"Sari, let's go." Ate Clydelle's voice cuts through my thoughts, her hand gently helping me up. It's our turn to walk the path.
"Can we just take the easier route?" I ask, turning to Stephen and grabbing his arm. I give him my most adorable smile. "Would you please teleport us there?"
His face flushes red. "Y-yeah!" he stammers, nodding a little too enthusiastically. I knew that would work. He's probably still haunted by the time I threatened to kill him for what he did when we first met.
"Stephen," Ate Clydelle and Marco say in unison, their faces contorted in a grimace.
"Well, no… Sari, I can't help you," he says, pushing my hands away gently with a sheepish grin. "Let's just enjoy the walk."
"Hnnh…" I pout, a little annoyed. Athena wraps her arm around my shoulder, leaning in close with a playful glint in her eyes. "How about a race? The last person to arrive at the checkpoint has to do a dare from one of us!"
My eyes light up. "Alright!" I agree instantly. I'll win this, for sure.
"But no using our abilities," she adds, a mischievous chuckle escaping her lips. My face falls.
"That's unfair!" I complain. "We're not fully trained like you guys are!"
Raising an eyebrow, she put a hand on her hips, and with the other, she held up three fingers in front of my face. "I'll give you a three-minute head start," she said with a smirk.
"Okay, sure!" I say, my competitive spirit returning.
Just as I'm about to take off, Stephen calls out, "Sari! Remember my dare?"
"What dare?"
"The one from before your battle with the Holy Knights."
"No one won that," I say, a little confused.
"I know," he grins. "That's why whoever wins this race gets to give a dare."
I squint at him, sticking my tongue out. "Prepare to lose, then."
"On your mark, get set... GO!" Athena's voice booms across the clearing, and we're off. My group starts running, but I can see Athena's team still standing, a subtle confidence in her stance.
The wind is whipping through my hair as I rush ahead. The lead was mine, only for a moment. Just as I started to feel a glimmer of triumph, a blur of motion appeared on my left. Marco's confident stride ate up the track, his pace effortless. From my right, Stephen matched him, his face a mask of fierce determination. In an instant, they were both past me, their powerful movements a stark contrast to my own, leaving a chasm of distance that felt impossible to close.
The gap was more than just physical; it was a testament to the difference between our abilities. It was a discouraging sight, but what truly caught me off guard was seeing Tyler running stride for stride with them, a look of focused intensity on his face as he held his own against the two frontrunners.
My gaze drifted forward, and I saw Clydelle, Frank, and a man named Shade already ahead of me. I pushed harder, but it wasn't enough. Cloud, who had been running beside me, seemed to have hit his limit as well, and we found ourselves bringing up the rear. We were in last place. "Need my help?" Cloud offered.
I shook my head, managing a small smile. "No thanks. I've got this," I replied, my voice a little breathless.
He nodded, but then his expression shifted, a playful curiosity in his eyes. "By the way, what's your relationship with our Prince Stephen?"
The question hit me like a strong force. My pace faltered, and I slowed, my stride becoming heavy. "We're... friends," I answered.
"Is that so?" he mused, a knowing look on his face. He seemed to be mulling over my answer before asking his next question. "How about Prince Marco?"
I couldn't help but laugh, a slightly strained sound. "What are you implying? It just so happens that I get along with both of them."
"Sorry," he chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I just thought something was going on."
"What do you mean?" I asked, a mix of genuine confusion and defensiveness in my voice.
"Based on my observation, I've noticed something has changed with them," he said, his tone turning serious.
"Like what?" I pressed, my heart beginning to pound.
"I'm not sure," he admitted, "but I think it has something to do with you."
Why was he telling me this? Was it because I'm a mortal? Did he think my mere presence could somehow tarnish the image of two princes, ruining their reputation or status? A wave of unease washed over me, a feeling that I was an unwelcome intrusion into their world.
"Did I do something bad?" The question hung in the air, a whisper of anxiety.
"I don't know," he chuckled. Without another word, he paced ahead, his silhouette a dark, unreadable shape against the rising sun.
"What is with him..." The thought was a half-formed puzzle in my mind.
Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek sliced through the air. "SAAAAARI!" It was Athena, her arms flailing frantically. Her bright smile was a beacon of impending doom. Oh no, she's coming! I need to hurry!
My legs became a blur, propelled by pure panic. I stumbled to the side of the path, squeezed my eyes shut, and started running like prey running away from a predator. Maybe if I just closed my eyes, I'd somehow be faster.
Then I felt a light tap on my shoulder. My eyes flew open, and I looked to my side. Athena was there, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Closing your eyes won't help you," she said, her voice a tease. She gave me a wink and then, with an almost effortless grace, she pulled ahead, leaving me alone.
—
After what felt like an eternity, the race finally ended. It was a hellish, five-hour marathon of misery that left me completely depleted. My lungs burned with every ragged breath, and my throat was as dry as a desert. I was a casualty of the race, having clocked in dead last. I had expected a simple 10km run, but it felt more like a brutal 42km marathon. We'd started at 6 a.m., and the sun was already high in the sky, glaring down at us as we crossed the finish line at 11 a.m.
"Hah...hah..." I collapsed onto the ground, my arms and legs splayed out like a starfish washed ashore. The words were a struggle to push out. "That was... *pants* exhausting..."
"Don't breathe through your mouth," Athena advised, her laughter echoing the cruel joy of a victor. "You'll have a harder time catching your breath."
I just lay there, a panting, sweaty mess. My heart was pounding like a drum, and my vision swam. The only thought in my head was dread. "So... what's my dare?"
Athena turned to the rest of our group, her smile widening. "Alright, guys! Who wants to give her a dare?"
