Spellstriker was very...hectic.
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Victorum played every other team and absolutely obliterated them. Like it was bad, and I thought it would be Victorum and Bellum in the final but Mors was really good, so now it's them in the final against us.
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To explain the rules and the game: teams compete in a magical obstacle course filled with enchanted barriers, moving platforms, and mythical creatures guarding specific checkpoints.
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Players score points by casting spells to overcome obstacles, charm creatures, or solve puzzles. At a random point a "wild spell" is unleashed every so often, which randomly changes the rules of the course or modifies players' abilities. Speed, flight, strength, invisibility etc. Some kid sitting next to me explained all of this.
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Right now the air was alive with magic. Sat high in the bleachers, my knees tucked up to my chest as I watched the players of Mors and Victorum prepare for the final round of Spellstriker.
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The arena below was a swirling tapestry of enchantment a massive obstacle course full of glowing platforms, floating bridges, and shimmering barriers. Creatures prowled between the checkpoints. The roar of the crowd surged around me, a wall of sound that made the air hum.
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Victorum, had clawed its way to the finals, but Mors was our toughest rival in this area. Their players were sharp, slippery, and just a little ruthless. Victorum was all about bold moves, charging ahead like the lions that symbolized our house. The two teams couldn't be more different, and the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.
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From the announcer's booth, Professor Caeline's voice boomed, "Welcome to the final match of this year's Spellstriker Championship!" A chorus of cheers erupted, almost drowning him out. "Today, the house of Victorum faces the house of Mors in the most treacherous course yet. Players, take your positions!"
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I leaned forward, resting my arms on the railing in front of me. My fingers drummed nervously. Below, the players assembled at the starting line. Victorum's Spellstriker captain, Iris, who I only saw now, stood tall and proud, her golden hair catching the sunlight. Behind her, the rest of the team adjusted their gear—enchanted wands, spell-bound amulets, and shimmering boots designed to grip the floating platforms.
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The Mors team looked just as ready, though their purple and white uniforms and sleek, almost predatory movements made them seem like shadows in motion. Their captain, Felix, gave a lazy smirk, spinning his wand between his fingers like it was a toy.
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The whistle blew, sharp and clear, and the game began.
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I couldn't help but hold my breath as both teams surged forward, charging toward the first obstacle, a wall of moving platforms that slid and rotated unpredictably. Spells flew across the air like streaks of lightning. Victorum's players casting levitation charms to float across gaps, while Mors used a clever mix of binding spells and shadow magic to anchor their footing.
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Iris led the charge for Victorum, her wand flashing as she conjured a brilliant golden bridge to close a gap in the platforms. Behind her, the rest of the team followed, moving with the kind of coordination that only came from weeks of practice. Mors wasn't far behind, their movements less flashy but just as effective.
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"Watch out!" someone near me shouted, and I flinched as a massive gryphon swooped into the course. It was guarding the next checkpoint, its wings stirring up whirlwinds that sent players stumbling. Mors was the first to react, their captain casting a charm that sent a glowing orb of light spiraling toward the gryphon. The creature hesitated, momentarily distracted, but Victorum wasn't about to be outdone.
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Iris stepped forward, her voice ringing out in a command spell that made the gryphon pause mid-flight. It tilted its head, as if considering her words, before lowering itself to the ground. Victorum passed the checkpoint, earning a chorus of cheers from our side of the stands.
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But then, the arena shifted.
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A sudden pulse of magic rippled through the air, and the crowd gasped as the course began to transform. This was the "wild spell," the unpredictable twist that could change everything. Platforms shifted positions, creatures swapped places, and the entire layout of the course seemed to fold in on itself before snapping back into something completely different.
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"What now?" I muttered under my breath.
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The next obstacle appeared, a shimmering maze of glass walls that seemed to stretch endlessly. Each wall reflected distorted images of the players, creating dozens of illusions that made it impossible to tell who was where.
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Mors took the lead here, their players using shadow magic to blend into the reflections and move unnoticed. Victorum struggled at first, their bright, bold magic clashing with the maze's tricks, but Iris quickly adjusted. She raised her wand, casting a spell that sent a ripple through the maze, shattering some of the illusions. Slowly but surely, Victorum began to catch up.
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The final checkpoint loomed ahead, guarded by a massive serpent with scales that shimmered like liquid metal. It coiled around the golden orb that marked victory, its eyes glowing with an eerie light.
