As the race stretched further, Mary remained at the front.
And her breath became shallower with each minute that passed.
Realizing she was slowly losing her grip, and the homestretch was far from reaching.
And in that instant, Mary pushed harder.
More force.
More power.
She needed to finish it fast!
Especially, her stamina was no longer as pristine as it used to be.
Or right before she fractured her left ankle.
There, she channeled more of her energy into her feet. Striking the ground harder against the surface.
Breaking her limit with everything she had.
"I need to...!"
She murmured.
"I need to—!"
"I NEED TO—!"
Then—
A sharp sound snapped across her ears.
And her eyes widened...
...
...
...
Meanwhile—
Far behind the leading pack, Urara continued to run.
Her breathing had grown ragged.
Her lungs burned as though set aflame, and every step she took felt heavier than the last.
And yet, she did not stop.
She could not stop.
Not when her parents were watching.
Not when her friends believed in her.
Not when she made a promise.
Even as her body protested.
Even as her strength waned.
Even as her lungs were screaming in pain.
She forced herself forward.
She had to keep going.
Keep running.
And above all—
Keep smiling.
Back in the stands, her mother clasped her hands tightly, her fingers trembling as she watched.
"…Urara…" she whispered.
Beside her—
Her father suddenly rose to his feet.
"COME ON, URARA!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"YOU CAN DO IT!"
"SHOW THEM YOUR POWER!"
"SHOW THEM WHO YOU ARE!"
The trainer seated beside them was startled by the sudden outburst. Jumped slightly from his seat.
"Wha— Wait… that's your daughter?" he asked, glancing between the track and Urara's father.
"Yeah!" her father replied instantly, turning to him with bright enthusiasm. "Isn't she great?!"
And the trainer hesitated, "…Well…"
But before he could finish—
"Trust me!" her father cut in, pumping his fists. "You haven't seen anything yet!"
"Just wait! Soon, you'll be amazed!"
"You'll see what she's really capable of!"
"…O-okay…?" the trainer answered awkwardly, clearly taken aback by his intensity.
Meanwhile, back on the track.
Urara continued forward.
Checkpoint after checkpoint.
"I have to catch up…" she murmured.
Then, slightly, her eyes lifted, looking forward.
"I have to catch up to…"
"…Mary-chan…"
...
...
...
Meanwhile, at the very front of the race.
Mary drove herself forward with everything she had left.
"I need to—!"
Her foot struck the ground harder, demanding more from a body already at its limit.
"I NEED TO—!"
"I NEED TO—!"
And then, suddenly—
The world in front of her seemed to be slowed, with the sound of pounding footsteps dulled.
Her vision then stretched, warped.
And in that instant...
*Crack*
A sharp sound snapped across her ears.
And her eyes widened.
"I—!"
Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp, searing pain tore through her.
Before she could think.
Before she could react.
Her body gave way, and the track rushed up to meet her.
Instantly—
*THUD*
She fell...
...
...
Due to her expeditious ongoing speed, such a fall sent her body plunging across the track, rolling like a loose barrel, limbs scraping against the turf as momentum carried her.
Only after a few seconds, the momentum of her body was depleted.
Then, she stopped.
Came with a brief silence.
Before it was completely drowned out with the collective gasp that rippled through the crowd.
Those on the field, too, reacted.
"…Did she just—?!"
The runners behind her then reacted instinctively.
Without stopping, one after another.
They surged past her.
And footsteps thundered before Mary's collapsed body.
One, two, three, more.
And... gone.
Leaving nothing but the fading sounds of their steps.
And her, alone, lying on the track.
Her breath ragged, chest heaving harshly as her eyes grew wide in disbelief.
"Did... Did I… I just..."
"No...!"
She grunted as she forced her body to move.
"Not like this...! I... I still can chase after them..."
With a rough twist of her body, she turned, stretching out on her belly.
"I still can...!"
Her hands dug deep into the grass as she tried to exert herself upward.
"I still...!"
But... Before she could even shift her leg.
A sharp pain pierced through her mid-way through the push.
"…Argh!" she yelped in pain, wincing as her strength gave out.
And she collapsed once again.
Back onto the ground, face down.
Only then did she stop.
Eyes wide.
Breath uneven.
