Aria and Nyra stood outside, dressed in simple winter gym wear; their class stood around them, also dressed in gym wear, though not all of them seemed dressed for the colder weather.
Luckily, the temperature had risen since earlier, and the sun was shining directly overhead.
They all stood in rows waiting for their teacher to begin class.
"Hello everyone, I'll be your P.E teacher for the year. You can call me Mr. Rick or Coach Rick." With a deliberate gesture, he extended his clipboard to the side, "This beside is your assistant P.E teacher, Ms. Paula. If you have questions or need any help, you can ask me or her."
"Now, before you is a simple obstacle course, meant to test your physical capabilities. I need a simple benchmark to give to the nurse, and it would be helpful to have during lessons."
"Welcome to the Gauntlet, seven set obstacles meant to test you as an individual". He said as he walked across the field, stopping at the first obstacle. A sheer wooden wall, fitted with uneven grips and ropes dangling over the top.
"And first up on this test is a ten-foot wall climb. When you reach the top, please slide off rather than jumping off the other side."
"Next, we have a rope tunnel." A net hung low to the ground, forcing students to crawl on their hands and knees. "You're going to get dirty, you might scrape your hands, but you'll be fine."
"After you're done crawling, you're going to pick up one of these bags; there's enough for all of you, each one weighs about twenty pounds. You're going to carry thirty meters and drop it at the line."
Walking past the line, he stopped just before a narrow plank stretching across a small gap. "Pretty straightforward, just run across the beam. Once across, climb the stairs to the next obstacle."
A thick rope hung over a shallow pit of sand.
"We've got some thick rope for you to swing on; there's enough room up here if you want a running start. The gap isn't too big, so one good swing should do it."
"Finally, the last two obstacles are a tire run; you need to be quick and move with precision." Rows of tires were laid out neatly across the ground. "Then you can just run up this hill here to finish up, just be sure to ring the bell when you're done."
After introducing the entire course, Mr. Rick walks back over to the class. "Everyone will run it at the same time after everyone is done, you all can do whatever you want for the rest of class as long as you don't leave this area."
"Mr. Rick," Ms. Paula called out before whispering something in his ear.
"Ah, that's right. Aria, Nrya, at your father's request, I'm to give you two options. Option one: You don't participate in the course, so you don't discourage the other students. Or option two, you both act as a demonstration for the others."
"Can you give us a second, sir, to discuss among ourselves?" Aria questioned, stepping to the front of the class.
"Sure thing."
"Thank you," she says before returning next to Nyra, speaking no louder than a whisper. "So what are we going to do?"
Though she may have seemed calm while asking that, in actuality, she was akin to a volcano waiting to erupt. Yeah, sure, she didn't mind standing out, especially when it came to athletics, but what about Nyra? It didn't seem fair to push the same standards on her.
She had only just begun training in the same exercises and could barely complete the second stance of the first exercise.
No, she wouldn't let Nyra do the course in front of the entire class; they would just sit out. "Hey Nyra, how 'bout we just sit this one out."
Nyra shook her head. "No, let's do it."
"Huh?"
"This is our chance, Aria. Let's prove we can go a step beyond our names. Not Damocles or Halvenne, just Aria and Nyra." She explained, a fire burning in her eyes.
Aria chuckled. "Alright, let's show them what we can do then."
Aria and Nyra eagerly stride to the front of the class, their hearts racing with excitement. "We'll do it, Mr. Rick," Aria shouts.
"Okay, stand at the starting line. When I say go, you may begin."
Both girls walked up to the starting line before giving him a nod.
"Go!" he shouted
Aria and Nyra lunged forward, both maintaining a stable pace. Aria sped up, her feet pounding against the dirt. As the wall rose before her, she kicked off the ground, soaring high in a single bound. Her hand snapped onto the jutting foothold, momentum carrying her upward.
With a quick push, she ran two steps against the wood, leapt out from the surface, and snatched the rope dangling from the top. A flash of muscle, a pull, and she was up and over before most students had even blinked.
Gasped rippled through the class. Someone muttered, "Did she just jump half the wall?"
Nyra arrived seconds later, her eyes sharp but movements more deliberate. She planted her foot firmly on the first hold, then another, skipping two rungs at a time with practiced precision. Her hands moved in rhythm, her body light but steady as she scaled upward.
Unlike her sister, she didn't fling herself off the wall; she reached the top in clean, controlled motions before swinging over.
"She's slower," another student whispered, only to flinch when Nyra dropped smoothly on the far side, mere breaths after Aria.
Mr. Rick crossed his arms, brow raised. "Slower, huh? Keep watching."
As soon as Aria touched down, she immediately tucked and rolled, transitioning seamlessly into a low crawl. Her stomach pressed against the cool earth as she crawled forward, effortlessly maneuvering through the dirt that clung to her sleeves like a second skin.
"Whoa, she moves like a soldier."
Unlike her sister, Nyra slowly lowered herself into a leopard crawl, moving through the dirt at a steady pace. Her loosely tied hair jostled behind her, a flash of determination in her eyes.
"Both of their forms are amazing," Ms. Paula says.
"That's not something inherited, but trained through hard work and determination." Mr. Rick commented, a smile growing on his face.
