Snapping back to the present, Claudia accepted the trophy from a woman standing beside her. The host, sensing an opportunity for some Light banter, asked, "So, CC, you've taken second place this time. How does it feel?"

Claudia responded coolly, "I'm happy to finally have a worthy opponent."

The statement might have sounded arrogant coming from anyone else, but for CC, it was par for the course.

As the top three winners all accepted their trophies, Claudia frowned. Where was Kayla's contact?

Just as she was pondering this, someone bumped into her. Before she could react, she felt the elastic band of her mask snap.