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"Shit," I whispered, gripping the railing so hard my knuckles turned pale.
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Mors and Victorum reached the serpent at almost the same time. Spells flew in every direction, blasts of fire, tendrils of shadow, beams of light. The serpent hissed, its massive body twisting and striking at anything that moved. Iris and Felix both stepped forward, their wands raised as they faced the creature head-on.
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For a moment, the chaos seemed to pause, and the two captains locked eyes. Then, as if by unspoken agreement, they both cast their spells at the same time.
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I couldn't see exactly what happened next, there was a blinding flash of light, and the serpent let out a deafening roar. When the light faded, both teams were sprawled on the ground, the golden orb rolling freely across the course.
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The crowd went wild.
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Players scrambled to their feet, diving for the orb. It was chaos. Spells firing, people shouting, and the serpent still thrashing in the background. My heart pounded as I watched Iris reach for the orb, only for Felix to knock it out of her grasp at the last second.
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But then, in a move so quick I almost missed it, one of Victorum's players, an unassuming second-year who had been quiet the whole match, swooped in from the side. They snatched the orb and bolted toward the finish line, their enchanted boots glowing as they leaped over the final barrier.
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The whistle blew, and the stadium erupted into cheers.
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"Victorum wins!" Professor Caeline announced, his voice barely audible over the roar of the crowd.
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I jumped to my feet, laughing and cheering along with everyone else. The players from Victorum collapsed into a pile of exhausted but ecstatic hugs, their golden uniforms shining like stars under the stadium lights.
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For a moment, all the tension, all the rivalry, melted away. The only thing that mattered was the pure, unbridled joy of victory.
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As I watched my housemates celebrate, a warm feeling spread through my chest. This was what made Conflux Arcana special. The magic, the camaraderie, the way moments like these could make the world feel a little brighter.
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And maybe, just maybe, one day I'd be down there too, not just watching from the bleachers but standing in the middle of it all, a part of something bigger than myself. But that's enough deep thinking for one day.
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My eyes were ripped away when I saw Saeg and Kota walking towards me. I smiled brightly at them.
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"Hey." I smiled and they reciprocated.
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"We wanna go grab something to eat at the food shop, you wanna come?" Lakota asks and I nod.
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"Yeah sure, let's go." I get up and put my phone into my pocket. They both link arms with me and I smile at that.
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"How's been your first Challengers Leon?" Saeg asks chippy.
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"It's been okay, just a bit overwhelming but it's fun. I've never really cared to watch sports, but this was actually really entertaining." I say and Saeg smiles.
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"That's what I thought you would think! Well I didn't necessarily think that exactly but I was along those lines." She says excitedly and I smile.
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"What have you guys been up to?" I redirect.
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"We were just with our house and watching our asses get kicked. But other than that we've been gossiping." Kota says and I laugh softly.
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"About what exactly?" I ask.
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"Well Lakota told me about his crush on Raphael. Then I talked about my small, tiny, little interest in someone." Saeg says and I gasp.
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"She won't even tell me who is it." Kota huffs, no bite in it.
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"Spillll. Oh my god this has never happened to you before huh?" I asks and she shakes her head.
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"No, but I won't tell you guys who it is just yet." She says with a devilish giggle.
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"Boo you whore." I reply and she gasps loudly and smacks my shoulder.
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I laugh in response as we get to the food shop that doesn't really serve savory foods but today it was serving a whole load of meals.
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"Saeg you're vegetarian right?" I ask and she nods. "Was it hard to quit meat?"
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"Well I grew up vegetarian, both my dads don't eat meat. So I guess it wasn't really hard for me to get into something that wasn't a regular." She explained and I nod.
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"Leon you wanna go vegetarian?" Lakota asks as we make it to the front of the line.
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"Yeah, I always feel bad whenever I think about the situations animals have to be put into when their sole purpose is to be eaten." I respond and Kota nods at that.
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"Welp, I'm getting a big juicy beef burger." He says and I laugh pushing him away slightly.
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I end up just getting fries and Saeg gets a veggie burger. We get our food and head back towards the bleachers.
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"You know what we should do? Leon you should show us a bunch of mortal films! I've always wanted to watch those." Saeg says and I actually perk up at the idea.
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"Like a movie marathon? That would be so cool." I respond and Kota nods, already digging into his burger.
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"When and where would we do it?" I ask.
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Saeg thinks, pausing momentarily. "What would Erika say we should do?" She says with a devious smile.
