THE SURROUNDING HAD BEEN FILLED WITH ROARS OF THE AUDIENCE. They were cheering for their bets tonight. One of them was Kairo Rosales who heaved a sigh as he waited for the signal to be waved.
In front of them was a lady, wearing a crop-top shirt and low waist jeans, who was holding the white flag. Once she drew the flag, the racers would immediately have their cars flying across the sleeping road of route 18.
"Go, Xross!"
"Let's do it, Kairo! I got my money on ya, brotha!"
Kairo glanced at the Mulsanne right next to him. There was Xross Meynard, his foe for tonight's race. This freak was known to be a reckless driver. It was evident to his ruggish look—like a bulldozer always ready to crush anything down.
Their eyes met for a moment. Xross gave him a grin, as if telling Kairo was going to be a sad loser. Kairo concentrated his focus on the race instead.
I need to win the race, he thought. It was because of the winner's prize: half a million cash. Tonight's bettors were probably crazy-ass rich. A huge amount of money he couldn't afford to lose over the guy next to his car. He had already darted himself to that big cash. It's mine, only mine.
"Ready?" The announcer asked, making another wave of the audience's roar. The noise this time was louder. There were ladies roaming around them, collecting their bets in a glass bowl.
"Let the race be commenced, at the count of three!"
The vehicles' engines awakened. Vroom! Vroom!
Kairo had himself prepared and composed—only looking at tonight's objective: win and steal that money away. He was driving an Aston Martin Vanquish he would call, Aston.
He gained this sickening car as a reward from his previous race—which where he used his Uncle Stewart's old raptor.
They started counting down, and so the thrilling air succumbed to the area. Hands on the steering wheel and on the gear shift.
Any moment now...
Three.
Two
One.
"GO!" The lady drew the flag, commencing the beginning of the race. Racers stepped on their pedals and off they went to speed down the road. The sounds of their engines were like the roars of the lion having a competition over a piece of delicious meat.
Kairo could feel the harsh wind through his open window. It added incitement to his system.
"Too slow, Kairo!" Xross appeared by his him and his Aston. He steered his car to crash with Kairo's.
"Curses!" How dare him to do that?! That darn piece of cow had no idea how to repair the slightest dent on Aston's body!
Xross chuckled over his wicked plan of damaging his enemy's care. When he was done, he had his Mulsanne flying away from the crime.
"You'll not get away from this," I hissed, speeding his way. Inside his mind, he was already crushing Xross into pieces.
Kairo made a smooth drift to change the trajectory of Aston into a detour. He stepped on his pedal to increase his speed. Along with him was the line of competing vehicles.
He entered a dark tunnel where he saw Xross in his speeding Mulsanne. Teeth gritting, he reached for his enemy. Before Xross could notice, Aston crashed against his Mulsanne- repeatedly!
Kairo knocked Xross' Mulsanne not just once, but twice!
"The heck, Kairo!" He heard Xross shouted. All that guy needed was a taste of his own medicine, wasn't it?
He made sure that Mulsanne would have all the scratches and dents as possible. Xross would be nothing without his precious thing.
When he was satisfied with the damage, he left Xross and his injured Mulsanne as he flew away.
As he exited the long dark tunnel, his eyes could see the shining finish line from afar. No car was still following him, not even Xross. He continued dashing toward his destination—ready to claim yet another prize.
Kairo could hear the loud cheers of the crowd, especially his bettors.
Here I come!
A few meters from the finish line, he noticed something... went wrong. The crowd, that was supposed to witness his another victory, was running away. On his side mirror, a police car appeared to chase him. Their sirens were blasting, awakening the nearest neighborhood—it was past midnight!
"Whoever is inside this car, we recommend you to stop over for your safety," The policeman told him over a megaphone. The blaring noise of their car was a nuisance to Kairo's focus.
As if.
Instead of coming straight to the finish line, Kairo unhesitatingly changed his route to escape the police. No way!
