When They Beg, I Rise!

Orion's slender fingers were wrapped around his smartphone.

It took him a while to reply, "I'm here to support her growth, help her climb out of her rough patches, until she can live freely on her own."

Thaddeus, always one to add a bit of spice, chimed in, "Till she grows up, starts dating, gets married, and has kids?"

Orion's brows furrowed slightly, "Something like that."

After her parents passed away, and with her brothers being less than reliable, she had faced a tough journey alone.

Orion swiftly changed the subject, "Got tickets for this afternoon's game?"

"The wild card match? You're interested too? I thought your brother made it straight to the finals!"This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

"Cut the chatter. There's another matter to sort out before the game."

Orion looked up at the sky, thinking he'd be there for her until she no longer needed him. If only her parents were still around, things wouldn't have been this hard.

----

Lemira made her way directly to the venue of the team's game.

Outside, she saw a crowd of fans, some holding support banners, including those for SkyBlaze. Even Evelina had amassed a small following.

Thanks to the efforts of Caspian's company, Evelina had become a somewhat famous influencer and streamer. Young, sweet-talking, and playing the innocent card had won her fans in the streaming world. Lemira glanced at the fans' banners. Once, she had been a die-hard SkyBlaze supporter, actively sharing team news and managing fan groups.

With an expressionless face, Lemira entered the venue with her ticket.

Sitting down while gazing at those seats on stage, she found herself lost in thought. In her past life, she had been on that stage, leading her team to a hard-fought victory in the match.

The competition was fierce. The team was considered powerful with steady skills.

Unlike Alaric, who, despite his skills, often lost his cool, disrupting the game's flow, and was too proud to take advice.

Soon, the competing teams took to the stage, their fans screaming in support, trying to outdo each other in volume.

Lemira, calm as ever in her seat, noticed Alaric and Evelina leading their team, dressed in unified team jerseys, looking like a family unit. However, she could tell Alaric was not in high spirits. Lemira noticed Lucian and Caspian were absent. What's going on? Weren't Lucian and Caspian supposed to be training with them for the match?

On stage, Alaric's frustration was evident. He hadn't expected Lucian and Caspian to bail at the last minute, throwing off his plans.

Evelina, ever supportive, said, "Alaric, Lucian and Caspian had emergency issues at their companies. They're CEOS, not professional players, after all."

"What do you know? We've trained together for so long, and they just bail? How are we supposed to compete now?"

"Alaric, our team is strong, and we've trained together. We'll coordinate and won't lose," Evelina reassured him patiently, despite his harsh tone.

For Evelina, standing by Alaric's side, especially now, would only make him appreciate her more, potentially replacing Lemira as his sister in his eyes.

Frustrated as he was, Alaric had no choice but to proceed. Suddenly, he thought of Lemira, uttering unwittingly, "Eve, imagine if Lemira were here to compete with us. Would things be better?"

Evelina's smile froze, irritation bubbling within her. Why did he mention that girl again? Was her dedication over these days to training and competing in spite of lying to the school to get days off not enough to overshadow Lemira, who hadn't lifted a finger? Out of the corner of her eye, Evelina spotted a familiar figure in the audience.

"Alaric, Lemmy's here to watch us compete."

Lemira, noticing Evelina's gaze and the ensuing fan uproar, realized she'd been spotted.

At the sight of Lemira, Alaric's eyes lit up. She had come after all.