An out-of-setting squirrel flinched when Vin dropped his longboard onto its wheels.

With one monumental step, he landed his left foot on the deck. He looked down anxiously at the object as if it could resist his authority.

He was just outside the dorm, determined to skate to the race location, nearly a mile off campus.

"Why am I so nervous? I've done this a million times."

Despite his history, pebble-sized traces of doubt huddled to intimidate him. He worried anything could go wrong the moment he attempted to skate, that he'd somehow be incapable.

A reasonable doubt. One that deserved a dedicated moment of thought. Only Miyo found it undeserving of its masters' time.

The flaming bird, pure black and tinted purple to match its owner's taste, had flown down. It landed on the nose of the board and fluttered its wings in haste.

"You're right..." Vin mumbled. "I was the one that told Soap that you never forget your first love."

Vin sunk his body's weight onto his left foot, then with his right, he pressed off the ground. Every wheel below him animated, rolling rhythmically upon his reign.

His right foot made camp on the rear trucks, and he sailed slothfully across the concrete floor. Vin had nailed his sight to his board to confirm his feet were perfectly positioned. When he leaned left or rightward, the manual vehicle adjusted course, just as designed.

Earth's brilliant sun was crowded by flocked clouds, and deft gust graced Vin's skin. It was a beautiful day, one that glowed a spiritual yellow and encouraged the plants and himself to prosper.

After another push, they accelerated, and Miyo unfurled its wings to seize the current. They were only inches off the ground, yet Vin believed everything appeared different on a board. Somehow more, within reach.

Vin shut his eyes, and his head arched back. He missed the surreal motion and sound of rolling wheels. He never even knew it was lost while asleep, but the real deal was incomparative to the recollection of his dream.

"This feeling."

"I understand why I didn't wake up after the fall."

"The me back then would have rather died than live without this sensation."

Subsequent to another kick, Vin reopened his eyes, and he exhaled. "Miyo," he called. The bird rotated its head in receipt, then Vin smiled. "Aren't you happy to be alive?"

Speechless, the summon joyfully flexed its wings like a bodybuilder. Then, the two continued toward a new page in their journey.

<>

Season's island's midland maintained a proportional temperature. Mornings were cool, but warmth rolled in with the day. Because of this, the center of the land was where significant sites were established.

Not far from the university was a renowned stadium that hosted various SFX events. A suitable location for a race.

Mhm. Suitable. The course started OUTSIDE the stadium and would run in the OPPOSITE direction of the arena.

Why not.

Vin was the last to pull up. The four he'd met previously were huddled, and the student named Crow waved him over.

They were all confident in poise except Adele, who appeared just as perturbed. Her long honey-toned hair was lazily braided, and she opted-in for running shorts for the event.

Some yards away was a second company. The most prominent was a bulky student near the same height and age as Vin. Fit into the standard uniform, he didn't wear a tie, but the yellow sole of his dusty white shows revealed his alliance. The man tugged his white bucket hat and rudely voiced, "you really invited a day-one?"

Crow crossed his arms and grinned. "Don't underestimate my friend just because he's new. You're in for a big surprise!"

Beside the stocky male, a female student in skin-tight, white and yellow track pants snarled. Shoulder height to her teammate and slender with a sunken mug that implied that she missed her expensive black coffee that morning. "Crow, stop talking like that; it's gross."

She tightened the yellow ribbon that composed her dark hair and turned her irked face to Vin. "You entered as Vin Dance, right? Well, you should be aware that your team is u-"

"Mind your own business!" Roared Tony. Upon his interruption, the female student shook her head and adverted. At the same time, one of her companions scowled in repugnance. "Fray, don't bother trying to help those lizards."

A girl's thin arm shot outward next to Vin, and the student with oversized hoop earrings readily rebutted. "Go fuck yourself, petty little cub."

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Crow shoulder-tapped his associate, and the woman grinned contently after seeing the opposing team withdraw without a comeback. "Let's all calm down," he suggested.

Vin began recollecting his own bad boy phase and how often he swore and got into fights. Fortunately, he'd just come to race, and all the drama was beneath him; he'd become a level-headed adult with prope-

"Pretty bold showing off that hideous summon before the race."

A reasonable distance had been put between the Lion faction and the Dragons, but he heard them. Vin, being the mature spirit he is, didn't get angry.

No. Not at all. He politely asked for a moment, and Crow agreed to postpone their strategy meeting so Vin could deviate to a nearby drink dispenser.

He tapped his phone against a scanner and selected a cold beverage, which was released from the machine. Vin quietly returned to his group, and Crow initiated his discussion.