Standing from the crawl, Aria once more picks up speed, snatching the sandbag off the ground and hoisting it against her shoulder like it weighs nothing. Her legs pounded heavily on the earth, each stride covering distance as she blazed through the 30m in a near sprint.
Her ponytail snapped behind her like a banner in the wind. The sandbag jolted in her grasp, yet she pressed on with unwavering determination.
"With strength like that, do you think she could take on the whole kendo club like her mother?"
Nyra, not far behind her sister, grips the bag with both hands, lifting it securely against her chest before setting off in a strong jog. Her pace was firm and controlled.
"Wow, Nyra's incredible. Not once has her form faltered despite carrying all that weight."
"Yeah, it's amazing. Though Aria is much more flashy, Nyra doesn't fall behind by much."
Once she reached the line, Aria tossed the sandbag to the ground, then smoothly hopped onto the balance beam. Running across it like it were another piece of track.
A gasp swept through the crowd again as the students watched her arms loosely at her side.
As she reached the far end of the beam, she leaped off in one clean motion, already shifting her momentum for the next obstacle.
On the other hand, Nyra gently set the sandbag down before carefully stepping onto the balance beam, her arms spread slightly for balance. Each step deliberate, heel-to-toe, quick enough to show urgency but never reckless.
A quiet hush fell over the field as they watched Nyra cross the beam. There was something special about the way she handled the courses so far that sparked quite admiration in their hearts. Even when she nearly slipped, they couldn't help but want to shout, 'You can do it!'
Aria bolts up the stairs to the rope swing, two at a time. Once at the top, without breaking her stride, Aria launches herself straight across the gap. No rope. No trace of hesitation in her movements.
Her feet dance gracefully through the air, touching down confidently on the other side.
Nyra charges up the stairs just behind her, but stops and grabs the rope. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she launches into a sweeping arc, her body stretching and gliding through the air with exquisite grace. Feet clearing the gap before landing lightly on the opposite side.
The crowd erupted in cheers for the twins, marveling at their impressive athletic prowess, while whispers of envy lingered among those who wished they could match their extraordinary talent.
Arriving at the tires, Aria dives right in without breaking her stride. Her legs pump like pistons, each foot slamming into the center of the tires. Not a single wobble or misstep, her rhythm almost too fast for the eye to follow.
Next, Nyra entered the tires, though not as fast as Aria; her movements were tighter, more deliberate. Each step landed cleanly in the tire's center. She was precise, systematic, and unshakable.
As soon as the last tire cleared from underneath her, Aria surged forward, launching into an uphill sprint. Her strides lengthen, her form tight, every muscle working in harmony.
Nyra charges the hill seconds later. Her steps are lighter, her pace steadier. Sweat beads at her brow, but she doesn't ease up.
As the twins head toward the finish line, the entire class erupts in cheers, their excitement and support filling the air with energy.
Aria reached the top first, panting lightly. She turned back in time to see Nyra arrive, her breath much heavier.
"Pretty fun… right," she asked with a bright smile.
"Yeah, but… never again," Nyra said between breaths, smiling just as bright.
Ms. Paula glides over with a confident stride, her presence commanding attention as she approaches. "Aria, Nyra, you both did wonderfully. I can see now why Mr. Damocles said what he did."
"What'd he say?" Nyra raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.
"He said, These girls are incredible, talented, and filled with potential rarely seen. They work hard and put in all the effort they can to reach their dreams, and so they need an opportunity to show the world who they really are, not the name that follows their own."
Aria nodded with a look of understanding. "So he's trying to set the stage to tell the world how amazing we are."
"No different from what any other father would do." Ms. Paula added with a smile.
'But he's not ours,' Aria thought. Though outwardly, she just smiled.
"We're glad to have him," Nyra replied with a smile of her own.
"That's good to hear. Now, let's go over there and watch your classmates attempt the course." As Ms. Paula gestured for them to step aside, they began to move. Nyra glanced over at Aria.
"Hey, Aria. I think I'll try going to my elective and show the world who Nyra is."
"You sure?" she asked with a touch of concern.
"Yep"
"Okay, call Liz if you need any help."
"If I truly need help, I'll call Dad and watch him scramble to get here as payback for earlier," Nyra smirked, a twinkle in her eye.
Aria chuckled softly. "Yeah, that's a good idea."
***
Later that evening.
"Hey, Mom, we're home," Aria called out, walking into their shared space, just outside their rooms.
Looking up from her laptop, Sera smiled. "Oh, hey girls, how was school?" She asked, setting her laptop aside and patting the space next to her for them to sit down.
Sitting down, Aria spoke first, a trace of frustration in her voice. "It was great apart from someone's meddling."
"Though it did us some good in the end," Nyra added.
"Well, it won't happen again. I wanted you both to be able to choose how your school life will go, not his meddling involving you guys in things we don't belong in." Sera said, hugging the two tightly before releasing them.
"It's fine, Mom, we know how to handle Mr. Riven," Nyra said, taking a sip of the drink Lazaria placed in front of her.
"Yeah, and Liz told us a few tricks as well," Aria added, giving a nod to Lazaria. "His biggest weakness is us after all."
"Okay, if you girls are so sure, I'll let you handle him."
"So, Mom, tell us what you were up to today," Nyra asked, taking a cookie from the pile on the table next to Sera.
"Alright, well…"