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I think for a second. "I don't know, she'd probably say something like let's sneak into one of the our dorms and watch them there after lights out." I say, then they both look at me with wide smiles.
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"That's actually a good idea." Saeg says and I smile at that.
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Lakota hums, then lets out a small lighthearted scoff. "Figures. Erika." He says with a playful eye roll.
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"Let me text the rest." Kota says pulling out his phone and quickly typing a message into the group chat we made. It barely takes long for our phones to start dinging with notifications.
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"Everyone said they're on board." Kota says and we smile at that.
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"Okay so, movie night in Kota's room."
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"Hey why in my room?!"
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"Because you have a single room and Raphael keeps his stuff everywhere so there is like zero space in ours." I respond and he huffs.
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"Fine, but if one of you fart I'm gonna strangle one of you." He threatens and we laugh at that.
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As we make it back to the bleachers it was announced that Celestial Relay was starting soon.
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"Shoot, I gotta go find my teammates but I'll see you guys later!" Kota says as he hastily makes his way back to the Fames Celestial Relay team.
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"I'm on the cheer team so I gotta go." Saeg says and I nod, she lightly pinches my cheek before running over to where the rest of her cheer mates were.
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I got back to my seat on the bleachers and took out my phone, but then something caught my attention. At first I thought a fight had broken out but then I saw someone being attended to by a first aid team.
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Michael was there as well, standing next to the girl looking very stressed.
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I think he could feel my stares and his eyes snapped up to mine. Without saying anything, he quickly made his way up the bleachers, pretty elegantly too.
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"What happened down there?" I ask him, looking my back down to the injured girl.
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"She sprained her ankle in the final." He says and I cringe slightly at that, that must have been painful.
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"But I didn't come up here for no reason." He says and I look back to him.
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"Aw and here I thought you missed me." I tease and he rolls his eyes, but I know for a fact he wants to smile.
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"I came to ask you if you could be a part of my Celestial Relay team." He says to me.
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"I don't think that's a good idea." I say back with a grimace.
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"Why? You're athletic, you're smart, you're flexible and agile, I really think you could be what we need Leon." He says to me, putting on that inspirational voice that I'm sure makes people cream their pants.
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I huff, thinking it through.
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It can't be that bad, right?
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"Fine." I say with a sigh and his lips tug up.
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"Great. Now let's go, I have to give you a crash course before I sentence you to death." He says and my eyes widen.
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"Oh relax it's not that bad." He mumbles and I just nod and follow him off the bleachers.
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"This is like any relay race where each team member must complete a leg of the race by flying, running, swimming, or leaping across elemental zones, like an air-filled pathway, a fiery bridge, or a river of enchanted water." He explains and I kind of panic slightly, this is kind of mortifying.
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"In the relay there are Magic Zones: Each zone has magical effects, such as speeding up time, reducing gravity, or causing illusions. Players must adapt quickly to each zone's unique environment and may use spells or potions to enhance their abilities for each leg." He explains further.
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"Michael are you completely forgetting that I basically know zero magic? Like I don't even know how to cast a simple protection spell!" I argue and he just shakes his.
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"The girl that was supposed to be on the team was a siren. So she was gonna take the reins for the swimming portion, but since she's out you're the most competent person to do the job. And have the most potential."
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I give him a dumfounded look. "And I'm most competent how?"
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"You can shapeshift, can you not?" He asks with a raised brow.
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"I mean yeah, but wouldn't that be cheating?" I ask and she shakes his head.
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"Nope, just keep it lowkey. Sirens will be faster than most fish so you have to be strategic with which one you choose to shift into." He says.
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"Okay, one tiny problem."
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"What?"
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"I kinda...whenever I shift, I don't look like most animals." I say with a cringe.
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"How so?"
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"I'm kinda...gold."
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He lets out a huff, slightly amused as he looks me up and down with a raised brow. "You're joking."
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I shake my head. "Nope. Turned into a pig once, and I was gold, a fat lump of jiggly gold."
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"You have potential to be great Leon. Just be strategic." He says and I huff again.
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We made it to what seemed like the rest of the team. And one of the people there was the guy I'm always seeing around, he gave me a small smile and I returned it.
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"Guys, I'm sure you've seen him around but Leon will be taking the swimming in todays relay." Michael explains to them and they all seemed less than pleased.
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"A sophomore? Can this kid even swim?" One of them detested and I was a bit shocked by the hostility.
