Capítulo 3: Flashpoint
The sun-drenched training ground buzzed with anticipation as Mr. Esposito scanned the assembled students. The air crackled with excitement, laced with a hint of apprehension, as the students were more than excited for the game to begin. Each of them had chosen their magnificent dragons, their loyal companions with whom they'll be spending the class with.
"Now that everyone has picked their dragons…" Mr. Esposito's voice boomed across the training ground, his sharp eyes ensuring his pupils were ready for the challenge ahead. "Are you all prepared for the exhilarating game of 'Catch the Flash'?"
"Sir, yes sir!" The students chorused in unison, their voices filled with determination. Esposito nodded approvingly, his silver mane of hair shimmering under the sunlight. He gently placed the mysterious bag he carried on the ground, and kneeled down to open it. With a deliberate movement, he reached inside, his fingers grazing the smooth surface of a massive silver ball. A faint red glow pulsed from within, casting an otherworldly hue around it.
As the students watched the movements of their teacher, their eyes glinting with anticipation, Mr. Esposito pressed a small blue button nestled on the side of the ball. The sphere suddenly split in two, revealing an extraordinary creature— something that appeared to be a fusion of dragonfly and beetle, only magnified tenfold in size. It burst forth from the confines of the silver ball, soaring into the sky with incredible speed, its wings creating a whirlwind as it circled high above them.
Mounted on top of their majestic dragons, the students gazed skyward, their expressions grave and resolute. Their fingers tightened around the reins, as they braced themselves for the upcoming challenge, their hearts pounding with adrenaline.
"I'm sure everyone knows this, but the goal of this game that you're about to play," Mr. Esposito's voice rang out, commanding attention, "... is to capture the elusive 'Flash'." His finger extended toward the sky, pointing at the ethereal creature swirling above. "You must apprehend the 'Flash,' whether you catch it dead or alive — although I implore you to strive for a capture that preserves its life — and bring it back to me."
An uneasy silence settled over the students as they listened toMr. Esposito's words. They gulped down their saliva nervously, their mouths suddenly feeling a lot more parched than before.
"Remember," Mr. Esposito's voice sliced through the tense air, snapping his fingers for emphasis, "Capturing the Flash is just the beginning. The true test lies in delivering it back to me. You don't bring it back to me, you don't win."
Tap! Tap!
The sharp sound reverberated as Mr. Esposito tapped the sleek black bracelet adorning his wrist. He pointed directly at the students, his gaze piercing through their trepidation. "Like you all know, your ID Bracelets are more than mere adornments. They monitor your vital signs and energy levels, while also setting limits on your attack power to prevent any serious harm to your classmates. But I have to ask that you don't rely solely on them for your safety."
The students exchanged wary glances, contemplating the implications of Mr. Esposito's cautionary words. "Sure, the bracelets might help regulate your abilities," he continued, his voice tinged with caution, "but at the end of the day, they are, in fact, just machines running on algorithms. They lack consciousness. They are capable of thinking and making sound decisions. So, in case they make a miscalculation…" His finger pointed emphatically at his temple. "Stay vigilant. Don't make mistakes that you'll regret."
As their teacher's attention shifted skyward, where the elusive Flash danced in circles, growing distant by the moment, a knot tightened in the stomachs of the students. Mr. Esposito twirled his tongue and let out a piercing whistle, and in response, the Flash—previously caught in its mesmerizing aerial dance—blazed across the sky like a missile, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
WHOOSH!
"Three, two, one... GO!" Mr. Esposito's countdown sparked a flurry of activity. The students pulled on their reins and yelled out commands, and the dragons unleashed a thunderous cacophony, their mighty wings stirring up clouds of dust and dirt that swirled through the training ground. With a symphony of roars, the majestic creatures propelled themselves skyward, their riders clinging tightly to their backs.
The game had begun.
GRRRRRAAAAAR!!
"Where's that blasted Flash? Come on, someone must have seen it!"
"I swear I caught a glimpse of it darting off in that direction..."
"It's gotta be hiding in the depths of the Rividian Forest!"
Frantic eyes scanned the surroundings, but the elusive Flash had vanished from their sight. All of a sudden, a group of students burst through the throng of dragons and soared westward. Isaac, leading the charge, flew at the forefront, driven by an insatiable thirst for victory.
