. Rauf reading the file wondered, "59 runs on 7 overs… (59/7=8.42) gives us 8.4 run rate. Not bad for a T-20 match but…"
"Stop frowning Rauf." Romeo interrupted his thoughts, "They are playing quite well then what I had assumed."
"And what had you assumed?" Rauf questioned intimidating.
Romeo smirked chanting, "Why should I tell you~?"
Aaron looking at the two of them exhaled.
"I bet Ashura is becoming a demon king right now over there." Rovan teased snickering at Lahore's pavilion where everyone settled as if dead.
"Pft!" Elias and Haruf chuckled. "If they want to pick up their pace and turn the tides of the game, Lahore must take wickets now." Pedro said.
The middleschoolers offended by his remark twitched their brows.
"I bet someone said he was with Islamabad before." Poseidon uttered blatant.
"Yeah, he should've stayed with them." Cassiel added blatant.
The highschoolers about to laugh, kept their hands on their mouths desperately trying not to while Pedro on the contrary gulped looking away from middleschoolers deathly, intimidating glares.
Arham once again taking the 8th over, Feyz clapped his hands, "Come on! Come on!"
Arham taking a deep breath whispered, "Open Sesame."
As if a spell casted, smoke began to surround the pitch as Adam rubbed his eyes, "What the…?"
His surroundings on the pitch turning dark, he could only trace the half of the pitch before his view. Stunned and puzzled he looked around, "What the?! Where is the ground and Ezekiel?" he thought calling, "Eze, Eze! Eze, Eze! Where are you?"
Ezekiel on the non striker's crease replied, "Right here Adam. In front of you what's wrong?"
"No… nothing. You are there right?" Adam asked trying to calm down.
"Yeah I…" Ezekiel replied as Arham interrupted, "Yeah, he is here but not for you…" "Because from now on you'll play the entire over on your own." he grinned sneakily.
"What…?" Ezekiel uttered baffled. "What in the world is going on? Don't tell me he did something to Adam?!" he thought.
Adam frowning tried to keep his composure. "Don't worry, don't worry everything is right where it was but I am the only one who can't see because of this fog. I wonder if this is an ability because I can only see half way through the pitch and only the point I am standing upon. I can't see the ground or even the audience at all." he thought.
"What's going on?" Cassiel asked confused, "Why do I feel Adam is looking here and there a lot rather than focusing on the baller."
"It's an ability." Haitam observed stern.
"And not just an ability… it's must be connected to a Door, Realm or even a Pinnacle." Haris added restless.
"Are you kidding me?!" Christopher gulped.
"How do you know?" Helios questioned stern.
Haris smiled winking, "A senior's guts."
"His hairs aren't changing color though, so it can't be a Door." Aigou assured.
Ashura grinned at the sight, "He is a goner in this over. Arham finally made his move."
"Of course. It could only be made at a pace returner and Adam Elamin is a prey who has lost his chance." Kubrah snickered.
Delivering the first ball, Adam tapped his bat on the pitch looking below very carefully. "It's all covered in smoke… I don't even know where the ball will come out from. How in the world should I play then…?" he thought clueless.
The ball instantly coming towards him out of the smoke, he kept his bat before his leg stopping the ball instinctively. Sweat dripping his forehead.
"OUT! OUT!" Arham shrieked.
Adam looked up startled, "What? But I clearly…" Clatter of the crowd and chants of Wicket! Begun inciting fear in his heart. His chest thumping wildly he clenched it tight, "What's… going on out there?"
Seraph tracing him clenched his fists, "Adam…" The umpire after a review showed a Not out gesture.
"Tch!" Arham rolled his eyes heading back.
"It's alright Adam you are safe." Ezekiel assured.
Adam jolting looked up once again looking down afraid of his dark surroundings. Delivering the second ball of the over, the ball once again came out of the smoke aggressively. Adam raising his bat up returned it with a dot return.
Ryan standing up stood outside the pavilion uneasy.
"Now I see… that's a Realm." Kazuna enlightened.
"A Realm?" Xavier repeated.
"Realm of Incarceration… in other words 'Realm of ASHURA'." Alan guessed.
"One of the five realms?" Xavier uttered wide eyed.
"Exactly." Evan replied, "Amongst the 5 realms, Realm of Ashura is considered one of the most dangerous realms. Its ability just like its name means to 'Confine'. That either confines a player, an amount of time, a possibility or even the entire match. This ability solely ignites fear in an opponent making them physically or mentally impaired into making any further decisions. The opponent will feel the pressure of the realm user too much that he won't be able to take it in. The only one who had that realm is Ashura. To think there would be another one with the same ability and within his team is a disaster in itself."
"You mean, Adam is confined in his ability?" Cassiel asked nervously.
"Right, and the only way to come out of it is to either admit defeat (get out) or break through (surpass) it." Rauf explained.
"Haiz, that child is not called '2nd Ashura of Lahore' for show only." Isa crossed his arms
"Adam is just a child, how could he possibly surpass something like that?" Poseidon retorted.
Seraph gulped silent.
"Adam take a run!" Ezekiel called however, Adam shook his head standing on the crease, "Don't run! Don't run at all. Just pass this single over like this please Eze, Eze. I don't want to run!"
Ezekiel stood on the runner's crease muddled thinking, "Why is he so scared?"
Arham delivering the fifth ball of the over smirked, "Just go to hell already!"
Adam looking at the smoke before him which gradually grew in size stepped back, "Realm of Ashura Phase 1: Depths of despair!" The wicket too engulfed by the smoke Adam looked ahead, his hands trembling. The ball coming outside the shadow aimed to his chest. Defending himself, he raised his bat up. The ball hitting against it went up slow yet high. Taking the chance on spot Arham ran forward catching the ball in his hands.
Ezekiel gasped, as voices of OUT! OUT! Echoed throughout the stadium. The umpire raising his finger declared an OUT as Karachi Kings had now lost another wicket from their batting order.
Arham clapping hands with the other team mates smirked at Ezekiel who in turn glared mad.
The smoke engulfing Adam immediately dissipated around him, once again pushing him under the stadium's lights. Accepting his defeat he walked back. His face and emotions all a mess, he rushed towards the pavilion.
"Adam…" Ezekiel called however stopped amid.
Back at the pavilion, the middleschoolers irritated emitted mood of burning silence.
"Adam El Amin returns to the pavilion at 29(24) (29 runs on 24 balls)." Nidou yawned, entering in his file.
Ryan tracing Adam approach stepped forward, "Adam…" however, Adam wordlessly threw his bat, away holding him in a tight embrace.
"Easy…" Ryan consoled, dabbing his back.
Adam wordless, clenched his fists, his entire body shivering, Ryan gritted at Lahore's players threatheningly, "Heh~ just you wait Adam. And see what I'll do to them now!"
Kenzo standing up, exhaled. Patting Seraph's shoulder who eyed Adam nervous, he headed out.
"Your highness~ won't you put your gear on?" Isa asked amused.
Kenzo glancing at him from the corner of his cold blue gaze warned, "Don't you dare, mess with me right now!"
His threat sending shudders to even highschoolers, he headed out.
"Oh dear…" Elias sat calm.
Haitam glancing at Haruf blinked his eyes while Romeo sat unfazed casing his usual smile.
Concealing his left hand in his pocket and without arm or knee pads, Kenzo grasped just his helmet, secured by the face guard with the middle finger of his right hand. His 'Queen', nestled against his right arm as his hair began to emit a golden flare. An expression serious. he squinted his eyes with menancing gravity.