John, Alex, and Anne crouched low, hidden within the jagged rocks as they watched the distant teams maneuver through the Nexus. The atmosphere had shifted—tension rippled through the air, heavy with anticipation as the race for tokens reached its boiling point.The three of them had managed to secure one token already, but now they needed another. With only a few scattered tokens remaining in the ever-shifting environment of the Nexus, every team was on edge."See anything?" Alex asked, his voice low, keeping his eyes on the field.John shook his head, squinting through the hazy light. "Nothing yet. We need another team to pass through here... We can't afford to lose momentum."Anne's eyes were scanning the area, her nerves heightened. "We stick to the plan, right? Ambush, secure the second token, then get out of here.""Yeah," John muttered, "if only it were that easy."The minutes stretched on, until, finally, movement caught John's attention. Two figures darted through the ruins ahead of them, both moving quickly. Their uniforms were a striking red and gold—the Ignis Peak team. One of them carried a token, the familiar glow unmistakable."Perfect," John whispered. "That's our target."Alex grinned, the tension loosening slightly. "Let's do this."They moved swiftly, positioning themselves behind a cluster of rocks, staying low as the Ignis Peak team approached. Timing was everything. They couldn't afford to mess this up.As soon as the Ignis Peak benders were within striking range, John made his move. With a quick burst of fiery energy, he blasted toward them, cutting off their path.The Ignis team barely had time to react. "What the—!"Before they could finish, Alex lunged from the side, his powerful punch sending one of the Ignis Peak benders sprawling to the ground. Anne, agile and precise, swooped in, grabbing the token from the fallen opponent before they had a chance to defend themselves."Nice!" John said, flames flickering around his hands as he stood between the remaining Ignis bender and Alex. "Now let's get out of here."The Ignis bender tried to counter, but Alex was too fast, knocking him back with another swift punch. With their opponents disabled, the trio regrouped, the second token now in hand."Two tokens," Anne breathed, her voice a mixture of relief and disbelief. "We're almost there."But just as they were about to make their escape, the booming voice of the announcer, Jimmy, echoed through the Nexus, amplified by some unseen device. His voice, as always, was full of energy and charisma, but this time, there was an edge to it."Alright, folks! It's crunch time!" Jimmy's voice carried through the shifting terrain, electrifying the air. "There are only TWO tokens left in the entire Nexus! And it looks like they're both in the hands of the same team! You know what that means, benders—time is running out!"John's heart dropped as the realization hit him. Two tokens. One team. The countdown to chaos had begun."Oh no," Anne whispered, her face paling."We need to move—now," John said urgently, gripping the tokens tighter."They're coming for us," Alex muttered, scanning the surroundings as tension gripped his body. "Every team is gonna gun for us.""We can't outrun them," Anne said, her voice strained. "Not all of them."John nodded grimly, already calculating their options. "We don't have a choice. If we stay here, we'll be overwhelmed. We need to get to the finish line before they catch up."Without another word, the three of them took off, sprinting through the Nexus terrain, the adrenaline coursing through their veins. They could hear the distant sounds of other teams closing in—footsteps pounding, voices shouting, energy blasts cutting through the air.Every instinct told them to keep moving, but with each step, the weight of their situation became heavier.They were close—so close—but the sound of pursuit was growing louder."They're right behind us!" Anne shouted, her voice tight with panic."Keep running!" John urged, his muscles burning with the effort. "We're almost there!"John's heart pounded in his chest. They had two tokens. The teams chasing them were almost on them, and time was slipping away.Alex's expression hardened as he glanced between John and Anne. "What now?""We need to get to the finish line," John said. "But there are three of us... and only two tokens."Silence fell between them as they slowed to a halt, the weight of their dilemma crashing down on them like a tidal wave.Anne's gaze shifted to John and Alex. "Two tokens," she said softly. "Three people."John's brow furrowed. "We're not leaving anyone behind.""We might not have a choice," Alex said, though his voice was filled with reluctance.Anne stepped forward, her expression steady, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You two go."John blinked, confusion mixing with disbelief. "What?"Anne swallowed hard, but her voice didn't waver. "You and Alex take the tokens. Go. I'm not a fighter like you two. I won't make it through the finals.""Anne, no—" John started to protest, but she cut him off."It's the right thing to do," Anne insisted. "You're both stronger than me. Stronghold needs you to make it to the finals."John clenched his fists, torn between wanting to argue and knowing she was right. "But—""No buts," Anne said firmly. "I've made my decision."Alex looked between them, his face conflicted. "Anne... are you sure?"Anne smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm sure. Now go. You've got a tournament to win."John hesitated for a moment longer before finally nodding, his heart heavy with the weight of the decision. "We'll make this count," he promised.Anne nodded, stepping back as John and Alex took off toward the finish line, the tokens glowing in their hands.As the sounds of the pursuing teams grew louder, Anne stood her ground, watching them disappear into the distance. She knew it was the right choice, but that didn't make it any easier.The battle wasn't over yet—but for Anne, this chapter had come to an end.