I woke up from the noise. I opened my eyes and saw unfamiliar surroundings.
"Ahh, what... Where is this?" I looked at the unfamiliar people around me. All of them were doing the same thing: writing, reading, and using their fingers to perform magior.
"Backstage, where else," said a deep voice.
A turn my gaze and saw a boy, whose eyes were covered by it's messy hair, was wearing a white polo and black slacks. I could see the little veins in his hand as he flipped the pages of a book. He looked about my age, and maybe even a little taller by a few centimeters.
"Backstage of where? And who are you?"
"Why are you so clueless? This is the backstage for the Magior Show, and I'm one of the contestants—your rival, or are we? I didn't know seventh graders could join."
"The Magior competition? It's so early. I thought it was tomorrow at 7:30 p.m."
"What? It's almost 7:30, kid. Are you okay?"
"What? No, it can't be. I still haven't practiced yet!"
"Yeah, same. Just trust yourself, kid."
"Stop calling me kid. I'm almost 16."
"16? We're the same age? Oh, I thought you were still in grade 7—sorry, just because of your height."
"So life-changing information," I said annoyingly. So what if I'm not that tall? Our height difference isn't even that big.
I was dumbfounded by everything, thinking about all the problems piling up in my head.
"Thinking so deep?" That boy again. But this time, he handed me an iced coffee in a bottle, and I gladly accepted it.
"I'll be a laughingstock. I don't know how to do magior, and I'm clueless about science."
"Oh, that's why you have no ring on your finger. I thought you were one of those gifted ones who don't need rings to do magior. But why'd you join if you don't know how to use magior, though?"
"I didn't sign myself up for this. I don't know who did, but whoever it was, I'll make them pay."
"So basically, you got pranked?"
"Something like that. I don't even know how I ended up here."
"If we're in a same grade why I've never seen you in class. I thought you were a repeater. What major are you, anyway?"
"Computer Science—but I barely attend those classes. And in math, I just sleep the whole time. I should probably start saying goodbye to the school now."
"Hmm… it's starting. If anything happens, always remember to take a deep breath, raise your finger, and connect your heart and mind before you swing it in the air."
"T-thanks..." I met his gaze. He had sleepy eyes and a not-so-defined jawline.
"I'll have to go. Good luck, uhm..." he said I feel like he wanted to know my name so I said it.
"Call me Mary."
"Good luck, Mary. Just call me RJ." And before I could say goodbye, he was already gone—ran off as fast as the Flash.
RJ. What a name.
It was starting. I watched as he and the other contestants showed off. Their talents were incredible—amazing, deserving the applause of everyone in the stadium.
"Everyone, last but not least, let's give it up for Mary Quinlan!" the host announced my name. I heard some applause. I saw some confused faces—of course, they knew I had no interest in these things and have no special abilities. But here I am, joining like a freak as if I am planning my own downfall.
I was having anxiety. My mind was losing it. I couldn't control my body as I stepped onto the stage. I looked at the faces in front of me. My friends were here. Micah and Harmony looked nervous for me, while Jad remained emotionless. But that was odd—I couldn't see Reina with them.
"Answer the equation in front of you."
I looked at the equation. For heaven's sake, it was about triangles.
Why do I have to prove that a triangle is a triangle? I thought to myself snobbishly.
I didn't know any of it. Either way, I'd fail, so I might as well write something. It'd be embarrassing to leave it blank. I let my hand scribble random stuff—letters I didn't understand, numbers, everything. My hand had a mind of its own. I finished it without even knowing what I wrote.
"Okay Mary, for your task, make something magnificent with that little flower in front of you."
I inhaled deeply, connected my mind and heart, and swung my finger into the air—just like RJ said. As I did the magior, I remembered—I had no ring. It was supposed to be impossible to perform magior without one. The ring is where magior is stored. That's why science is needed—to activate it, because it's neither inherited nor natural.
But in my shocked it lit up. I—and everyone in the stadium—was shocked and I have the same expression as them.
As the light grew stronger, my fingers moved on their own. My vision blurred. I could hardly see anything.
And with that... I lost consciousness. Everything just went black.