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"Back off Connor. Talk again and you're off the team." Michael basically barks back and that shocked me even more.
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"Leon is a shifter, so he's gonna handle the swimming just fine. Oki, Jada, Stephen and Connor, let's head to the starting points. Leon I'll be back to show you to the pools." He says and I nod, they all make their way towards the fields.
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"Don't mess up sophomore." Connor says in growl before he walks off.
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Once he's gone, horned friend turns to me. "Ignore 'em. They're just extremely competitive." He says with an easy smile.
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I smile back. "Thanks. I'll try not to mess up."
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He lets out a laugh, his beautiful teeth being put on display. "I'm sure they'll be great. I'm Tommy by the way."
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I smile again and extend my hand, he meets it half way in a firm but gentle shake. "Leon."
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Before we could continue Michael came back over.
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"You ready?" He asks and I nod, he gestures his head for us to go and I give Tommy a small wave before following Michael.
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"Has the relay started?" I ask.
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"In a few minutes."
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I nod. We make it to this huge pool that looked like a merky lake. I couldn't even see anything.
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"How in gods name am I gonna be able to see in that shit filled lake?" I protest.
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"You kiss your mother with mouth?" He asks with a judgey look on his perfect face.
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"Yeah, my dad too." I smirk and he rolls his eyes.
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"Wait until the relay baton is in your hand before you start. Got it?"
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I roll my eyes. "It's not rocket science," I grumble.
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He had a duffel bag with him. He unzips it and pulls out swimming shorts and goggles before handing them to me.
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"Change, I'll shield you." He says casually and pulls out a towel and holds it up like a curtain.
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"What?! You want me to get butt naked right here?" I ask him utter outrage, this dude is more nuts than I thought.
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He rolls his eyes. "Quit being a baby and get changed before the relay starts. Prefects orders."
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"You're a fricking prefect not the king of everything you pig!" I shoot back and he pinches the bridge of his nose.
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"Not to be a dick but I have quite literally seen all of you." He points out.
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Then the whistle blows loudly and he looks at me heatedly. Fuck.
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I huff and pull off my shirt. He looks at me while my shirt I was about to pull down my pants.
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"Well don't just stand there and ogle me, cover me so the whole school doesn't see my ass." I say and he nods, pulling the towel up and closing his eyes.
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I decide to ignore the funny twist in my stomach and quickly pull off my pants, still keeping my underwear on before pulling up the swim shorts on, I pull on the sleeveless compression shirt as well.
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"I'm done." I say and he opens his eyes and scans me up and down before putting the towel away. He lazily throws me a pair of goggles which I actually catch. Huh.
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"Great. Don't mess up, and make sure you have the barton secured before you dive in." He says and I nod, very bored.
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He nods. "Don't mess up." He emphasizes again.
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I huff. "God I heard you the first time." I mumble.
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He gives me one more look before walking away and in the distance I could hear the whistle being blown.
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I look to the others who were waiting, three others from the other houses and they were already looking at me. I offer a smile which was immediately met with scowls.
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Well darn, tough crowd.
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I huff and look back to the water but I was confused when I heard the crowd coming closer. I turn to see people getting a little panic-y.
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"Be ready, our runner is almost there." I hear, Michael's voice ringing through my head.
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I huff because this thing of these boys telling me what to do telepathically is really getting annoying. I look back to the lake and it was shimmering which scared me more than the murky one it was before.
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What concerned me more were the glowing bleachers filled with students that was NOT there a second ago.
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The crowd roared overhead as I adjusted the goggles strapped around my head, which let's be honest were entirely unnecessary. But apparently, someone thought they'd add to the theatrics.
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Here I was, standing on the edge of the shimmering pool that marked the third leg of the relay race, feeling like a glorified fish about to be tossed back into the pond.
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'You have the most potential'
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Potential to drown? Potential to get thrashed by mermaids with perfect hair and sharper teeth? Yeah, sounds about right.
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"Ready?" the announcer's voice boomed, making me flinch. A girl from Bellum looked at me and shot me a wicked grin, her teeth a little too fang-like for comfort. Perfect. Not only was I going to lose, but I was going to be eaten while I was at it.
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The whistle blew.
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And I dived in.
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The first thing I noticed when I hit the water was how cold it was. Not the "oh, that's refreshing" kind of cold. No, this was the "my soul just left my body" cold. The enchantments laced through the water made it shimmer, which would have been beautiful if I wasn't actively dying.
