At that moment, the host, Mindy Joyce, was the first to start clapping. She beamed and praised them enthusiastically. "That was fantastic! Truly fantastic! The two of you were so brilliant, you'd put a professional dance crew to shame. Gwyneth Hughes and I have had a real feast for the eyes today. And to all our friends in the audience, wouldn't you agree…"
"YES!" the audience roared back, their thunderous applause echoing their agreement.
The other host, Gwyneth Hughes, took over. "Congratulations to you both on successfully securing your points! You've taken first place in this segment… We'll now take a short intermission. In five minutes, we'll begin our second segment: The Cage Unlock… For now, would our twelve guests please head backstage to rest. We're about to bring out the famous singer Jay Zimmer for a special performance…"
As the host's voice faded, staff members escorted the guests offstage.
Stella Lockwood and Sean Quinn trailed behind the others.
