The sun was already high when the trumpets echoed through the Capital Sorriso, announcing the beginning of the festival’s competitions.

  The stone steps of the Arena of Capua were packed. Vibrant colors filled the place: banners of each House, flags of the Seasons, and the roar of excited shouts from every side.

  Lukas, standing beside Aníbal and Amélia, breathed deeply, trying to stay steady.

  The first trial was the one that demanded less strength but more breath and endurance: the Seasonal Race.

  — Looks like we’re really in this, huh? — said Aníbal, stretching his arms. — Nervous?

  — A little, — Lukas replied. — But I guess that’s normal… right?

  — Just don’t trip in the Spring section, — Amélia added in a rare moment of irony. — Or you’ll become fertilizer.

  The course was brutal. Several kilometers circling the capital’s outer wall, passing through magical zones that simulated the four seasons:

  - Scorching Summer: suffocating heat, where even the air seemed to burn.

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  - Glacial Winter: cutting winds, false snow, and real ice crystals.

  - Autumn of Winds: unpredictable gusts, leaves blinding the vision.

  - Flowing Spring: slippery fields and flowers secreting intoxicating scents.

  At the signal, all runners burst forward.

  Lukas ran. And ran.

  Summer scorched his lungs. Winter gnawed at his bones. In Autumn, he was almost knocked down by a gust. In Spring, he fell once — but got back up.

  He wasn’t the fastest. Nor the most agile. Nor the toughest.

  But he was the one who endured the most.

  When he crossed the finish line, Lukas was exhausted — but still standing. Behind most of the others, yet victorious in another sense.

  He had defeated himself.

  And there she was. Adriele. Waiting for him with a sincere smile.

  — Very well done, brother, — she said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. — That’s your way of fighting.

  He smiled, still breathless.

  — This… was just the beginning.

  Because even among prodigies, he knew: the true victory would be surviving what was yet to come.

  End of Chapter 6