He could not afford to spend another night in the detention center. Kairo made sure to have a long distance. He rerouted several paths to lose them.
Kairo heaved a heavy sigh as a sign of relief as the presence of his chasers finally vanished—he might have lost them through entering different road alleys.
"Too close," he told himself as his forehead and neck pespired.
He was about to hit the break when he spotted another 3 police vehicles from afar waiting for him.
Dang it!
He, without a second thought, swerved his car to the left— entering a dark forest. Kairo checked his side mirror— now policemen on motorcycles were chasing him.
"What the..."
"Whoever is driving this car, we command you to stop right now!" They commanded once more, but Kairo was known to be a hard-headed man. He followed no commands.
I will never forfeit.
Kairo kept on driving, and driving, and driving ever-so fast. His track was dangerous as tall sturdy trees kept on appearing before him.
Bullets were in the air as his warning.
Trying to scare me, huh?
He pressed his pedal harder to make him almost feel like being sucked in at light speed.
More.
Faster!
"Damn it, they aren't letting me escape," he hissed as he struggled on avoiding the trees. Aston didn't manage to dodge the sharp branches scratching its skin.
He checked Aston's speedometer. He was now low on gas! He didn't mind it— as long as he could escape away from the policemen chasing him.
A loud curse escaped out of his mouth when suddenly, his car was out of control!
"No! No!" He held his steering wheel and gear shift to control its sudden aggressiveness, but he failed miserably. Even punching his steering wheel would not do anything. Aston's pedals were also not functioning!
Not now, Aston! Not now!
Multiple gunshots echoed across the once silent forest of Skyreign because of this mouse and cats chasing inside it. The mouse seemed to be brisk.
Now Aston was moving on its own. It veered violently, and made its driver smack his head against a hard surface.
"Oh no—!" It was too late for Kairo when his Aston crashed into a huge three. A painful groaned came out of his mouth when his once again bashed against his steering wheel, making him feel dizzy and vision circling.
"I'm doomed," the last word he omitted before losing his consciousness.
Darkness enveloped him.
KAIRO WOKE UP INSIDE A FAMILIAR PLACE. He tried to stand up, but a sharp pain hit him like lightning.
"Ah!" He groaned. He could feel the bruises and wounds all over his body.
The scent of the antiseptic gave him an idea of where he was right now.
Memories of what happened earlier struck his mind. Street racing. Running away from those persistent authorities. My Aston crashed into a tree.
His last statement added salt to his wounds.
"Now, I am going to have it repaired... again!" His complaint. Preparing an Aston Martin would take a lot of time— and money. To calm himself, he wandered his eyes around a small area surrounded by green thick curtains.
Skyreign General Hospital. He was so used to this place. Being delivered here after gaining injury in a race—something considered inevitable in such a field. I need the money so that I don't have to depend on Aunt Isabella and Uncle Stewart.
He had no parents. They both died in an arson when he was young. He witnessed them burned inside their house. Aunt Isabella and her husband, Uncle Stewart took care of him.
They treat me like their own son.
But he knew it was not for the long run. He had to have his hustle. When he turned 18, he decided to finally be independent. He tried to survive on his own— indulging in his solitude. He took jobs for his bills: rent, school, and others.
Everything was good and fine at first, but then the restaurant owner where I was working fired me due to his what he called, "lack of alertness." Whatever that was.
One evening, Kairo accidentally gave the wrong order to a customer, which ended up in a ruckus that disturbed everyone in the restaurant.
He made his attempts seeking another decent job, but he still ended up doing races. What started as a bet using his Uncle Stewart's old car led to another.
The prizes were always whopping high! It depended on the bettors, but it never went down below. Kairo thought it was enough for his surival. Actually, more than enough.
The race became his life. It must have probably been rooted from his childhood dream to become a racer someday. A dream that never died within his heart and soul.
