The aftermath of the championship left a cloud of unease hanging over the team. King Foxx's victory felt hollow as he surveyed the damage done to his friends. Nick sported a bandaged arm, while Riley limped slightly, her usual energetic bounce subdued. But it was Sherry who bore the worst of it.
The curse of Obelisk the Tormentor had sunk its claws deep into Sherry's psyche. Her once vibrant hot pink hair seemed dull and lifeless, hanging limply around her pale face. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, which darted nervously around the room as if seeing threats invisible to others. Her slim frame trembled slightly, even in the warm room.
"Sherry, are you okay?" King Doxx asked, reaching out to touch her arm.
She flinched violently, stumbling backward. "Don't!" she cried, her voice hoarse. "I... I can feel it. Obelisk. It's always there, always watching, waiting..."
The team exchanged worried glances. Devino stepped forward, his silver hair glinting in the light. "Maybe we should take her to a doctor," he suggested quietly.
"No doctors," Sherry muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. "They can't help. Can't you hear it? The whispers... the demands..."
King Foxx felt a chill run down his spine. The curse was clearly far worse than they had initially thought. Sherry, once confident and fierce, now seemed a shell of her former self. The victory that should have united them in triumph had instead left them fractured and uncertain.
As they gathered around their afflicted friend, the team realized their journey was far from over. The curse of Obelisk the Tormentor loomed over them like a dark cloud, threatening to consume not just Sherry, but potentially all of them. The question of what to do next hung in the air, as heavy as the championship trophy that now seemed to mock them from its place on the shelf.