"Good morning, students, guests, and teachers! Welcome to our yearly school festival, which we held once in a blue moon — and that just so happens to be… today!" the announcer said loudly as the whole arena erupted with shouting and cheering.
"Hey, partner… have you heard? This year is special," the other announcer asked their partner.
"Oh yes, I heard! This year is special because everyone — with magior or without — will join. Isn't that amazing?"
"It is! So today, no one will feel left out or different! Let's not drag this out — let's officially start the event!" The crowd cheered even louder.
I sighed as I felt a gaze on me. It was Uncle.
You can do this, Mary. You're a Quinlan. You're your parents' only daughter, I told myself, reminding myself why I was doing this.
"Good luck, Mary!" I smiled at Jad.
"Good luck, M!" That was from Harmoine.
"Good luck, Mary! You know you have the advantage." I smiled at Reina, even though I didn't quite understand what she meant.
I looked at Micah, and she encouraged me with a smile.
The game started with Run-Off. It's an individual game where all 500 students from different levels compete. It's literally a work-hard-or-lose challenge because you have to complete every single task — fast — to win.
I breathed heavily.
"START!" A loud beep sounded — the sign that the game had begun. I took off running, just like everyone else. Those using flash magior were already halfway through — it was as easy as pie for them. Of course, I didn't want to lose, so I followed them using the same technique. Flash magior is the most basic spell, so almost everyone, including my friends, was using it.
"Gosh, Jad is so competitive!" Harmoine exclaimed when Jad kicked dirt into our faces while running.
We followed, and within a blink, we were already facing the first challenge.
There was a rope in front of us. All we had to do was get to the other side as fast as we could, in any way we could think of. Most of the students were already doing whatever they could. I saw someone using her magior to walk across the rope as if it were just a pageant runway. I wanted to do that, but I have a fear of heights.
A lot of them were already on the other side, including Jad and Micah. Reina and Harmoine were halfway there. Micah turned to me when she saw I was having a hard time, but I smiled at her and signaled for her to keep going. She hesitated but continued.
Now, how am I going to get to the other side? I asked myself. Then suddenly, I remembered a spell I had once read about — I had seen it on one of the pages in a book. What was that spell again?
Oh!
I closed my eyes, pointed my finger, and spoke the spell. "Vera eira." and when I opened my eyes and saw that I was already on the other side. The crowd roared with amazement.
"A plot twist!" the announcer shouted. "Everyone! Quinlan just made a twist — look at that!" the other announcer added.
I didn't care. I just ran along with the others. "Splash, Fast, splash!" I said, casting another spell, and I dashed forward, faster than most of the others who had arrived before me. I heard their surprised voices.
"Mary Quinlan?" they said, confused.
I stopped near Micah.
"Congrats," she said. I simply smirked at her.
"Let's save it for later."
I knew I was already drawing attention — I noticed the camera was now focused on me. I had the spotlight.
We stopped again at another obstacle. "Bomb Site?" the instruction read. In front of us, the ground was full of hidden bombs, and to reach the other side, we had to step through carefully.
Some students flew across, but I stood still, thinking: What spell should I use next?
I couldn't just stand there. I couldn't repeat what I did earlier — I couldn't estimate where I would land.
In the middle of my hesitation, I saw someone using a magior that allowed her to see hidden things — like invisible traps.
"Let me see what others can't," I said, and with that, I gained the same ability. I smirked before stepping forward, having memorized where the bombs were planted.
"Now this is the right time to use my four years of gymnastics training."
I performed a series of stunts, and some students were visibly impressed by my flexibility. I admit, I've spent a lot of time in gymnastics ever since I was young. It's my mom's legacy — she was a gymnast too.
Yes, it took me a while, but it was worth it. I was now so close to finishing, and right on time. I jumped as high as I could and remembered the stunt that made me win back when I was 13. I closed my eyes in midair, and when I opened them, I focused on making sure I'd land perfectly. And I did. I landed so smoothly, and it wasn't just me who thought so — the crowd clearly did too.
"Another breakthrough made by our one and only Mary Quinlan!" the announcer shouted. "Looks like she's proving whose daughter she is now."
Whose daughter I am. I am the only daughter of the country's biggest hero, I said to myself proudly.
"The heck — that's amazing!" other students running beside me said.
"Thanks. Got it from the best," I replied, then ran as fast as I could, using the flash, fast, flash magior again.
Not long after, I could already see the door to victory — but to my horror, someone landed right in front of me.
It was Trish.
Trish is one of the people I dislike the most in this school — her personality, her attitude — everything. She acts like the main character just because she's smart. She acts like a boss to everyone. After the encounter we had last school year, things could never be casual between us again.
She ran as fast as she could, but I wasn't going to let her win — not now, not ever.
I used the flash, fast, flash spell to its fullest and brushed past her. She sneezed when the dirt flew into her face. But it didn't last long — flash, fast, flash has a time limit and needs a few hours before it can be used again.
So with all the energy I had, I sprinted — fast enough that no one could catch me.
My heart was racing. I was afraid it wouldn't be enough. What if someone passed me just before the finish? What if I fainted? What if I embarrassed myself?
I hated all the what-ifs running through my mind.
But in the middle of it all, I heard loud shouting from the crowd. I opened my eyes.
I was already back at the stadium.
The whole arena was cheering my name.
"Oh my — everyone, let's give it up for our challenge race winner this year — a new and totally unexpected champion: Mary Quinlan!" the announcer shouted.
That's when it finally hit me. I won?
"Congrats, Mary." I felt Jad's hand on my shoulder — he came in third, and Trish in second. "You won, Mary! You won!" he said, shaking me excitedly.
"I did?" I still couldn't process it. "I did! Shock — I won, Jad! I won!"