The regional competition is finally here. Cassian stood at the edge of the track, soaking in the energy emanating from all around. The packed stadium was electric, full of buzzing spectators waiting to see the show. His heart pumped in his chest, but it wasn't nervous—it was adrenaline. This is what he had prepared for.
All his competitors were there and ranged to compete in the race. Cassian glanced across at the other sprinters, measuring them in one swift appraisal. He knew some of them from previous meets—athletes who were already making a name for themselves by virtue of speed and talent. Particularly interesting was Darius, a sprinter from another school, generally renowned for explosive power and seriously aggressive racing tactics. Cassian had never faced him before but was well aware of the rumors pertaining to the youngster's potential speed.
Cassian's parents were in the stands, cheering him on. Their proud smiles helped to calm him in the midst of all that chaos. He took a breath, closed his eyes, and then envisioned the race ahead of him: the start, the drive phase, and finally crossing the finish line.
The announcer's voice came across the stadium, calling the athletes to the start line for the 100-meter sprint.
Cassian sets off forward, settling into his lane. His hair shines like crimson under the light, and his matching crimson eyes were sharp, focused, and keen. He had put it all out there for the moment that had now come. His coach's words kept flashing through his mind: focus on the start, react fast, and explode with everything you've got.
Opposing him, the remaining sprinters found their positions, with Darius giving a nod to Cassian. There, Cassian nodded his head, meeting the challenge. He settled himself in the blocks and could already feel tension building in his muscles as he prepared to launch himself forward.
"On your marks."
Silence over the stadium, the very air heavy with anticipation.
"Set."
Time seemed to stand still as Cassian coiled his body, each muscle tensed and ready.
BANG!
And off they went, once the starting gun fired, into a Cassian explosion that left the rest in his wakes: sharp reaction time, right down to the millisecond, 5 milliseconds in fact, over all the rest; great, powerful momentum in his legs; fast-twitch contraction with each step; and he could feel the track under him, solid and responsive, in the drive phase.
He was ahead by the 30-meter mark. Darius followed very closely, but an explosive start from Cassian gave him the edge at the beginning. He easily glided into the acceleration phase with longer and more powerful strides. Cheering crowds faded out of his senses altogether; there was just the track, the finish line, and the rhythm of speed.
At 70 meters, Cassian maxed his speeds. His body was the perfect machine, and every stride laced him closer to winning the race. He wasn't running; he was flying. With each stride, the distance between him and the rest increased, and at the crossing of the final line, he was well ahead of all contenders.
The scoreboard flashed his time: 11.00 seconds flat—a new personal best.
Cassian slowed to a stop, heaving for air as he gathered his thoughts. He'd done it. He'd beaten everyone—Darius, everyone—by a lap, at least. The other coaches and spectators looked on in awe, their mouths agape at the display of speed they'd just witnessed.
Then it was the 200-meter sprint. Cassian wasn't competing, but he sat there, his eyes intensely fixed on his teammate Jackson as that athlete prepared to run. The sprinters exploded off the blocks, and Cassian knew immediately that this was going to be a close race. Jackson was actually right behind the lead runner for much of the race. In the final stretch, they pushed with everything they had but narrowly missed first place, capturing a 2nd-place finish.
This was a good result, but still much work to be done. The team still had two races left—the 300-meter and 400-meter sprints.
The next sprinter is Ethan for the 300-meter sprint. Ethan sprinted off strongly, pacing himself well throughout the first half of the race. As they entered the final 100 meters, Ethan started gaining a lot of distance over the others. He powered himself up, leaning into the finish with a last kick for energy. They were in first place.
Thus, the momentum was carried into the final event of the 400-meter sprint, where again, their last team member Ryan, ran a nearly flawless race, combining a steady pace with a strong finish on his way across the finish line at 1st position to score essential points for the team.
Finally, it was relay time—that event that could seal the championship. Cassian would anchor the last and most important leg. The team was optimistic, but the tension began to mount as the race began.
The first two legs of the relay worked just fine, but by the third leg, they got pretty far behind. Their third runner ran really hard, but the spot where Cassian received the baton was a second ahead, which is a huge deficit in a race of that length.
Cassian took a baton in his hands, running with all his might. His legs are burning; his muscles scream in protest, but still, he cannot slow down. He can feel eyes upon him, eyes from his competitors, as well as the eyes of the crowd, watching him as he closes in with every powerful stride.
It was a race against time. Other teams were fast, but Cassian's explosive speed was faster. Fast-twitch muscles fired with every step, their strides long and powerful. At the end, the gap had shrunk to mere milliseconds.
The finish line was in front; one final burst of energy, and Cassian hurled himself forward, crossing everything he'd had to give.
Then, photo finish told the story: They had won by a milliseconds.
The stadium erupted in cheers as the team celebrated over their very hard-fought victory. The teammates surrounded Cassian, and their faces glowed with excitement and pride. They had done it. They made that win all the more impossible against the odds.
His parents hugged him in tight grips after the race, all of their pride and joy written on their faces. "You were amazing out there," his father said, his voice full of admiration.
"We knew you could do it," his mother was quick to add, her eyes shining with happiness.
Cassian smiled, finally looking relieved of the weight of the day. Events of that day were now becoming painfully clear: they won the regional meet, and he achieved a personal best time ever in the 100-meter dash. Perhaps even more important than this, however, was the fact that Cassian had been proven to himself capable of greatness.
-----
Author Note: We will be having multiple time skips in the follow chapters till graduation. It will be the start of his hunter carrier.