CHAPTER 221: CHAPTER 221

The tires screeched against the asphalt as I lost traction, sliding sideways in a violent arc. The world blurred around me, and for a moment, all I could hear was the mocking laughter echoing in my ears.

"Hahaha! Loser!" one rider jeered, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Just give up, softie!" another taunted, their words cutting sharper than the magic that had hit me.

"You’re not meant for this!" came the harsh, pointed remark from a third, echoing through the chaos.

As my motorcycle finally toppled beneath me, I hit the ground hard, the impact jarring through my body. For a moment, the world spun around me, and the jeers echoed in my ears. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up as I swung my leg over my motorcycle and kicked it back into gear. Sparks flew as the engine roared to life beneath me, and I shot forward again, faster than before.

One by one, I surged ahead, leaving the taunting riders in my dust. My focus sharpened as I shifted from defense to offense instead. I didn’t bother creating shields since I already have my spectral seal in the first place.

The wind whipped past as I navigated the treacherous course, my eyes locked on the finish line. The roar of my engine drowned out the mocking jeers behind me, replaced by the pounding of my heartbeat.

With one final surge, I accelerated harder, muscles tense and eyes burning with determination. The crowd blurred into insignificance as I crossed the finish line—first place.

Alex’s voice echoed proudly through the large speakers as he announced, "The winner is Remillia Lockhart!"

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, their excitement reverberating through the stadium. The other riders glared at me with disdain.

Alex stepped forward, smiling broadly. "Congratulations, Remillia! Please come up here on stage and claim your well-deserved prize!" His voice was warm and inviting.

As I stepped onto the stage, I felt Karlos lean in slightly, his voice a low whisper just for me. "Can you take off your helmet for the photo taking?" he asked softly.

I hesitated, my voice bored. "Is it really required?"

"No," Karlos replied quickly, a hint of a smile in his tone.

"Then no—" Before I could respond further, he cut me off, lowering his voice even more. "I’ll give you an additional 10,000 Glacium."

My eyes narrowed, a mischievous grin forming. "Make it 20," I challenged.

Karlos paused, considering. "Twelve," he countered.

I rolled my eyes, amused. "Eighteen," I shot back.

He hesitated briefly, then finally said, "Fifteen, final offer. Or I’ll forcefully rip your helmet."

A wide smile spread across my face. "Deal," I agreed, carefully removing my helmet and revealing my face to the crowd and camera.

I held the trophy which had my name already engraved on it and on my other hand held a giant check worth 100,000 Glacium. Karlos and Alex were standing both my sides as the host and coordinator of the event as we smiled in front of the cameras.

The photographers quickly moved in, capturing the moment with a flurry of flashes.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Meanwhile at the penthouse suite

Rex was the first to stir. He padded into the living room, flicking on the television, then to the kitchen for a glass of water. Mid-sip, he froze. Remillia’s name flashed across the screen. He practically choked on his water, then saw the rider remove their helmet. It was Remillia.

"Guys!" Rex yelled, startling the still-sleeping figures. "Come quick! Watch this!"

Startled, the others jolted awake, looking at Rex with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"What? Is there an intruder?" Edge grumbled, clearly not pleased with the interruption.

"Yeah, why are you yelling?" Christian mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes and checking his smartwatch. "It’s 12 in the afternoon."

"Just look at the screen!" Rex exclaimed, pointing a finger at the television.

They gathered around, their sleep-fogged brains slowly piecing together the image on the screen. Rex replayed the video, and they watched, stunned, as Remillia expertly navigated a treacherous motorcycle deathmatch race, ultimately claiming first place.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

After the photo ops, the crowd buzzed with excitement, eager to snap pictures with me—even the riders who had once mocked me were now lining up, wanting to chat and take selfies. But I quickly said my goodbyes to Alex and Karlos.

"Bye, Alex!" I waved as I turned to Karlos.

"You don’t want to stay for your fans?" Karlos asked, a teasing glint in his eye.