A surprising hand shot up from the crowd—it was the guy who'd been talking to me earlier. He strode over, offering me a hand. As he helped me up, he declared, "I'll give her a dare."
Athena gave us a look that was more of a smirk than a question, a silent accusation of a secret spark between us. I just laughed it off.
"So, what's your dare?" I asked.
He leaned in close, his voice a low whisper in my ear. "I dare you to look into the eyes of the Eclipse Princes for 20 seconds. While you're doing that, hold their wrist and feel their pulse. That way, we'll know how they truly feel about you."
"Pfft! That's a childish dare," I scoffed, but a sly grin spread across his face as he replied, "I-it's not! It's my dare, and you should report back to me what happens."
A sense of curiosity washed over me. "Wait... are you a fan of them?" I asked, but he just shrugged. "That doesn't matter. It's my dare." He then scampered back to his teammates, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"What did he dare you to do?" Athena asked, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Of course, that's our little secret!" I replied, keeping the mystery alive.
She leaned closer, wiggling her eyebrows as she teased, "Is there something going on between the two of you!? You can tell me anything. Your secrets are safe with me." She poked me in the stomach, tickling me until I laughed.
I was about to give in and tell her everything when Ate Clydelle saved me from her interrogation. She returned with an alien-looking gadget. "It's time to set up camp, everyone!" she announced, holding up the device. "Mr. Yabo gave me this. It's an automatic tent setter."
Our mouths dropped as the gadget buzzed to life, unfolding itself and expanding into a dome-like structure. A tent was set up in just a few minutes, its sturdy walls and roof providing shelter from the elements. We all stared at it, mesmerized, before finally snapping out of our trance and helping Ate Clydelle set up the rest of our camp.
"How many tents did they give us?" Athena's voice cut through the rustling of leaves as she gazed at the large canvas bags piled at Ate Clydelle's feet.
"It's 4 tipi tents that can be occupied by 4 people," Ate Clydelle replied, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. She gestured toward the pile of bags before lifting two and handing them to Athena. "These are for you. Time to find a place to rest."
We worked together, the two of us, to set up the tents. It wasn't long before the four conical structures rose among the trees, their canvas flaps promising sanctuary from the sun. The boys, with their unstated but understood desire for a separate space, had already begun pitching their tents a short distance away. It was an unspoken but accepted rule of our newly formed group—boys on one side, girls on the other. With four of us girls, the division was simple, leaving the boys to figure out their own sleeping arrangements.
Once everything was in place, a quiet peace settled over us. We sat in the shade of our newly erected shelters, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. My mind, no longer occupied with the task at hand, wandered to the quiet moments with Athena.
"Sari, what is life like in the mortal world?" Athena's voice was soft, laced with a genuine curiosity that made her question feel more like an appeal for understanding.
"Not as thrilling and fun as I am here," I answered without a moment's hesitation, the words flowing from me because they were so undeniably true. Life here was full of magic and adventure, a stark contrast to the ordinary rhythm of my life on earth.
"Why so?"
I paused, a deep sigh escaping my lips as I tried to find the right words. "I'm not sure, but... the cycle of life in the mortal world is too stressful. It's this repeating cycle that repeats generation after generation. Crises are constantly happening, and there are never any permanent solutions. The problems just keep piling up until it feels like they've become too big to solve... And the government... they're mostly the root cause of all."
A wry laugh escaped her, a sound that held a surprising amount of understanding. She shook her head, her gaze distant as if she were seeing a different world entirely. "I guess it's the same with what's happening here. Endless cycle of war every 300 years... and, yeah, right! Don't you miss your parents and friends?"
The question caught me off guard, a sudden jolt of memory reminding me of the life I had left behind. My cousin's debut, the countless missed calls from my friends, and the worried look on my parents' faces. "Well," I began, the word feeling heavy on my tongue. "Of course, I miss them, but— I might sound selfish, but I think I like it here too because I'm free. No one will be scared of us because of our abilities. In our world, I'm sure we'd be treated as test subjects by scientists and as human weapons for the government..."
A thoughtful silence stretched between us. Athena's eyes held a newfound seriousness as she considered my words. "Is that so... I didn't think about that because here, we are open to magic." She paused, the question that followed hanging in the air like a dare.
"Yeah… the feeling is the same here. They treat us with this quiet contempt, as if our very presence pollutes their air. Every one of their scornful glances is a cold reminder that we don't belong here... no matter how powerful our magic is. We have a power they revere, but we're still just foreigners in their eyes. It's a strange sensation, but honestly, it's nothing compared to the complete disconnect of being on Earth."
"If you're given a chance to choose, would you rather stay here? Or go back home?"
I rubbed my temple, a familiar ache blooming in my head. I laughed. "What kind of question are you asking me? It's making my head hurt."
"Hahaha! But still, I want you to choose," she insisted, her voice playful.
I considered her question for a long moment, the two choices—my past and my present—weighing on my mind. "Okay, if only this were the course of life in our world... I would rather live in our world." I said, my voice firm and unwavering.
"That's not one of the choices—"
"Athena, the administrators are calling for everyone to gather in the cabin," a voice cut in, the sudden interruption a welcome relief. It was a guy named Elios, though I wasn't entirely sure if that was his name.
"Alright, we'll catch up," Athena replied, her playful demeanor returning as she rose to her feet.
"Let's go," I said, getting up and offering her a hand. We walked toward the cabin, the conversation momentarily forgotten.
"By the way, where's your cousin? The red-headed girl?" she asked as she helped her teammate to get up.
"Uhh, she's with Frank," I answered, a slight smile on my face as I imagined my cousin's mischievous grin.