"On your marks."
Ren's spikes dug into the track, his legs tensing as he prepared himself.
The stadium was completely silent, bearing a heavy pressure on the athletes on the track. Millions around the world were watching them.
Ren had long since learned to drown out the influence.
...
"Your heart can't take it Ren."
"I know."
"So why force yourself!? You'll never recover again!"
Ren looked at his friend with a smile. For years, he had been by his side, watching him grow into one of the greatest athletes of the current era.
"This is my last chance. I'll never be in this condition again."
"SO WHAT!? ARE YOU REALLY GONNA RISK YOU LIFE FOR-"
"You don't understand."
Ren shook his head. His friend's words had the best intentions behind.
But this was worth more than that.
"I've made up my mind. I'll be running for sure."
"Then do it without me."
...
"Get set."
Ren focused on the track. Just a singular lane remained in his vision.
One hundred meters.
This was his last chance to become the greatest in the world. He wasnt racing against the seven men beside him, but the ghost of the best to ever do it.
Bang
Ren pushed forward with the most strength he could gather. His body screamed in protest. He had sacrificed a lot to push his body to this condition in a short time.
Faster.
He was accelerating. The exhilaration he felt while moving forward was euphoric.
Forty meters in.
He could feel it. The point at which he was supposed to plateau. Where he would begin to fall behind.
And he ignored it.
Faster. Faster.
His vision tunneled, the stadium faded into a blur. This was the 'Zone'.
No, this was something much deeper than that.
This was his reward for leaving them all behind.
FASTER. FASTER. FASTER.
And then he felt it. His heart lurched, sending a jolt of pain through his entire body.
'Not yet!'
He could see the finish line right in front of him. This was his moment, with no one else to bask in his spotlight.
He forced his legs to move. He struggled to breathe, gasping for air.
FASTER! FASTER! FASTER! FASTER! FASTER!
He threw his chest forward, right into the finish line tape.
9.51
The numbers flashed for the crowd to see.
"LU REN HAS DONE IT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. LU REN HAS BROKEN THE RECORD THAT HAS STOOD FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS!!!!"
The stadium erupted into cheers. This was more than just record-breaking. Ren had practically immortised himself with it.
He tried to celebrate, to wrap his country's flag around his shoulders and run a lap around the stadium.
But he felt nothing anymore. The world tilted, and he fell onto the track.
Ren looked at the sky as he lay on his back. To him, the stadium lights looked like the brightest stars in the night sky.
'This is... it?"
Ren felt his heart beating one last time before falling silent. It was a strange feeling, having everything around him become so sluggish.
'I'm still fast.'
Ren laughed at the notion. The night sky looked brighter than ever, and he even saw a shooting star.
'Perhaps in the next life, I can race along the stars...'
He reached out a hand before it quickly dropped.
At age 22, Lu Ren had become the fastest man in the world.