"Haitam, everyone!" A familiar voice called out.
David and Haitam turned to see where it was coming from.
"Maria…?" Lucas realized, spotting Maria waving from the next stand.
Yahya, Yaaz, and David went over to greet her.
"You're here too? Hello, sir," Yaaz said happily, soon greeting Maria's father.
"It's such a pleasant surprise to see you here, and David, your melody was charming," Maria complimented.
David nodded and bowed, "It was an honor to play for you, my lady."
"How about we all sit together?" Milan proposed.
"Yeah, if it's alright with you, sir," Nouis asked Maria's father politely, who responded with a light hum. They brought Maria and her father to their stand.
Once settled, Haitam turned around and winked, raising both fingers. "Sup, heroine. What's up?"
Maria smiled, aware of his usual bantering. "Very funny, Mr. Wink-Master. Just trying to keep up with you and your antics as usual," she replied.
"Haha," Haitam chuckled, nodding respectfully towards her father.
Zain, recognizing Maria, asked, "Maria… are you Maria Zia, Romeo's fiancée?"
Maria nodded lightly, "Yes, I am Maria Zia. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir…"
"Zain. I am Za...!" Zain started to introduce himself, but Erum grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him forward. Haitam blinked, stunned and feeling slightly bad for the man.
"It is you! You're real?" Erum gasped in surprise.
Maria looked at her father, confused, then turned to David and the others, who had already looked away wordlessly.
"Um… I don't know about being real, but I am Maria," Maria replied awkwardly.
"I see. Well, don't worry. I didn't mean to startle you. I heard about you from someone," Erum replied, scratching her head and recalling Alan.
Maria raised an eyebrow, curious, "From someone?"
"Yeah, a naughty brat who told me to stay away from Romeo because he's Maria's Romeo. Honestly, what's wrong with kids these days? I'm an adult. How could I stoop that low?" Erum said, annoyed.
Maria gasped, immediately realized who might have spoken those words. "Alan. It was Alan, right? Haha." She chuckled.
Erum blinked, "You guessed it?"
"Haha, he's the only one who calls him that," Maria said, amused.
"Oh…" Erum replied.
"Hehe…" Maria wiped her tears, "I'm sorry if he bothered you, but I'm sure he meant no harm. He just gets protective of me. He's actually a very nice boy." Maria assured.
"Nice, right," Erum rolled her eyes sarcastically.
Maria observed her. "Nonetheless, to think you support Islamabad. I'm very happy. Please continue to support them," she asked politely.
A sudden flush appeared on Erum's face. "You support them too?" she asked.
Maria beamed, "Of course!"
PANG! The adorability had struck Erum's heart. She immediately embraced Maria in a hug. "Sir, your daughter is an adorability." She praised to Maria's father.
"That's it, little one. I'm your best ally now. You don't have to worry about anything anymore!" Erum assured, taking quite a liking to Maria.
Zain and Haitam glanced at each other, bewildered. "I honestly don't get women," Zain said.
"Haha! Me neither," Haitam concurred.
______
"And once again, Seon Yul has absolutely nailed that one! A majestic six into Lahore's stands, marking his seventh fifty of the PSL tournament. What a milestone to achieve!" Jones remarked.
Seon Yul, embracing Rovan with laughter, raised his bat high, acknowledging the cheering crowd.
"Haha! Hell yeah!!" Azam exclaimed, jumping up and down in delight while Emaad clapped Romeo's and Hamit's hands proudly.
"That was awesome!! Way to go, both of you!!" Hamza cheered.
Ibn Sena clapped proudly while Venus rubbed his finger under his nose excitedly.
The entire crowd including Islamabad's pavilion stood up and applauded. It was a moment of bliss.
"With Islamabad United's hurriedly approaching 100, Ryan Ty Alexandro concludes the first half of the first innings. Islamabad scoring 93 with the loss of only two wickets as we head into the 11th over…" Maaz commented.
Back on the pitch, Rovan's eyes, with a black magic circle rotating in his pupils, showed his eye of evidence activated, while Seon Yul, having achieved his fifty, looked calm and ready to show off a bit more.
However, the spinners, Ryan and Poseidon, along with the pacer Xavier, who had bowled the last four overs, panted in disbelief. Not a single strategy, variation, or fielding alteration they used had worked.
"How can this be possible…?" Ryan asked in disbelief, "That brown head is reading everything. Even the spin on the ball, how fast or slow it will land on the pitch, how much bounce it will induce next, and where it will finally land. It's like he knows everything," he explained.
