Thirty contestants stood, five in each team, making six groups standing apart from one another.

The looks on their faces said it all. They had worked hard for so long, and yet some would still have to go—just like last week.

The stage lights dimmed slightly, focusing on the judges' panel. The host walked forward, holding a small tablet.

"Contestants," he began, his voice steady but calm, "tonight's performances were truly something. Every team gave their all, and the judges have been having a hard time making decisions."

The contestants glanced at each other nervously. Even from where they stood, they could see the judges leaning toward one another, whispering, and exchanging notes.

The host continued, "Before we announce anything, the judges would like a moment to deliberate. Please hold on."

The mic clicked off. The judges leaned in close. The contestants could only watch from a distance as the quiet discussion began.

Lucien Duval folded his arms first. "We already agreed on two contestants from each team. That keeps things fair and simple, so what are we discussing again?"

Marcus Cole nodded. "Exactly. Let's not overcomplicate it. Everyone knew the rules from the start."

Carolina Vega, however, leaned forward slightly, her tone calm but sharp. "Lucien, let's be realistic. Some teams performed far above expectations. If we're talking fairness, we should also consider excellence."

Lucien frowned. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Carolina exchanged a glance with Adele Strauss, who had been quiet until now. "It means," she said, "we can invoke Rule No. 3 — Judges' Discretion. It allows us to adjust eliminations based on overall group performance."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Rule No. 3? That's rarely used. You know that could cause backlash."

Adele leaned in, her expression firm. "Maybe. But some teams deserve protection. For instance—Team Dayo's."

Lucien immediately looked up like he was understanding where this was going. "The one with the trumpet slip? The guy who made the mistake?"

Carolina smiled faintly. "Yes. But you saw what happened. They recovered flawlessly. The song, the balance, the control—it was one of the strongest group efforts tonight and in this competition so far in the past twelve years."

Marcus sighed, shaking his head and blurted out without knowing or caring. "Or maybe there's another thing behind this, like someone outside is interfering."

The air went still for a moment. Adele glanced at him, unamused. "Be careful with your assumptions, Marcus. We're here to judge talent, not rumors."

Lucien let out a quiet breath, knowing what this was really about. "So what's the plan?"

And he knew he was powerless when it came to certain circumstances and people involved; nobody wants to take any unnecessary risk to anger anyone they couldn't contain.

Carolina folded her arms. "We reduce the elimination for Team Dayo to one person. They've earned that much. We can make up the numbers by increasing elimination in one of the weaker groups."

Marcus leaned back. "That's not fair to the others."

"Neither is ignoring talent," Adele replied smoothly without blinking at all. She knew what was in play, and she had received a call already, so she knew what needed to be done.

Lucien hesitated, looking toward the stage where Dayo and sigh helplessly but nodded. "Alright," he said finally. "But which team takes the fall?"

Carolina's tone was matter-of-fact as it was already pre-planned which team would take the fall. "Team Sophia. Their performance was flashy but weak. We can remove three from that team instead of two. That evens it out."

Lucien sighed. "So Team Dayo loses one, Team Sophia loses three. The rest stay standard?"

Adele nodded. "Exactly."

Marcus looked unconvinced, but the vote was already settled. Outnumbered, he exchanged a look with Lucien—both knowing that something larger was at play.

From the stage, Dayo watched the silent conversation unfold. He couldn't hear a word, but he could read their lips, and he knew that this stage was rigged.

He sighed and looked at the person that he felt would likely be eliminated from his group.

Tyrell muttered under his breath, "They're definitely arguing."

Emily crossed her arms. "What's going on up there?"

Maya whispered, "Who knows but whatever it is, I pray it favors our team."

Dayo just stared quietly, like he didn't know what the result would be. "Whatever it is, we'll take it as it comes."

After a few more moments, the host returned to the mic, his voice echoing across the hall.

"Thank you for waiting. The judges have made their decision. However, there will be a slight change in today's elimination process."

All eyes immediately turned to him.

The host smiled, but everyone could tell it was the kind of smile but the same couldn't be said for the contestant, as they were in the hot seat.

"Originally, as you all know, two contestants from each group were supposed to be eliminated tonight. But, after discussion and based on Rule No. 3 — the Judges' Discretion — there will be some adjustments."

He paused, letting the confusion sink in. Murmurs started across the hall.

"Some teams will only lose one contestant," he continued. "Others may lose two, and one team will unfortunately lose three contestants due to overall team performance."

The Mc made a pause here before continuing.

"However, for fairness and transparency, we've also decided to give all twelve eliminated contestants one last chance.

After tonight's results, the voting lines will open for the audience worldwide. The top two contestants with the highest votes will be given a chance to return to the competition in the next round."

A buzz of excitement rippled through the hall.

A ripple went through the crowd. Even the camera crew exchanged looks.

Frank stiffened slightly. He knew what that meant — someone somewhere had pulled strings.

Tyrell whispered, "What kind of change is this?"

Emily sighed. "Guess it's not over till it's over."

Dayo didn't speak. He simply exhaled and tried to keep his poker face like he was unaware of what was in play.

The host scrolled through the tablet slowly. "First, Team Rivera…"

The big screen flashed Team Rivera – Two Eliminated.

Lucas and his teammates took a step forward.

"After consideration," the host continued, "Team Rivera will be losing Sofia and Diego. You both have done well, but your journey ends here."

The crowd clapped politely as the two bowed and left the stage, but upon closer look, tears could be seen in their eyes. This was the harsh reality of this competition: no second chances.

Next, the host called, "Team Amara."

The screen flashed two Eliminated.

Amara's group stepped forward, holding hands. The MC took a deep breath. "From Team Amara… Rina and Joshua. Thank you for your effort."

Rina and Joshua hugged her member tightly before she walked off in tears.

Then came "Team Sophia."

The room went completely quiet. Everyone already knew what that meant.

The MC cleared his throat. "From Team Sophia, Han, Toby, and Crystal will be leaving the competition."

Gasps filled the air. One of the eliminated contestants covered her mouth in disbelief. Sophia's eyes glistened, but she stood tall.

Next, "Team Min-Jae."

The screen flashed two Eliminated.

Min-Jae's team stepped forward solemnly. The MC continued, "From Team Min-Jae… June and Minsoo. Thank you for everything."

June and Minsoo hugged their teammates before they left the stage, faces wet with tears.

Then came "Team Matteo."

The screen flashed two Eliminated.

The MC announced, "From Team Matteo… Lorenzo and Marco will be leaving the competition. Thank you for your hard work."

Lorenzo and Marco bowed and walked off, the reality of the show settling on everyone.

"Now, Team Dayo."

The atmosphere shifted again. All four of Dayo's teammates glanced at one another nervously.

The MC looked down at his tablet, then up again. "Team Jayson will only lose one member."

They all exhaled in relief, but it didn't last long as they didn't know who would be going.

The MC paused. "And the contestant leaving from Team Dayo is…"

He let the silence hang. Everyone held their breath.

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