Kalix, the nation’s most unshakable contender, had built his name on one undeniable truth—no one could outthink him twice. It had always held, until Lin kept meeting him at every final stage, matching him point for point, win for win, like a flaw in a system that was never meant to fail. No clear victory, no lasting dominance, not even the satisfaction of leaving the other behind. Naturally, Kalix took that personally—and just like that, beating her stopped being a goal and became an obsession.
