"Last push, and we will get this," A young man's rushed voice sounded against the mic. His heart was pounding fast as he held onto the mouse tightly.
This young man, Red, was the captain of the team, Blazing Flaze. They were currently inside an enclosed stadium, fighting for the championship against another team, Frosty Bites.
Today marks the 3rd championship fight for the game, "Rise of Dawn."
Red's teammates rushed in the middle lane. They killed every minion they encountered, leaving no one behind except theirs.
With their enemies' death timer still at 40 seconds, they ran towards the enemy's base— a pond-like structure on the opposite side of the map.
The sound of key caps being pressed and heavy mouse tapping sounded against the silence that ensued among everyone.
They were already at the final moment of the game. After this, a winner was set to be announced.
"Target the base!"
In just a few seconds, the pond's water rose, flooding the whole map. A light appeared out of it, almost blinding everyone who was watching the match seriously.
The flood and the light meant one thing.
Victory.
"Blazing Faze!"
"Blazing Faze!"
"Blazing Faze!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
The crowd went wild as the team of 5 players stood up in joy. They were jumping in excitement as tears streamed down their cheeks.
They hugged each other momentarily to celebrate their success.
However, team Frosty Bites expressed their disappointment and sorrow on the other side. Their dream was already so near, yet so far.
Set on a circular stage with a huge screen in the middle, a man wearing a formal tux went up. He had a huge smile on his face as he greeted the players and the crowd.
"I can feel the enthusiasm of the people here hahaha," the host laughed.
"The champion of this season's Dawn Tournament is no another than…" The sound of drums followed after the host cut off his words to give way to the people's loud cheer.
"Blazing Fazeeeee!"
As the host formally announced the winner, the crowd went mad. The people were jumping, shouting, and cheering out loud.
Despite their difference, in this joyous moment, they became one.
The set of players left their computer desks to go to the middle of the stage in a hurry. They were all in tears.
The road to this success wasn't easy. It was a rough patch that they managed to conquer because they trusted one another.
The cheer became louder when the players arrived in the middle of the stage.
The lights suddenly dimmed to emphasize the center light. In there, from the ground, a table suddenly rose up. It was a black table, and a golden trophy weighing 8 kg was placed on top.
The captain of the team, Red, stepped forward. He looked back at his teammates and nodded.
As if it was a sign, the people became silent, giving the members their own spotlight as they claimed their victory.
Together, all the members of Blazing Faze ran towards the table. They all surrounded the trophy and placed their hands on its base.
"1… 2… 3…"
With the silent countdown, they worked together to raise the trophy up high.
As the trophy reached its peak height, the crowd shouted again. Now, they weren't alone. They shouted together with the members of the team.
They could say that their sleepless nights, tiredness, and hunger while practicing for the tournament were all worth it.
As Red and the rest of his members walked back to the center of the stage, numerous congratulations were heard and expressed.
"Here is your prize."
What they had been waiting for since earlier finally showed up. It was a cash prize worth 1 million dollars.
"Let us all congratulate again the member of Blazing Faze!" the host, with a huge smile on his face, exclaimed out loud. He started introducing the members one by one to give them recognition.
"SmilingTofu!"
Jules, a man with short brown hair and a chubby figure, stepped forward. Like his name, he smiled cheerfully as if they hadn't been in a stressful battle.
He was SmilingTofu, the support of the team.
"Lord of Shame!"
Eric, a man with a tall height and a masculine figure, stepped forward. He raised his arms and shamelessly flexed his muscles.
The girls in the crowd cheered because of it.
Opposite to his name, he was the epitome of shamelessness.
"Next, we have Wild Can!"
"Hi everyone! Thanks for your support!" CJ shouted out loud as he energetically waved his hands to the crowd.
Among the members of the team, he was considered to be the oldest yet the loudest.
"We love you all!" CJ continued to shout.
He laughed out loud when the crowd replied back. He was really like a can that talks so loud.
"We have Bright Sun!"
The crowd cheered on as Solar, who was standing in silence, stepped forward. She hadn't even spoken or done anything yet, but the crowd was already cheering out loud.
Solar chuckled and waved her hand. Her sweet smile sent all the men watching to go crazy.
Solar was the first ever woman to play in the professional scene. Her pretty face and warm attitude to everyone made her one of the best.
Guys or even girls took a liking to her.
Who wouldn't?
She wasn't just pretty, but she was also very skilled at the game.
"And of course, not but not the least, the greatest of all time, the team captain of Blazing Faze, BaBaoFan!"
The cheers became louder as Red stepped forward.
Despite being the team's captain, Red was the youngest out of all of them.
Red has a soft masculine face, which every girl took a liking to. He also has dark red hair, which symbolizes his name.
However, he wasn't known for that.
Red was known for his skills in the game.
He was hailed as the greatest player, leading his teammates at the top for 2 consecutive years.
A man so good, he can beat you even if his eyes were closed.
Red raised his hands, and as if it was a cue, all the players bowed their heads.
Their bow wasn't just a symbol of humility, but a sign of gratitude to those who supported them throughout their tournament journey.
As they returned to their headquarters with the cash prize and the trophy, their joy was quickly replaced by sadness.
Despite their win, their eyes became teary. It wasn't tears of joy like some of you may expect, but rather tears of sadness.
As the tournament ended, the memory they shared for five years would also come to its finale.
"Are you sure about your decision? Leaving when we just won…" Eric deeply sighed.
He was saddened about the decision, even though Red already informed them about his departure a few months ago.
The reason?
They have no idea.
With a heavy heart, Red slowly nodded. Letting go wasn't also easy for him, but it was necessary.
"I'm sorry…"
This was already inevitable.
Sooner or later, Red knew that they would also need to part ways from one another.
It was just the way life works.
You need to let go of some things to move forward.
"It's fine, everyone! Who knows? Red might just be gone for a month or two. He's addicted to the game, you know." CJ tried to make the atmosphere lighter.
It worked for a while, but its impact faded quickly.
"Is this really the end?" Jules, who used to have a bright expression on his face, asked in a low voice.
He couldn't believe that they would need to face another challenge after their win.
It was supposed to be a joyous moment for all of them, but their faces looked as if they were mourning.
Red patted his teammates back and forced a smile on his face. He took a deep breath before a bittersweet smile appeared on his face.
"Don't be like that… I know that we'll see each other again at this stage. Maybe not now or sooner, but in the future."