Zein's Point of View
I bit my lip as I watched the clock. The room was filled with the sound of students listening to the lecture, but I was focused only on the passing seconds.
"Are you going somewhere?" Cedric whispered from the next seat.
I shook my head and leaned back, trying to steady my breathing. I had to be there. I had to see it. I could feel Cedric's gaze on me, even though I refused to look back. Suddenly, he sighed and stood up, drawing everyone's attention.
"Yes, Mr. Lee?" the professor asked.
"Uhmm... We have an emergency meeting. Can you excuse us?" Cedric said smoothly.
I frowned. An emergency meeting? The professor nodded, and Cedric motioned for me to follow. I didn't hesitate. Once we were outside, he turned to me.
"I made an excuse for us so I could come with you."
I was speechless. He helped me, but I knew there was a price for his sudden kindness. I checked my phone—only a few hours left. Ace was already out of his classes, but Cedric and I shared this last subject.
"Fine," I conceded.
We hurried to the parking lot. I hopped into the car Ace had lent me—the one he insists is "ours" because everything he owns belongs to me.
"It's not obvious you're happy I'm here, huh?" Cedric teased as I started the engine.
"Shut up," I said firmly.
I accelerated, racing against the fading light. We were heading to the arena, but the distance felt immense.
"Turn here," Cedric ordered suddenly, looking in the side mirror.
"What? I don't have time for games, Cedric."
"Oh, shit! Come on, Zein! Just this once—fuck, please!"
His swearing startled me into turning. I looked in the mirror and saw a car tailing us so closely it looked like it was going to hit our bumper.
"I'll drive," Cedric said, already unbuckling.
"Wait—"
"Just move! "
I scrambled into the passenger seat. "Seat belt," he commanded. I obeyed instantly. I had to trust him. He floored it. The speed was terrifying—I saw the sea at the far end of the road and realized if he didn't turn, we were dead.
"Hold on... this will be the most exciting part of this chasing game."
He suddenly let go of the steering wheel and covered my eyes with his hand. Darkness. I braced for impact, but it never came. When he finally uncovered my eyes, he was driving gently, whistling as if nothing had happened.
"What was that? Were they after us?" I gasped.
"You sure have a creepy stalker, huh?" He laughed, dodging the question. "Now, where are we going?"
I gave him the coordinates, annoyed but relieved.
By the time we arrived at the arena, the crowd was massive.
"I haven't been here in a while," Cedric whispered.
"You've been here before?"
He didn't answer. He pulled me toward the entrance where I saw Ace waiting. His forehead was furrowed, the wind tossing his hair.
"Hey," I greeted.
"Why are you with him?" Ace asked immediately, his eyes burning with jealousy.
"I helped her get here," Cedric said, hands in his pockets.
"Come on, let's get in line," I said, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Wait," Cedric stopped us, looking at the long queue. "I hate waiting. Ace, can you fly? Teleport?"
Ace glared. "You love fantasy, dude."
Cedric laughed and walked up to the guards. He showed an I.D. and shook hands. They smiled and waved us through.
"Since when have we been subservient to that man?" Ace whispered as he put his arm around me.
"Do you have a better way? Can you teleport?" I teased.
"You're not funny, darling."
We found seats near the front. The starting line was a chaotic scene of high-octane engines and screaming fans. I immediately spotted Ate Allison and Raze near their cars, looking like they were in the middle of a heated argument. We approached them.
"Darling, you came for me—" Raze started.
"Shut up," Ace cut his brother off.
Ate Allison was focused on her car. "Did you sleep?" she asked without looking at me. "Maybe you prayed all night that I would lose."
"How did you know?" I shot back.
"I'm your sister," she said, leaning against her car. She was driving car number nine. Raze was next to her in car number ten.
The announcement blared that the race was about to start. Ace sat on my left, Cedric on my right. Giant monitors showed the track and choppers hovered overhead. But the camera focused on one man in particular—the crowd favorite with silver teeth.
"Before we start, we want to acknowledge the presence of the 2012 Race to Death Champion, Mr. Cedric Lee," the announcer boomed.
I froze. I looked at Cedric, who was smiling beside me.
"I'm not jealous, Zein," Ace whispered in my ear.
"Why would you be?"
"Even if you stare at him while I stare at you? I won't be jealous," he said, dripping with sarcasm. I leaned on his shoulder, watching the screen.
The race began. Ate Allison's car didn't move. She was frantically trying to start the engine. The crowd laughed.
"Just remove the pin," Cedric whispered.
On the screen, Ate Allison found a small pin jammed into the mechanism. "They still play dirty," Cedric noted. She pulled it out and tore off after the pack.
The race was a blur of speed. Ate and Raze eventually caught up to the leaders. It was the final lap.
"This is the real battle," Cedric said.
The man in the lead dropped something—a spike that hit Ate's tire, causing her car to swerve dangerously.
"That's cheating!" I shouted.
"They don't care," Ace said, pulling me back into my seat. "This is how they play. If you're weak, you lose."
I watched in horror as the leader pulled out a gun and began firing.
"Raze! Ate! Fuck this game!" I screamed.
Ace and Cedric actually laughed at my outburst. Suddenly, Ate and Raze switched places in their car while it was still moving. Ate took the wheel while Raze stood up, pulling a knife from his pocket—the legendary knife of the leader of the Devil God Warriors.
The knife blocked the bullets. Raze was a master of the blade, his movements fluid and precise. As they neared the finish line, the leader shot Raze's tire. The car began to wobble. Raze threw his knife. It hit the leader's engine, killing it instantly.
But Ate's tire was flat. She wouldn't make the line—until she accelerated and flipped the car onto two wheels. The crowd went silent. They crossed the finish line in a spectacular, gravity-defying display.
The arena erupted. We ran down to meet them.
"What if I fell? My face is my fortune!" Raze was shouting.
"Your face has been a disaster for a long time," Ate retorted.
Despite their performance, the "arrogant man" was declared the winner because Ate and Raze's stunt was deemed forbidden by the dirty rules of the arena.
As we headed to the parking lot, Ate stopped and faced Raze. "You shouldn't have done that."
"Done what?"
"I only accepted the ride because I wanted to knock that cheater out," Ate said.
"So, did I hurt your pride?" Raze asked with a grin.
Ate paused, then looked at him. "Well, I'll accept it. Even if it's vague. You won this game, Raze. That cheater wasn't the winner. It's you. Congrats, baby."