The First Reversal

Jackson’s mid-round calls held the whole machine together. If one piece disappeared, the game got harder immediately. That was what made the team believable. It was not one carry. It was a structure. By the end of the split, Northstar Forge had qualified for Champions. The official model gave them less than a 1% chance to win the event. The bracket release treated them like a favorable first-round matchup for the real contenders from Europe, the Pacific, Korea, and Brazil. Back in the practice room, Mason stared at the schedule board and saw something different from all the noise online. A path. He rested his hand on the edge of the desk, tightened his grip, and finally understood what the next stage required.