Denver was a city transformed. The Cannibals’ championship parade wound through downtown, confetti raining from office windows, children waving black, purple, and red flags. News vans and camera crews crowded the Coliseum gates. The team was everywhere—on the front page, on every screen, in every conversation.But outside the city, in the rolling hills south of Castle Rock, Jeremy’s world was quiet. His home—a sprawling 1883 French chateau, all gray stone, turrets, and ivy—felt like a sanctuary. The championship trophy sat on a table in the sun-drenched solarium, catching the morning light. Jeremy poured coffee for Alexandra, who sat across from him, tracing the trophy’s engraved letters with her fingertip.He watched her for a long moment. “You haven’t answered me.”She looked up, eyes shadowed with old worries. “Mississippi. My dad. Stephanie. I… I want to try. But I’m scared, Jeremy. I haven’t seen either of them in years. What if it just makes things w
Denver was electric—every window, every car, every face was lit with the hope and hunger of a city on the edge of history. The Cannibals had stormed through the season undefeated, and tonight, the Denver Coliseum was a cathedral of noise and color. The stands shimmered with black, purple, and red. Fans wore war paint, waved banners, and filled the air with a single, thunderous demand: “Bring it home!”On the field, the Cannibals looked like warriors from legend. Their home jerseys were slick black, with deep purple numbers and names outlined in a fierce, electric red. Across from them, the Billings Wolves, as the away team, wore crisp white jerseys slashed with red and black—red numbers, black stripes, and white helmets gleaming under the lights. The contrast was stark, a visual promise that this would be a battle for the ages.A Game for the AgesThe opening kickoff was a thunderclap. Heather, nerves of steel, drilled the ball through the uprights for an Uno,
Denver was alive with anticipation. The Cannibals’ playoff run had become the talk of the nation, but inside the Coliseum, the air was thick with more than just excitement. It was the kind of tension that made every laugh a little too loud, every silence a little too long. Championship Week: Wolves in Town The Billings Wolves arrived on Monday, their buses flanked by police escorts and news vans. For the first time, Alicia—once the heart of the Cannibals’ defense—walked into the Coliseum as an opponent. She wore Wolves black and red, her familiar stride now just a bit more guarded, her smile a little more careful. The city buzzed with excitement and nerves. Sports radio hosts debated matchups and legacies. Bars hung “Welcome Wolves” banners next to “Go Cannibals!” signs. At the first league-mandated joint press conference, the air was electric. Reporters peppered Alicia, Alexandra, and Heather with questions not just about the game, but about
The Denver Coliseum was still humming with the echoes of victory. The Cannibals had just punched their ticket to the WWIF OK Corral Championship, outlasting the Omaha Cattlemen in a bruising, brilliant playoff battle. Fans poured into the streets, blue and silver flags waving, horns blaring. Inside, the team celebrated with laughter and tears, the dream of a title on their home field now just two weeks away. But for Jeremy, the glow of triumph was already shadowed by uncertainty. The Warning from Bill Lombardi As the last of the confetti settled and the locker room began to empty, Jeremy ducked into the hallway for a breath of quiet. He didn’t get far. Bill Lombardi, head coach of the Denver Mustangs, was waiting by the exit, arms folded, jaw set. He wasted no time. “JD, a word?” Lombardi’s tone was heavy with authority. Jeremy nodded, bracing himself. Lombardi leaned in, voice low. “
The Cannibals’ regular season ended with a thunder that would echo across Denver for years. Undefeated. Unbreakable. The Denver Coliseum was a fortress of hope, banners snapping in the wind, fans roaring until their voices were hoarse. But for Jeremy and Alexandra, the real victory was quieter, more personal—a battle for truth, closure, and the future.The Truth Comes OutIt started with a single press release:FORENSIC ANALYSIS PROVES VIDEO DOCTORED; SIERRA MADDOX IDENTIFIED AS SOURCE.The news swept through the sports world like wildfire. The forensics team’s report was airtight, exposing every splice and edit in the so-called “proof” against Alexandra. The league and national media ran with it. Sierra Maddox’s name trended for all the wrong reasons. The WWIF issued a statement condemning her actions. Sponsors dropped her. Legal action loomed.At the Cannibals’ facility, Alexandra sat in the film room with Jeremy, Heather, and Jenifer, watching t
The Denver Coliseum was officially Jeremy’s now, but the victory felt hollow. The morning after the rally, Alexandra found a small, nondescript package waiting in her locker. No return address—just her name, typed in bold. She hesitated, heart pounding, then opened it. Inside was a USB drive labeled in block letters: PROOF.She stared at it for a long time before plugging it into her laptop in the empty trainer’s office. The video was slickly edited, spliced together from game footage and sideline interviews. It showed her infamous block against her stepbrother, slowed and zoomed, overlaid with red circles and arrows. A voice—distorted, genderless—narrated: “Notice the angle of attack. The intent. The follow-through. This was no accident.”A second file claimed to be an expert analysis, complete with a fake sports science logo. It concluded, “The evidence strongly suggests malice.”A note popped up on the screen:If Jeremy doesn’t step down and you don