The digital sky above the arena reflected a false twilight. Floating platforms rotated slowly over laser fields and mechanical towers. Artificial watchtowers spun, scanning the participants.
It was the setting for the first stage of the Draft:Lightning Run.
Teams were gathered in separate areas. Red lights blinked on the launch pads. The tension could be cut with a dagger.
Ryan joined his teammates.
Kane was leaning against a railing, arms crossed, visibly impatient. Annie, on the other hand, fell speechless the moment she saw Ryan approaching.
He wore his black and dark-blue uniform. The metallic lines reflected the arena lights like a silent thunderbolt.
— "Wow..." — Annie whispered.
— "W-what?" — Ryan asked, adjusting his scarf nervously.
— "That uniform looks amazing on you," — she said with a smile. — "Seriously, you look like a real hero."
Ryan blushed.
— "Thanks... my mom made it for me."
Kane rolled his eyes.
— "Touching."
Ryan tried to stay calm, but replied:
— "Let's just focus on the race, alright?"
The robotic voice announced:
"FIRST STAGE OF THE DRAFT: LIGHTNING RUN. STARTING IN 3… 2… 1…"
BOOOOM!!!
The platform dropped.
Teams were launched into the floating arena, where ramps moved at high speeds, lasers crossed the air, and gunner bots waited at the edges.
Team 3 charged forward.
Annie created a light barrier to clear the path, while Ryan ran alongside her, leaping precisely between crumbling platforms.Kane, however, ignored them completely and dashed off in another direction.
— "Kane!" — Ryan shouted. — "Go that way, the platform's unstable here!"
— "I don't need orders from someone without an aura," — Kane snapped, veering off solo.
BOOM!
A bot fired, and the blast sent him tumbling across the platform. He got up, irritated and grumbling. Annie rushed to his side, Ryan following.
— "Are you okay?" — she asked.
— "I'm fine," — Kane grunted, brushing off her hand. — "I just misjudged the timing, that's all."
Ryan looked at the floating holographic scoreboard:Team 3 was in last place.
Dead last.
At the end of the first zone, the three regrouped near a transition point.Mechanical drones hovered nearby, scanning the teams to calculate time, performance, and synergy.
Annie took a deep breath and let it all out:
— "Okay, enough. If we want any chance in this Draft, we need to act like a team. This isn't an ego contest."
— "Tell that to him," — Kane said, jerking his thumb at Ryan.
— "I'm trying to help!" — Ryan replied firmly. — "I don't want to be the leader, but if you keep ignoring us,we'll fail together!"
Kane clenched his teeth.
Annie stepped between them, looking at both:
— "We don't have to like each other...but we do need to trust each other to do our part.Can we do that?"
Ryan nodded immediately.
Kane, after a brief hesitation, looked at the scoreboard.Last place.
He shut his eyes, sighed… and said:
— "Fine. But don't get in my way."
Annie smiled. Ryan, too.
— "Deal."
The second stretch of the run was about to begin.More traps. More obstacles. More chances to fall forever into a simulated abyss.
But now... Team 3 was in sync.
And behind the scenes, Lorien and Darius were watching closely.
— "That kid… Ryan," — Darius said. — "He's got no aura, but… there's something special about him, huh?"
Lorien smiled, his Seraphim Eyes briefly glowing.
— "He has more than aura, Darius…He has the soul of a hero."