W.I.Z.E. CLUB (on hold for a looooong time)

THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME!!! I"M SO EXCITED!!!

LADIES AND DUDES, MEET DEMITRI!! :D

WARNING: LONG CHAPTER (a bit)

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Game on.

“Good morning, participants of the first ever Arete competition!”

I looked up and watched two nice-looking adults as they addressed everyone in the assembly room. Although, 'room' wasn't exactly the word I would choose to describe it. It was most likely a gymnasium full of tables for each group – with lots of metals and materials placed on top.

It made me think of one only thing: What on earth do they have in store for us? But I had a strong feeling that I wasn't alone in thinking that.

“Teenagers of the world, I'm Pamela Buckley,” said the blonde host. I recognized her as an actress in the States.

“And I'm Kevin O’Neill,” added the man beside her. Hearing his Scottish accent, the events of last night came to my mind.

I yawned.

I didn't get much sleep because Ztech kept snoring loudly. The guy just couldn't get enough sleep. Not to mention the fact that Izzie kept the lamp shade on their side of the room turned on because she was reading her book.

“We'll be your hosts for Arete!” Pamela Buckley and Kevin O’Neill exclaimed at the same time.

From then on, I blocked out the rest of what they were gonna say. It was just a roll call of all the countries participating and the names of its representatives. Nothing too interesting for me to listen to.

Instead, I studied the two hosts.

Both were in their late twenties or early thirties. Both were obviously not married because they weren't wearing any wedding rings. And both were also fair and extremely attractive. Well, there was a reason why they were in the show business.

But their similarities stopped there. Pamela Buckley was blonde, while Kevin O'Neill was dark-haired. She had big brown eyes, as he had green ones. She looked vulnerable because of her petite body, but he appeared strong with his broad shoulders.

All in all, they were the perfect combination.

“And now, the details today's game!” announced Pamela Buckley excitedly.

The room was filled with silence as we waited for her to continue.

“For the Elimination Round: Part One, you will be creating a gadget from scratch,” declared Pamela Buckley cheerfully.

That caught my attention.

“Any type of gadget, mind,” added Kevin O'Neill a-matter-of-factly. “Without any restrictions whatsoever. It could be anything you want it to be.”

There was a burst of mutterings around the room. But I only glanced at the one person I knew who would find this situation thrilling.

Ztech wasn't saying anything. He just stared ahead, his eyes trained on the platform where the hosts were informing us about the game.

My eyes wandered to Izzie and Ella. They were glancing sideways at Ztech, too. We caught each other's eyes. And without words, we knew that this round of the game belonged to him.

“In front of you,” the male host continued, “are the tools that you can use to form your invention.”

My eyes automatically looked in front of me where the same metals and tools I was looking at earlier were.

So that's what they're for, I thought – now understanding their purpose.

“This will show your creativity and resourcefulness,” grinned Pamela Buckley. “Let your mind do its work. Sky is the limit, everyone!”

Ztech nudged me. “Anything? Whatever we want to invent?”

I shrugged. “That's what they said.”

“Huh.”

Both of us turned our heads toward the stage again, just as Kevin O’Neill added, “You and your group will be given until noon to come up with something breathtaking.”

“And when the clock strikes Twelve o'clock, all of you are to return here to start your work,” Pamela Buckley informed us.

“You have six hours to complete your invention,” the male host announced. “Those of whom that will fail to finish will be automatically disqualified to participate in the second part of the Elimination Round, which will be held tomorrow.”

Pamela Buckley raised a forefinger. “And if ever you are finished within the time limit, write a label and description on the plate included in your materials, and press the buzzer at the corner of your assigned table. The judges will then check your invention. If it works properly according to what your description indicates, you and your group will be qualified for tomorrow's part.” Then, she turned to her partner. “Isn't that exciting, Kevin?”