As he spoke, Vin pulled the tap on the soda, took a sip to cool himself, and dismissed a relaxed 'ah.'

"That's pretty good," he uttered.

Following his single gulp, Vin eyeballed the group across the way. He blinked, hauled his arm back, burped, then launched the drink over the span.

While mid-air, it spilled sticky nectar onto everything below. It quickly entered the proximity of the opposing party before slamming into the hard ground and bursting.

The students were undoubtedly splashed with the carbonated liquid but were surprisingly subdued. Although they were hushed, their synchronous, brutal glares spoke mountains of their temper.

Tony and the bad-mouthed female busted into laughter and honored Vin. "Yep, you're a Dragon, alright! You fit right in."

"Serves em right, always pretending to be all proper and superior."

Vin appeared curious about what they meant, so Crow explained. Evidently, scouts analyzed athletes on more than just a physical scale. Students were assigned to the appropriate faction based on their style, background, and interactions.

Dragons were usually rough around the edges and expressive; they'd gained an unfavorable reputation from their howdy lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Lions tried to embody majestic strength and won or lost with dignity. Lastly, sharks were said to be more hard-driven and stubborn than either faction.

Vin became slightly annoyed that he was likely sorted based on his father's personality. "A chip off the ol block," they probably assumed.

Crow bent over and stretched for his toes, still explaining the university circumstances. "Last year, the Lion faction annihilated us in skate, so we're still a little heartbroken."

"Ugh, don't remind me," remarked Tony, tensing his arms behind his back.

Crow chuckled playfully and redirected. "So, the summary of our plan."

"We'll ride together, so Vin, just worry about keeping up with us."

"Big guy in the hat is Micky, their main defense. The girl there with the yellow ribbon is named Fray; she's a well-known ranker in our school's league."

"Ranker?" Vin questioned. Also omitted from his dream, Crow explained that it was a term used for the top 40 skaters of the two thousand enrolled.

"The issue is that Fray has a technique called 'weakest link' that'll insta-kill whoever is in last place."

"My crew has a plan to counter it, So Vin, you ride up front where it's safe. Kay?"

Vin nodded in agreeance but internally shrieked. "I hate the special treatment, but it's true; I don't have experience with whatever skill she employs."

After their conferences, both teams met up, and the organizer sent a confirmation to begin. Vin's phone dinged and initiated a countdown until 'stage set.'

He didn't have to ponder on its meaning because seconds later, a whirling sound emitted from the roof of a nearby building.

A drone took off and hovered directly over the group. Approximately the size of an oven, it resembled, well, exactly what everyone imagines a drone to look like.

A giant lens activated, and the machine gained a grainy woman's voice that projected over the entire region. "Activating field. Randomly Generated Track #10023."

Further out, Vin could see another machine lift from a building and illuminate. He assumed they were just cameras; however, the device shinned a spotlight down like a helicopter searching for a suspect. The lamp was anchored on another building, but it didn't shine. Quite the opposite, it darkened.

A modern glass structure with a triangular roof and a large company sign. That's what it was, yet the area swathed with the drone's rays was shifted and morphed into something entirely different.

The drone flew higher, and when it did, more of the area became engulfed by the spotlight. Vin looked curiously until his phone beckoned his attention, and he read the provided description.

Random Generated Track#10023

Description:

An impoverished medieval town in which the hero failed, and the demon king enslaved the humans.

Difficulty:

6/10

Vin read until, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed the day was slaughtered. His cherished sun was null, and a bleak overhead moon occupied a star-cluttered space.

The clear portraits of his temporary allies became dim, and little light developed the stage. Vin's bottom lip sunk in wonder, and he peered in every direction at the unrecognizable medieval town.

Creaky, untended wooden buildings were lit by torches and replaced anything of modernization. Trash littered the streets, and massive beams of fire steadily blasted toward the black sky in the distance.

Vin was partially amazed but also disturbed. Alarmed that technology had advanced so fast in the years that he'd slept. Drones could produce holograms and effects at a scale that miles of a city could be overridden. It was bonkers.

A chuckle grabbed Vin from his stupefaction, and Crow mumbled. "I was also wowed my first time seeing it. To think some intellectuals in a lab could create all this."

"Yea, it's remarkable," breathed Vin. "I could stare at the sky forever."

"You do that. In the meantime, the rest of us have a race to run," said one of the opposing students. They lined up alongside their other team members, then set one foot on their skateboard.

"Nah, Let's get going," retorted Vin, un-summoning Miyo to have a fair start, then joining the race line.