Luminary Institute

59: Riverbank Chaos

Sat on the grass, Nyssa and Celeste cuddled up next to each other as the riverbank filled with students from all years. Basked under the glow of floating paper lamps, yet shrouded by the coziness of a warm night, they kept to themselves, chatting and sprinkling each other with grass to pass the time. The riverbank, with the boat race drawing near, filled with the hustle of life; laughter, chatter, and cheers from the astounding number of students who had shown up dominated the air. 

A streamer shot across the river with a “BANG” after a student set it off in an effort to launch an aerial strike against his friends. Screams of laughter sounded out after a wrestling match ended in a splash—both contestants striding out of the water dripping wet, but arm in arm. 

Both sides of the narrow river, though, fell quiet when the roar of a motor engine filled the air. A wooden barge with an elevated stage came chugging down river, carrying on it, a pair of hosts bedazzled in glimmering outfits and masquerade masks trendy in decades past. One jumped up and down while running in circles around the stage, waving his arm up and down to get the crowd cheering. “ARE YOUUU READY? WE’RE BACK, BETTER THAN EVER!” 

“Welcome, welcome!” The second host smiled while striking a dramatic pose to unfurl a feathery fan. Her silky smooth voice sent a wave of cheers down the riverbank. Before anyone knew it, a human wave had begun as well, streaking down one side before racing back up the other. 

“We chose a good place to sit,” Nyssa laughed, the infectious atmosphere getting her to raise her shoulders with the beat of the barge’s ear-blasting music. “Just a little bit off the center.” 

“You’re right, we’re practically center stage,” Celeste marveled as she bobbed her head up and down. “I didn’t expect this event to be so packed either...” 

As Nyssa opened her mouth to reply, the barge’s music fell quiet once more to let the hosts speak. Now back to center stage, the first host twirled a crystalline cane in the air before tapping it on the ground, each click echoing through the air. “This is our second annual riverbank race! Due to the success last year, we’re ABSOLUTELY HONORED TO BE BACK! Let’s hear it!” 

After pausing to let another wave of shouts and claps go by, he motioned up to the screen behind him. “As you know! This is a competition open to fourth years only where they build boats in groups of one or two! Together, they’ll be racing down this narrow river to see who makes it down and back first!” 

“However~” The other host covered her mouth with the fan. “We can’t forget the real draw of this race, can we? Just like last year! THE USE OF POWERS IS ALLOWED!” 

An explosion of cheers rang out. Nyssa and Celeste, unaware, could only look to the other for answers. Before they could decide whether or not a question to the nearby group of upperclassmen would be worth it, the second host continued. “There is an unrestricted ban on all audience members and racers to use their powers in the upcoming race. You can support, or harm, those who you want!” 

“We do, however, have some rules that must be upheld,” The first host paused his subtle dancing. “In order to have this event return under official jurisdiction from the institute, we must make this clear today. The first! All racers must stay in the water unless they’ve been blasted out by powers! Leaving counts as resigning... so... if any audience members see them leave, CHEER! And we’ll be right over! As for power usage, only racers are valid targets, NOT other audience members! Go sort your beef out in private! We’re here to party!” 

“So, let’s get this show on the road!” The second host twirled as a shower of golden sparks descended from the sky. The barge began drifting down the river once more towards the starting line. “WHO IS READY? WE HAVE THREE ROWS OF RACERS LINED UP!” 

“LET’S MAKE SOME NOISE IF WE WANT TO GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!” The first host pumped his arms once more as the crowd began hyping themselves up once more. He pulled out a starting gun, and as screens floating in the air all the way down the river fired to life, he raised the gun towards the sky. 

“We have to do something, Nyssa,” Celeste rubbed her hands together as a floating paper lamp cast a faint warm glow across her face. “Do you want to help Electra or Ryker?” 

“Let’s... let’s not help them,” Nyssa sat upright, copying the hand rubbing for a second before leaning forward and clinging on to Celeste as laughs escaped from her lips. “They wouldn’t know it's us right? It... it can be revenge for all the times they ditched us to do cleaning duty!” 

“You’re so right,” Celeste wrapped her arms around the laughing Nyssa, pulling her into a hug. “Let’s do some... as Conrad would say it, let’s do some trolling!” 

Celeste’s smile though, twitched for a moment as Nyssa squeezed her into the hug. Her face heated up and she returned the squeeze. My face’s just warm from the atmosphere, right? The cheering, loud music, and rabid crowd... right?

... Nyssa won’t be able to tell I'm blushing under this light... right?

Nyssa, meanwhile, had no thoughts to spare for Celeste after getting pulled into an unexpected hug. I... I hope my pounding heart rate isn’t obvious... 

Detaching with an awkward cough, the two fell silent once more. Before any real tension or embarrassment could form though, the crack of the starter pistol drew their attention elsewhere. 

The crowds roared as the sound of splashing could be heard from downstream. Already, Nyssa could hear the sound of explosions, freezing, and fighting. As she scrambled to her feet and craned her neck to peek around the nearby upperclassmen, an arched tunnel of metal appeared, shrouding the first section of the river. 

Just as fast as it appeared though, did it begin to disappear. The roar of a phoenix, a rain of lightning bolts, a huge lance of ice, and the laughter of the spectators. Sections of the tunnel went flying, others crunched by brute strength, and others... evaporated by the onslaught of attacks from the audience.

Nyssa, trembling as her jaw fell down, couldn’t help but ask herself: Will there even be a river by the end of this? 

“Will there be a river by the end of this?” Celeste furrowed her eyebrows after she stood up next to Nyssa. 

“My thoughts exactly,” Nyssa shook her head as she took a half-step back. After bumping into Celeste though, she apologized with an awkward cough as the two made eye contact once more. “... A-Anyway, do you want to talk about how we could affect the situation? There’s gotta be something we can do as Class Zero students! I have some transformations that might be helpful...”