THE COLD BREEZE BRUSHED AGAINST KAIRO'S FACE ONE MORNING AS HE JOGGED AROUND THE CAMPUS PARK. It had been his routine to always have his body prepared for any training for days now. He would stretch his arms and legs while basking under the blue hour of the morning and begin his jog around the park.
I need to gain strength for the training, he told himself. They had been exposed to different challenging physical tests- pushing them away from their previous physical conditions. It included the obstacle course that almost killed him the first time he used it. After all, racing was a physically demanding sport.
He made several turns around the huge quadrangle. Sweats rolled down his forehead and neck as he concentrated with the burning sensation over his body. Kairo sat on the unoccupied bench, popped his insulated water bottle and drank. He quenched his thirst, cool water drew down his throat. He let his leg rest for a moment before his next turn.
When he was ready, he placed his wireless earbud. The cold air was softly blown into his skin as he jogged. He was feeling the wind on his face, the music on his ears, and the burning feeling in his body, that he didn't notice someone coming to his way.
Suddenly, their body bumped to one another. "Ouch!" The woman groaned when she hit the sturdy torso of Kairo. To his surprise, it was Smantha. His crew's leader.
"I'm sorry," Kairo apologized.
"Don't you have eyes-" Samantha's eyebrows immediately furrowed when she realized who she bumped with. "Oh no," she frowned. "You again."
"What?" Kairo retorted.
"So, you're here to ruin again my morning?"
Kairo looked at her quizzically. "Excuse me? Ruin your morning... again?" He asked while wiping the sweat on his neck. Samantha's eyes couldn't avoid the well-built physique of the man in front of him. She was so used to see different body built, but his seemed spectacular. She brushed the thought off her mind.
"Stop looking at me," Kairo said.
Samantha scoffed. "What?"
"You're looking at me," the boy repeated.
"No, I'm not!" Well, kinda. "Is there something to look at?"
"I don't know," Kairo's expression became playful. "Is there something to look at?"
Sam waived her hand in front of him. "Back off, new guy. It won't work at me." She rolled her eyes before jogging her way out. Kairo's eyes followed her with a hint of ridiculousness.
That girl's something, he thought.
He made his last laps before going back to his dorm room to prepare for his first class. His roommate was still in no presence. It was fine for him though, he liked to be alone in the room. Cooper and Paul had never gave him silence ever since he met them.
While taking a bath, he would sometimes chuckle remembering his encounter with Samantha earlier. She was hilarious, much to his entertainment. He liked the way she unknowingly amused him.
After taking a bath, he went back to his room to wear their track suit. He kissed his necklace's pendant before hiding it in the suit.
I'm ready.
MURMURS ECHOED ACROSS THE MEETING ROOM. The sounds of the heels of the approaching headmistress halted everyone to their seats. With her assistant android, she entered the room with grace. The attending coaches was waiting for the reason she called for a meeting. Fernando Winston was one of them, sitting in the corner.
"Good morning, coaches," the headmistress greeted. "I will be straight forward. I want you to listen closely. AA-1, please help me with the visual presentation." AA-1 immediately complied. The visual presentation was flashed on the screen behind the headmistress.
"The annual Apex Racing League Series is about to start earlier this year. The ARLS Committee has been preparing for the official schedule, to be released anytime soon," she began. "Therefore, we must start to seek for the perfect team to represent our academy for the first time in this race. Raceworth Academy has been producing skillful racers, so I am confident that we can give a compelling team in that competition as I expect."
The coaches listened to each of her words, each was determined to have their mentoring team to represent the academy. It was what was Fernando had been preparing for.
"A competition to everyone the crew trainee of Raceworth Academy will be held to fairly determine our team. According to our record, we have 30 training crews. All of them will dwell in a race..."
A hand was raised.
"Headmistress, when will this competition start, so that everyone can prepare their crews?" one of the mentors asked.
The inaudible mumbles of the mentors filled the room with curiosity.
"APEX RACING LEAGUE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE THE MOST INNOVATIVE MOTORSPORTS TO BE EVER INTRODUCED. As we all know, beginning to its standard single-seat racing car, in ARLS we have our STRYKER GT. This is a hyper-vehicle only meant for this race." Coach Winston discussed. The trainees were listening to him intently. It was crucial for a racer to understand the nit and grits of their game.
The holographic image of a STRYKER-GT was presented in front of them. With the gesture of Coach Winston's hands, he could move the image to highlight the car's part. "This is the STRYKER GT," he said. "Each team's vehicle should adhere to the standard specifications given by the regulation of ARLS. 3500 pounds. V18 engine. Each of the details of the STRYKER GT's chassis are meant to adapt to the changing condition of the racing circuit."
Kairo couldn't look away to the sleek vehicle projected in front of them. Inspired by the supercars of the previous years- striking and stunning design. It was lightweight for easier maneuver. It had fins to control the aerodynamic of the vehicle.
"Another unique feature of the STRYKER GT is its AI-assistant feature to track the condition of itself, your speed, and the track."
"I can't wait to sit and fly using that car," Kairo excitedly uttered to himself. He started daydreaming about him and his own STRYKER-GT, beating the racers on the track. He would be an unstoppable force.
Coach Winston discussed every feature of the STRYKER-GT. In ARLS, each driver of the team would have their own vehicle to use. As the coach explained, the racer and his car become as one with the wind. They should understand how to control the car, like how a cavalier do to his horse.
"Do you understand?" The coach asked. His trainees could only give a slow nod, mesmerized by the feature of the vehicles.
"Coach, when will we have our own STRYKER?" Cooper asked.
The coach chuckled softly. "It depends. Only an official driver of ARLS has a STRYKER. Therefore, you must do everything to become one!"
Cooper cheered, "Yes, coach!"
"Now, I want to know your current capability as training racers. I would like to know how far can you go. Kairo?" His head titled when he noticed his trainee, Kairo, walking out of the room.
"What?"
"Where are you going?"
Kairo's brows creased. "To the race track? Where else?"
Coach Winston cleared his throat. "I didn't say I'm going to let you use our racing track outside."
"Then, where?" the trainee asked.
Coach Winston brought to the simulation machine of the training room, much to Kairo's dismay. Is he joking?
"Here, Kairo. This is where I'm going to test your current capability," Coach Winston told him. "Each of you will be tested, beginning with you, Kairo."
Kairo smacked his lips. This wasn't the test he thought to be. "Fine," he uttered. "Let's get this over..."
He sat on the simulation machine, facing the screen in front of him. He wore the helmet that instantly brought him in the virtual racing field.
He held the steering wheel. His feet were ready with the throttle and break.
"You'll have to finish a lap. Just bring out the speed that you can do, alright?"
Kairo sighed. "Right."
"Ready, Kairo?"
Kairo didn't respond, he knew he was already. On cue, the countdown appeared.
"3...2...1..."
Go!
He instantly accelerated his virtual car into the track. His heart beat faster as adrenaline began to crawl to his vein. Not bad for a simulation machine, he thought. He maintained his speed and condition as he passed through curved paths.
He thought it would be better if he had an opponent, like Locke last time. Just to warm things up.
He flew as fast as the lightning.
It was quick.
As if he is trying to break the speed of light! Paul exclaimed to himself.
He's a freak! His eyes were observing how Kairo moved himself as he race. He maneuvered like it was nothing but his instinct. He didn't even know how to control the machine, he just let his hands do the work for himself.
In a flash, he reached the finish line.
Kairo Rosales: 210 km/hr
"Not bad," Kairo told himself.