And the world in front of her suddenly felt distant.
"…No…" she whispered.
Her lips trembled.
"Did I…"
Her thoughts refused to form.
"Did I just…"
Her fist clenched.
Then—
Voices broke through beyond the fence.
It was the crackle of walkie-talkies.
And a few fast and coordinated footsteps followed.
"Report. One candidate has fallen."
"Has she recovered?"
"Negative. She attempted to rise but failed. Possible fracture."
"…Understood, dispatching paramedics immediately."
Upon hearing that, Mary's eyes widened further.
"No... no...!" she uttered in disbelief.
Without hesitation, she attempted to push herself upward again.
Only to meet with the same fate, her body slamming back into the ground.
"No..." she muttered again, "Not like this..."
"Not my..."
"...my..."
"...my...?"
Suddenly—
Her vision wavered.
The edges of the world seemed to be blurred.
As the light dimmed and the track faded in front of her.
And the darkness slowly consumed everything left in front of her.
Leaving only silence.
Only herself, lying flat in this void...
...
...
Until—
A soft laughter.
A light, warm, and distant laughter.
"Please, wait! Mary!"
A voice...
A gentle, strange yet familiar one.
"Stop running so fast! You know your mommy can't catch up to you!"
Then, darkness shifted, and color returned, slightly.
It was faint at first.
But then, it was clearer.
A small figure dashed past her.
Each step slowly painted the world with vibrancy, color, and... life?
The figure was tiny.
She was nimble, carefree.
And yet—
It was her...?
"Mommy! Mommy!" her younger self called out, full of joy.
"Look! Look! Look how fast I can run!"
Meanwhile, behind her—
A woman followed in pursuit, laughing breathlessly.
"Yes, Mary! You really are fast!" her mother replied warmly, chasing that tiny version of her.
"But don't run so fast!"
"Then, you better catch up, mommy! Because we got a lot of world left to explore!"
"Alright... alright... But wait, Mary! What's that behind you!"
"What—?!"
Before she knew it—
Her younger self was caught and lifted high into the air.
"Got you!" her mother added.
And she laughed uncontrollably as she was being lifted.
Then, her mother pulled her closer, pressing her cheek against hers, nuzzling softly.
"You're always my little speedstar!" her mother whispered.
"And one day... I'll be waiting for you at the finish line!"
"One day... I'll be..."
Then... right before that moment of pure comfort lasted.
That moment that should have lasted forever.
The image dissolved.
And what replaced it...
Was suffocating.
Once again, she saw her.
Curled up by the door of her room, knees drawn tightly to her chest.
And outside to her room, two voices clashed, and they were... arguing...?
It was her parents.
Seemingly arguing.
Arguing for something, something far beyond anything she could understand at that time.
And it was loud.
Too loud.
And all she remembered was to...
Covered her ears...
Covered herself from those noises...
Loud enough to pierce through walls.
Then—
The world shifted again.
Now... her younger self stood by the doorway.
Watching with concern at her mother, who was seemingly moving, holding suitcases.
As her mother walked away.
Step by step...
Further and further...
Then... she ran.
Small, round footsteps paced against the floor, one sang with desperation.
A desperation for reaching.
For calling.
Before she knew it... she caught her from behind.
Tiny arms wrapping tightly around her waist.
"Please…" her younger self trembled, shaking under her voice.
"Don't leave me…" she sobbed.
Her mother stopped. Shocked.
Slowly, she turned.
Then lowered herself to a knee.
Face to face.
Close enough to touch, to feel.
Then, her lips moved, tears streaming down her cheeks.
But—
No words came.
Perhaps... it was forgotten in her memories.
Nothing but one.
One that lingered forever in her memories.
"I'll be waiting… at the finish line," said her mother in a trembling voice.
Before she...
She...
She was gone...
Just like that.
Leaving her there.
Standing.
Eyes frozen.
Completely still.
All alone...
Beside a house that no longer felt like home—
With only her father remaining.
And after that vision... the image shifted again.
Except... There was nothing.
Leaving only darkness.
A void that swallowed everything.
A void filled with hatred.
A void bound by restriction.
A void shaped by command.
And within it...
Only one truth remained.
An absolute... Obedience.
"You were meant to be perfect, Mary!"
Her father's...