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Then it hit me: Leon, you're a magical being, you idiot.
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With a flick of thought (and a tiny prayer to the sun itself), I felt my legs meld together. My skin tingled, shimmering as it transformed into golden scales that trailed down to a koi-like tail. It fanned out behind me, each scale catching the light as if I'd been dipped in sunlight.
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A merman. Great. Add that to my ever-growing list of "weird things I didn't know I could do."
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I dove deeper, the water no longer freezing but warm and oddly comforting. My gills, because apparently, I had those now- flared as I took in a breath. It was...weird. Like inhaling air but with an extra splash of "you might choke."
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The siren swam ahead, her powerful tail cutting through the water like a blade. She looked over her shoulder, smirking at me like I was a toddler trying to keep up with a marathon runner.
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"Oh, I'm sorry," I muttered under my breath. "Dickwad."
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Kicking my tail, I surged forward. Turns out, being part-fish has its perks. The water seemed to respond to me, parting just enough to let me glide faster. But then the magic kicked in.
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The water rippled, and suddenly, I wasn't in a straight tunnel anymore. No, now it looked like an underwater maze, complete with glowing kelp and shifting walls. Because of course it wasn't going to be simple.
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"Great. This is fine. Totally fine," I grumbled, dodging a glowing jellyfish that looked like it wanted to zap me into next week.
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I could hear the announcer's voice echoing faintly through the water. Something about Fames' team pulling ahead. Typical.
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As I rounded a corner, I spotted one of the sirens caught in a swirl of enchanted bubbles. She was thrashing, trying to escape, but the bubbles kept sticking to her tail. I swam past her, giving her my best "sucks to be you" wave.
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"Leon! Focus!" Michael's voice rang in my head, loud and clear, causing me to flinch. Thanks to that bull crap telepathic shit.
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"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "Just trying not to die, thanks."
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The maze shifted again, the walls closing in as a current picked up, dragging me forward at breakneck speed. I barely had time to react before I was spit out into an open arena. Above me, the water glimmered like a giant dome, and the crowd's cheers vibrated through it.
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And then I saw them. Three sirens, their tails glowing faintly, had already made it to the final stretch. One of them looked back, his smile dripping with smugness.
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"Okay, sunshine," I muttered, flicking my tail. "Time to shine."
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With a burst of energy, I shot forward. The water seemed to sing around me, its magic humming in tune with my Essence. It felt alive, like it was pushing me forward, urging me to go faster. My golden tail cut through the water, leaving a shimmering trail in its wake.
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The sirens noticed. Their smiles faltered. One of them tried to block me, her tail sweeping in my path, but I twisted around her effortlessly.
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"Thanks for the assist," I called, my voice bubbling through the water.
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The finish line was in sight, a glowing ring suspended in the water. The sirens were right on my tail (no pun intended), their eyes gleaming with determination.
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Come on, Leon, I thought. Just a little more.
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With one final kick, I surged forward, my hand (fin? Who knows at this point) brushing against the ring just as the sirens closed in.
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The water erupted in a burst of light as the crowd roared. I broke the surface, gasping for air as the announcer declared my team the winners of the leg.
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I floated there, my golden tail glinting in the sunlight, as the sirens glared at me from the water.
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"What can I say?" I said, flashing them a grin.
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They didn't look so amused.
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By the time I pulled myself out of the pool, my legs had returned, albeit a little wobbly. Michael was waiting, his arms crossed and his expression hovering somewhere between impressed and annoyed.
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"About time," he said. "You almost lost us the lead."
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I shot him a look, wringing water out of my hair. "You're welcome, by the way. I only turned into a freaking fish to save your perfect angelic reputation."
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He rolled his eyes but handed me a towel. "Go get dried up. We have training."
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"Wait," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Training?"
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Michael smirked, walking away without another word.
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Fantastic. Just another day in the life of being a magical teenager.
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Before I could run after him and give him a good slap over the head, what looked like our whole house was running towards me. I was about to take a dive into the lake to get away from this vicious mob when I was pulled BY MY PANTS and hauled into the air.
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"LEON! LEON! LEON!" They all cheered and I actually smiled, clinging onto to whoever put me on their shoulders.
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But I faltered when I felt someone staring holes into the back of my head, but I wont't, for as long as I possibly can confront the stare. So for now I stay propped up being cheered on by my house.
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and then Add to home screen.