"What in the realms was that?!" gasped a student, their eyes wide with astonishment as he watched the group fly away.
"Yep, that's Isaac and Maria taking the lead!" another student confirmed, their voice filled with awe.
"Bet they've spotted the Flash. Wonder if they know where it's headed," a third student mused aloud, their hope tinged with excitement.
Realizing that the vanguard group held the key to the Flash's whereabouts, the others wasted no time and swiftly followed suit, tailing their lead.
As for the group that took off first…
"What in the realms was that, mate? I mean, you didn't exactly fly under the radar there!" Beaver, perched on top of his chubby green dragon and following Issac, cast a reproachful glance at Isaac. "I'm pretty sure the whole world knows you've sniffed out the Flash's trail!"
"But we did the same thing, didn't we?" Enrique chimed in, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, perched on his regal twin-headed dragon. "I mean, I barely glimpsed the Flash's movements for a split second before it vanished."
"Quit your yapping, Enrique!" Beaver rolled his eyes, annoyance etching his face, and Enrique merely snickered in response.
"It doesn't really matter now, my friends," Isaac interjected, his laughter carried by the wind. "Whether I flew discreetly or not, the truth is I've won this game like.. what? Five times in a row? People have caught on that it's smarter to follow me than to wander aimlessly, trying to figure out where the Flash went on their own."
A sly grin curled on Isaac's face as he turned his gaze to Maria and Edgar, who doggedly pursued him. "And besides, that's why I've got you all, right?"
"What does that mean?" Beaver arched an eyebrow, his gaze skeptical as he pondered Isaac's words, and Isaac's smirk widened, his eyes brimming with a confident gleam. "I mean, they have to go through you to get to me, right? You guys will help me slow them down."
Maria, who had remained silent until now, finally interjected. "In essence, you're basically telling us that we're baits," she spoke with a measured tone, her eyes focused and determined. Isaac nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "It is simply a matter of circumstance, fellas. And it's not like you have a choice, right? They'll most likely attack you because you guys are competition, and you can't leave my back because you know I'll get to the flash first."
Edgar's frustration simmered beneath his furrowed brow as he retorted, "Man, your confidence in claiming victory time and time again is just… mind-boggling..." His voice carried a mix of admiration and exasperation. Riding atop his sleek white dragon adorned with elegant feathers, he felt the pressure to rise above the competition.
Isaac's grin widened, his confidence unwavering. "Hey, I've bagged the win in the last five games, haven't I?" His words echoed with a touch of swagger, a declaration of his unparalleled success. Edgar and Maria clicked their tongues in unison. Though irked, the two couldn't deny the truth in his statement.
The dragons sliced through the air like bullets, their movements both swift and graceful. Isaac's narrowed gaze scanned the surroundings as they neared the imposing Lindegarn Mountains, searching for any abnormal fluctuations in the air that could lead them to the elusive Flash. "Come on, come on..." he muttered under his breath, a sense of urgency gripping him. 'Where the hell are you?'
Finding the Flash required utilizing the students' enhanced senses, a core component of their superhuman abilities. In this game of 'Catch the Flash,' they honed their skills, learning to understand and harness their heightened senses. Just as ordinary humans could perceive noticeable changes in the atmosphere, such as wind or temperature shifts, these superhumans could detect even the subtlest alterations in the air or anomalous energy flow. Such abilities were crucial for tracking enemies or detecting threats and ambushes.
Isaac, however, stood apart from the rest of the superhumans. The experiments he had allowed Mr.Bhryne to perform on him had further enhanced his sensory organs, granting him an edge in perceiving the Flash's location far quicker than his peers.
'Wait a minute….'
All of a sudden, his eyes widened. A faint but distinct fluctuation in the atmosphere caught his attention, drawing his gaze to a specific point roughly six miles away, nestled deep within the Mavidwar Forest—where the Flash lay concealed.
"There!" Isaac's voice rang out with an electrifying edge, his heart racing with anticipation. Without a moment's hesitation, he unleashed a fierce shout and urged his dragon forward, tapping its flank with urgency.
"Hyup!"
Damn it!" Maria blurted out, frustration seeping into her voice. "He found the Flash?! How the hell did he manage that?"
The question hung in the air, swirling with a mix of awe, frustration, and disbelief, but she had no time to decipher the secret. The chase intensified as the dragons raced through the sky, their wings slicing through the air with purpose.
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