They were left with the last event of the national competition: the relay race. Cassian and his teammates only waited on the sidelines for the last push of the day. They could feel the intense energy brewing in the crowd at the announcement of the final race. Every school had also come with their best athletes, and the stakes were therefore higher than ever. A first-place finish here was going to be the only way to secure the national title.
They all huddled together. Coach gave them a few final words. "This is it, boys. Show everyone here what you are made of and leave it all on the track."
Cassian nodded to his teammates—Jackson, Ethan, and Ryan—knowing they would give it their all. They lined up, the order set: Jackson would start; next would be Ethan, then Ryan and Cassian as the anchor.
"Ready?" said the operator as he pointed the gun in the air. "On your marks."
Silence over the stadium as the anticipation hung thickly in the air
"Set"
As the participants coil their bodies, each muscle is tense and ready.
BANG!
Off they went. Jackson surged forward into explosive speed. He kept up close with the front runners even at the first curve. Approaching the handoff zone, Jackson was only milliseconds behind the frontline runner. He handed off cleanly to Ethan and kept their momentum going, but the frontline had gained a slight edge.
Ethan pushed hard, going long and powerful strides around the curve. His concentration was unwavering, intent on closing the gap, but the lead team would not relent; their second runner expertly held his position, and by the time Ethan handed over the baton to Ryan, they were behind by nearly a second.
Ryan took the baton, and he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The distance was swallowed by his long, strong legs, shaving some milliseconds from their disadvantage. The crowd cheered as he closed up to them, making them decrease the deficit even more. When he came next to Cassian, though, they were over a second behind.
As Cassian took the baton, the weight of race felt in his hands just took off at the precise moment that Ryan's touch touched him; from that very instant, Cassian ran through the gates into his stride without constraint. The stadium dropped from his view; it was only him, the track, and the runner ahead of him. Impossible speed—Cassian; every step his fast-twitch muscles propel him.
The gap closed, but the anchor of the lead group held on tight. Cassian dug deep, giving every last bit of energy he had left. They ran onto the line; the distance was closing with each stride, but as he lunged forward for the line, it wasn't quite enough.
The times went up on the board. They had lost by 1.36 seconds.
Silence surrounded Cassian and his boys as they digested the outcome of the race. They left everything inside for them, but they were second placed overall. A regret overshadowed all other feelings. But as they composed themselves, Coach brought them close to himself and looked at them with pride.
"Keep your heads held high. You have done more than just race; you have shown what true hard work and resilience look like. Your guys are the real champion in my eyes."
As the team finished their last huddle, they went to their parents.
His parents sat in the stands, beaming with pride. His father reached out to clap a hand across his shoulder. "Second place in the nationals, Cass. Not many people can say that."
His mother hugged him hard, her smile warm. "You ran beautifully. We're so proud of you."
As they gave him a huge, "Thank you" Cassian whispered.
To which his parents smiled and huge him tighter
After a few minutes it was time to collect their award, as the team stands on the podium second in position, pride fills their chest. For they hadn't won it, but they sure were close to winning it.
As they say winning and losing isn't everything, sometimes the journey is just as important as the outcome.
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Author note: I will be doing a time skip for the following chapters up until he graduated and it will be the start of his hunting carrier. Also do recommend a weapon. I was thinking a rapier or spear.