I shot him a glare, fully aware of his intentions. "Not gonna happen. I joined for the money, not for the fame."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You should really consider joining international tournaments. You’ve got the skills to become a pro racer."

"Thanks, but goodbye for now," I replied, cutting off any further conversation.

I headed off to change, instructing a staff member to bring my motorcycle to my tent. If I went to retrieve it myself, I knew I’d be swarmed by fans. Once the staff returned with my bike, I transformed it back into a bracelet.

I sneaked in through the back of the tent, eager to avoid the crowd waiting outside. After making sure no one was around, I quickly made my way back to the resort, clutching my trophy, shopping bags, and the oversized check.

As I stepped inside the suite, the group stared at me, their eyes wide with surprise, but I brushed past them, heading straight to my room to sort through my things. They trailed behind me, clearly expecting an explanation, but I ignored them, focusing on fixing my things.

I headed to the bathroom to take a much-needed bath. Just as I was about to close the door, I caught sight of them still planning to follow me in. With a swift motion, I slammed the door shut, the sound echoing loudly.

After I finished my bath and changed into a fresh set of clothes, I found them all sitting in the living room, waiting for me. I plopped down beside them and asked, "What do you want to know?"

"From the start," Whitney said eagerly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Haven’t you read my note?" I replied, raising an eyebrow. "I mentioned I’d be out for a while to buy clothes and toiletries."

"Then what happened?" Christian pressed, leaning forward.

"I was supposed to come straight back here, but since you all were still asleep, I figured I’d end up bored. So, I decided to join a motorcycle track race and, well, I won first place," I said, a hint of pride creeping into my voice.

"Wow, you’re really amazing!" Christian exclaimed, his admiration evident.

"Can you teach me how to ride a motorcycle? You looked so cool racing out there!" Rex asked, his excitement palpable.

"Show-off," Edge muttered under his breath.

I shot him a look. "At least I got first place," I replied, smirking. "Unlike some people who only managed second."

Edge glared at me but chose to ignore my jab.

Angela stood up, clapping her hands to get our attention. "It’s now 12:30. Let’s go have some lunch first, and then we can dive into what I have planned for today!"

We stepped out again, searching for a nearby restaurant, but it quickly became a mess when people nearby recognized my face.

"Hey, isn’t that the girl who won the motorcycle race a while ago?" one person exclaimed.

"Let’s go ask her for a selfie!" another chimed in.

"Miss?! Are you the one who won the motorcycle race?" someone shouted from across the room.

"Aahh! She’s so beautiful!" another voice added.

"Can we see your motorcycle?" someone else asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"You look so cool riding your motorcycle!" another fan gushed.

We moved from one restaurant to another, but each time, I was surrounded by people asking for selfies or autographs. After a few attempts, we finally found a private restaurant where I could enjoy my meal without the constant interruptions.

"It seems you’re getting popular now," Cypher teased, a playful grin on his face.

"I’ll only be trending for a few days, then I’ll be quickly forgotten. You know how social media is these days," I replied, shrugging it off.

"Well, at least you’re famous," Cypher said, still smirking.

When the food arrived, we dug in heartily, the delicious aromas filling the air as we chatted and laughed, enjoying the moment together.

Afterwards, I thought we would head to a hot spa for some relaxation, but it turned out Angela had scheduled a workout instead, and only Rex seemed to be enjoying it. Starting at 2 PM, we dove into swimming, and Angela was relentless—she wouldn’t have stopped if it weren’t for Christian, who nearly drowned after being forced to swim a hundred laps.

Next, we tackled rock climbing on the tallest mountain in Merizona. We had to force Rex and Angela to take a break midway, their competitive spirits pushing them to keep going. Then came tightrope walking, which was a disaster for Whitney, who fainted at the sight of it.

By the time we finally returned to the suite at 10 PM, our bodies were battered and exhausted from the day’s activities. We collapsed into our rooms, too tired to even think about dinner. Only Angela and Rex were sleeping peacefully, while the rest of us were left to recover from the whirlwind of adventure.