Maybe because it runs through my blood?
He was in the middle of his reverie when the green curtain was slide open. Kairo expected it to be either of his aunt and uncle, but an unfamiliar middle aged man appeared before him.
Kairo's eyes burrowed. The man had silver hair and beard. He smiled at Kairo who was completely confused.
"Nice to finally meet you, Kairo Rosales. I've been meaning to meet you face-to-face," the middle aged man greeted.
"Who are you?" Kairo was quick to ask. He hated strange people who he hadn't met before, like this one in front of him.
The middle aged man smiled. "I know your father, Kairo. We were once in a team. Call me, Winston. Less oldie to hear than my last name Fernando, right?"
Kairo scoffed. He had no time for such jocular stunt. "If you're a scammer, I don't have any money. I'm about to get arrested." He should not forget about what he had done on the road earlier. It was a complete disaster. Kairo knew the authority would not let him escape the law anymore.
"Don't mind your criminal record," the middle aged man, who introduced himself as Winston, laughed. He put his hands in his jean's pocket. "Though, there should be a penalty for you."
"Please get out, sir." This was too much for Kairo now. He needed no clown tonight, especially with his throbbing bruises.
"Well, I can leave now and let you sleep in jail, or give you another chance....a once in a lifetime chance!" he said misteriously.
Seriously, I've had enough of this old man, Kairo mentally rolled his eyes. He wanted to have his final rest on a soft mattress as he was about to spend a year or two sleeping on a hard surfaced bunker.
"And what's that? A trip to a magical world full of endless childhood?" He blabbered.
Winston's face suddenly became serious. It didn't affect Kairo. "Your father had a dream, a dream both of you share," he said. "I've been observing you from a distance. Every street race I was there to watch you compete. And I know, your heart beats for the speedway."
"Now, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Your father, Kiro, before he died, he made your future ready— just waiting for you to unravel it. An opportunity."
That caught Kairo's attention, especially that his father was mentioned. "Opportunity."
"Yes. An opportunity." Winston pulled out his bifold wallet and took a folded envelope. He threw it in Kairo. Kairo quizzically looked at it.
"What's this?"
Winston grinned, "Open it."
Questions filled Kairo's mind. First of all, I don't know who this Winston is. Second of all, I don't know if he's scamming me or—
He opened the envelope to check what was inside. To his surprise, it was a letter! A letter from an academy... for racers!
Is this real?
Winston laughed hilariously at Kairo's widened eyes. "Told ya, son! An opportunity!"
———
Trainee Invitation Letter
Dear, Kairo Rosales:
We are thrilled to inform you that you have been selected to become one of our trainees at Raceworth Academy— a motorsport training and education institution meant for aspiring racers.
We acknowledge your skills and talents that earned you a rightful spot to become our trainee. As an official trainee, you are about to undergo training and educational programs to hold your developing skills, such as: high-speed driving, strategic planning, vehicle handling, understanding of physics and aerodynamics of motorsports, handling racecraft, professional conduct on and off the track, and others.
———
Of course, Kairo knew what Raceworth Academy was! It was a highly prestigious racing academy in the country! It catered the best racers to ever compete inside and outside the country.
And he was about to become one of their trainees. This is crazy! It's insane.
He was exploding inside with his heart beating, but he managed to compose himself. "Is this real?"
"Real, real, son! Just like your father, you are also going to be a racing monster!" Winston's voice jolted as his eyes exploded fireworks. He cleared his throat to retrieve his posture. "Oh well, it's up for you though. As I said, you can just let the opportunity slip away, and you sleep in prison or—"
"I'm in," Kairo was quick to answer. He could almost palpitate with the strong beatings of his pulses. He never felt alive like this before.
"Traine me in that academy. Make me a racer," his voice was so determined.
Winston could punch the sky. His already grinning face was widened. "Well then, son. Prepare as I'll be your guide in following your father's steps.