"And with Seon Yul's Pinnacle of Monarchy activated, once he aims for a boundary or six, there's no way to stop him. It's like this is going nowhere," Xavier said, wiping his face with a towel.
Isa looked at Kazuna sternly, while Poseidon, utterly silent, stared at his hands.
"Poseidon," Helios called.
Poseidon forced an assuring smile but soon looked down. "Heli, I just have a feeling that if I keep playing them, they will counter every single delivery of mine. I won't have anything left to use against them," he confessed, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. "And that scares me," he thought, biting his lip.
Azazel and Heber patted his shoulder in consolation.
Aaron, standing before Poseidon, asked, "Can you bowl the next over?" his voice serious. "I know you haven't used everything you have. If you do, will things change?" he continued to ask.
Poseidon shook his head, "No… as shameful as it is to say, I can't beat them."
Feng clenched his fists tightly.
"However, I can try," Poseidon said, looking up.
Helios saw the pressure, fear, yet the smallest hope in his eyes.
Aaron nodded.
Grabbing his hand, Poseidon stood up once again and headed toward the umpire.
"The fielding placements are the same," Isa informed as the boys dispersed.
"Aaron…" Kazuna called, but Aaron's expression darkened, he interrupted, "Poseidon, Helios, Heber, and Azazel have to remain extra strong today, is what Elias had told me. And I understand what this means. If it was up to me, I would never let Poseidon take this over despite knowing what will happen once he starts bowling, yet…" he went silent.
Kazuna, understanding his emotions, patted his back, "Alright, I understand."
"It's either they face it now or never," Alan whispered anxiously.
"They better break right now than be broken by the world. And for this, even if we have to be ruthless and brutal … then it's worth it," Senri and Nagi thought.
"Yup, to see their powerful and unrelenting smiles tomorrow. This is all worth it," the high schoolers, including Rauf, thought with heavy yet hopeful hearts.
Seraph, tracing their grave expressions looked at Kenzo, who had stepped down from his seat standing right behind the boundary mark. He inhaled deeply. Tracing Xavier on the Deep Extra Cover, the two clapped their hands together, as he walked closer.
"There are just slight changes in the field this time. While Isa, Heber, Aigou and Azazel are inside the 30 inched circle on Extra cover, Short third man, cover and Mid-off respectively. Isa switched positions with Aaron, taking the Deep mid-wicket beside Helios who is on Deep Square leg. Kazuna is on Long on, Xavier on Deep Extra cover while Ryan has taken Fine leg." Nagi summarized.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave the off side so open? Both batsmen are right-handed," Cassiel asked, sounding concerned.
Kenzo narrowed his gaze. "He is aware of that." he told, scrutinizing Isa's strategy carefully.
"Still…?" Cassiel asked confused.
"Heber is off to work, that's why." Damian said.
Seraph, suddenly looked around him, realizing something amiss. "Adam?" he asked, puzzled.
Adam was nowhere to be found.
"He went to get something to drink, a while ago and informed you too." Zachariah replied calmly.
Seraph exhaled a breath of relief. "Was I so distracted that I didn't even hear him." he thought surprised.
The eleventh over, of the first innings, Heber showed a thumbs up to Poseidon. Aaron rubbed the ball with his towel and threw it towards Poseidon. Rovan on the batting crease, the fielders stood around attentively.
Poseidon, shifting the ball to his left hand, delivered the first ball of the over. "Oh… a china man?" Seon Yul appreciated, stepping his right feet out of the non-striker's crease, ready to take a run next.
In a light whisper, Poseidon left the ball, "Second tide of return."
The ball aimed on full pitch travelled from right to left, the opposite way to a conventional off-spin.
"Doosra…" Rovan effortlessly read the delivery and its movement. The black circle in his eyes glistening. "It's pitched up and wide outside off stump…" he thought, raising his bat and striking it through the covers, taking an immediate run. Poseidon looked up as the ball rolled between Azazel and Heber towards the boundary.
Heber licking his finger and shoving the candy wrapper back in his pocket, exhaled, while Azazel ran behind the ball. "Triple 'L' Movement 1… Lightning Reflexes." Heber simply muttered.
And, with instant lightning speed, he turned around, ran and grabbed the ball, when Azazel was far behind to grab it.
"Brother Heber?" Azazel gasped, however, Heber, after showing a fleeting grin, once again had run and stood before the wickets striking the ball with the stumps as Seon Yul crossed.
A playful grin escaping his lips, "Oh~ just a little late, I guess?" Heber's brown gaze, blazed electrified.
The bails flickering red, the crowd went silent while the umpire went for big screen.