Chapter 604 Flying bird race
Vlad Jr. reached the fifth pad. The volunteer shifted it. He adjusted mid-air, twisted slightly, and landed perfectly. Then came the sixth pad. Shifted again. He landed again. Perfect.
The girls from Class B stopped giggling and just stared.
The twins from Class A forgot to be competitive.
Even the cat-girl from Class C, who had come just to watch, tilted her head in admiration.
Vlad Jr. reached the final pad. He jumped—
And landed.
"FINISH!" Alina announced. "Class D completes the course!"
Vlad Jr. stood at the end of the pads, breathing evenly, his face slightly pink from exertion. Or maybe from all the attention.
All the girls were staring at him.
Lily clapped, her eyes shining. "That was amazing!"
The twins cheered. "Go, Vlad Jr.!"
The girls from Class B whistled.
Vlad Jr.’s face turned from pink to deep red.
Drake ran over and slapped him on the back. "You did it! You didn’t even fall!"
"I practice," Vlad Jr. said quietly, almost to himself.
"Practice what?" Drake asked, grinning. "Being perfect?"
Vlad Jr. paused. "...Yes."
Luna laughed from the bench. "Vlad Jr. has secret jumping skills!"
"They are not secret," Vlad Jr. said, straightening his collar. "They are simply... undeclared."
Lily walked over to him, her pigtails bouncing. "Will you teach me? I kept falling."
Vlad Jr. looked at her. At her bright smile. At her perfectly symmetrical pigtails.
He swallowed. "...I can try," he said.
Lily beamed.
Drake nudged Vlad Jr. with his elbow. "You are blushing again."
"I am not blushing," Vlad Jr. whispered through clenched teeth.
"Your ears are red."
"The sun is—"
"The sun is behind a cloud again," Drake said, pointing up.
Vlad Jr. went quiet.
Drake grinned. "It’s okay. Girls are not scary."
"I am not scared," Vlad Jr. insisted.
"Your face says otherwise," Drake teased.
Vlad Jr. took a deep breath. Then he turned to Lily. "The key is to keep your center of gravity low. Bend your knees slightly. Do not overthink the jump."
Lily nodded seriously. "Okay. Show me?"
Vlad Jr. demonstrated a small hop. His form was perfect.
Lily copied him.
She wobbled.
Vlad Jr. caught her arm quickly. "Steady," he said, his voice softer than usual.
Lily smiled up at him. "Thanks."
Luna watched from the bench, her juice forgotten in her hand.
"Vlad Jr. is helping a girl," she said to Alina.
Alina smiled warmly. "Yes. He is."
"His face is very red," Luna observed.
"Yes. It is," Alina agreed.
"Is he okay?" Luna asked, tilting her head.
"He is fine. He is just... learning."
Luna nodded thoughtfully. "Learning is good."
The game continued. More children jumped, fell, laughed, and tried again. Drake made it to the end on his third attempt, celebrating like he had won a championship. The twins from Class A eventually made it together, holding hands and collapsing in giggles at the finish line.
And Vlad Jr. stood at the edge of the course, quietly helping Lily practice her jumps.
At the end of the round, Alina gathered all the children.
"Great job, everyone!" she called out. "Remember, the goal is not just to win. It’s to have fun!"
"AND WE HAD FUN!" Drake shouted, pumping his fist.
"Very fun!" Lily agreed, still smiling at Vlad Jr.
Vlad Jr. nodded, his face still slightly pink. "It was... enjoyable," he admitted.
****
After the break, another round of fun games started. The first game after the break was one that made the children who could fly buzz with excitement.
Gabriel stood at the center of the open field, his arms spread wide, his grin even wider. Behind him, a course had been set up, not on the ground, but in the air. Colorful hoops hung from tall poles at different heights and angles. Streamers fluttered from ropes stretched between trees. Small bells were tied to ribbons, and at the far end of the course, a tall pole held a golden flag.
"Welcome, everyone, to the FLYING BIRD RACE!" Gabriel announced, his voice booming across the field.
The children who could fly shot into the air immediately.
"FLYING!" Drake shouted, his wings spreading wide. "FINALLY! A GAME FOR ME!"
Boo floated up beside him, his cap tilted, his ribbon trailing behind. "I have been waiting for this. The ground games were fun, but the sky is where ghosts belong."
Felix called from the ground, "You are a ghost. You belong everywhere and nowhere."
Boo gasped dramatically. "THAT IS DEEP. I WILL THINK ABOUT IT LATER."
Other flying children joined them. A girl from Class A with shimmering butterfly wings fluttered nervously. A boy from Class B with translucent insect wings hovered confidently, his arms crossed. A small fairy from Class C with sparkling wings did a loop-de-loop, showing off.
And from Class D, Drake and Boo represented their class.
Lucien watched from the ground, his arms crossed. Sable tugged his sleeve.
"Can you fly?" Sable asked.
"No," Lucien said simply.
"Then why are you watching so intensely?" Sable wondered.
Lucien didn’t look away from the sky. "I am observing technique."
Sable nodded slowly. "That is what I do when I cannot do something."
Lucien glanced at him. "That is called learning."
Sable smiled. "Yes. That."
***
Alina stood at the edge of the field with Luna, who was still banned from competing. Luna’s bandaged knee rested on a small stool, but her eyes were sharp, watching the flyers closely.
"Drake’s wings look different," Luna observed.
Alina nodded. "He shed recently. His wings are stronger now."
Luna tilted her head. "Will that help him win?"
"Maybe," Alina said gently. "But winning isn’t everything."
Luna looked at her. "You keep saying that."
"Because it’s true," Alina replied with a soft smile.
Luna considered this for a moment. "...I still want to win," she said quietly.
Alina smiled. "That’s okay too."
Gabriel raised his hand high. "LISTEN UP, FLYERS!"
The children in the air settled, hovering in place. Drake’s wings beat steadily. Boo floated without moving. The butterfly girl fluttered nervously. The insect boy crossed his arms tighter.
"The rules are simple!" Gabriel continued. "You must fly through the course, passing through every hoop, touching every streamer, and ringing every bell. The first one to reach the golden flag at the end WINS!"