Even in the darkest of times, one can still find light. They just have to look at the stars.
Humans have been blessed by the Divines. For centuries, civilization has flourished, and mankind has rapidly progressed with the use of innate magical power...
"Hey, orange spiky, you're next!" Zita yelled with a nasty bite to her words. The excitement and pleasantries she showed during the beginning of the Showing had turned sour after putting in a few hours of work.
Riarshi could only imagine how hard and exhausting it must have been to maintain the charisma needed to be an MC. He could barely speak to someone for longer than five minutes before his social meter drained completely.
Tabito beamed his usual wide smile and turned to Riarshi. "Ha, I guess that's me. Wish me luck!"
Riarshi silently nodded, and Tabito took off toward the stage.
A light jog past the rows of Newbies brought Tabito to center stage. Standing tall next to Zita, his head spun around in circles, admiring the crowd watching him like a child in a theme park.
Tabito, Riarshi believed, had to be filled to the brim with some kind of foreign and inextinguishable energy. The multiple, grueling hours of standing in one spot had left his own legs heavy and fatigued. Secretly, Riarshi was eyeing a nap the second he got home. It was unbelievable that someone could still possess the willpower to move their legs and run at any kind of speed.
Receiving the customary greeting and request from Zita, Tabito took the mic in his hand. With a big grin and wide eyes, he exclaimed, "My name is Tabito Clarke! And I'm excited to show you all what I got!"
At first, it seemed the crowd had also fallen victim to the heavy fatigue of the long event. But this unexpected exertion of passion shocked the crowd back to life, their heads lifting to attention and eyes glittering with hope.
"Well, you're a peppy one, bud," noted Zita, whose attitude had also sparked from Tabito's energetic outburst. She leaned in and promptly snatched the mic from his hand.
She nodded to him to proceed with his show, then jumped to the side.
Tabito clenched his fists tight. Then, almost instantly, a large burst of orange and yellow flame engulfed the entirety of his body.
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Despite the similarities in magic property Tabito and Adachi shared, Tabito's flames performed a unique show for the spectators watching with boggling eyes. Instead of spinning throughout the arena, Tabito's fire enveloped his hands and coated his chest and shoulders like a set of armor.
His glowing eyes matched the color of the crackling flames - a bright, saturated orange.
He left the crowd in awe at this fiery form. Their mouths gaped open in amazement at its sheer beauty, its palpable power sending waves of scorching heat through the arena.
Riarshi, with slouched shoulders, was once again left speechless. How is everyone here so powerful? The strongest kids at my high school wouldn't even hold a candle to these guys.
With a huff, the flames surrounding Tabito dispersed into the air, tiny flickers sputtering out. Accepting an ovation from the crowd with a gigantic smile and a friendly wave, Tabito hastily returned to his spot next to Riarshi in the back row.
