Broken Beginnings | His Little Angel

From the viewing area where Astra stood, she could see the entire track laid out before her. The track started with a series of wooden hurdles placed at varying heights. Next came a narrow path through a muddy puddle that looked deep enough to swallow a boot. Beyond that lay a winding stretch of uneven terrain dotted with sharp turns and rocky outcroppings. The final section was a straight sprint to the finish line. 

Four checkpoints were marked with bright red flags, where team members would be waiting to take over. 

Emrys was already mounted on his horse at the first checkpoint. At the other end of the starting line, his opponent from the rival team did the same. Further along the track, Astra could see Silas, Ziyan, and Rowan at their respective checkpoints. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," called out one of the students who had volunteered to referee, "the rules are simple. Complete the course, tag your teammate at each checkpoint, and don't skip any obstacles. First team to cross the finish line wins!" He raised a flag high in the air. 

"Riders ready?"

Both Emrys and his opponent nodded, gripping their reins tightly.

"On your mark... get set..."

A whistle pierced the air, and they were off. 

Emrys took an early lead, his horse clearing the hurdles with ease. His opponent wasn't far behind, pushing hard to close the gap. The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles, but Astra stood still, her silver eyes following the riders.

Approaching the first checkpoint, Emrys had built a small lead. Silas's horse was already in motion as Emrys's hand touched his shoulder, not a second wasted. The muddy section that had looked so treacherous from a distance proved no challenge for Silas.

Ziyan took over at the next checkpoint. The lazy smirk on his was gone, replaced by a serious expression. The cheers grew louder for Ziyan, almost deafening surprising Astra. Her gaze shifted from Ziyan to the crowd for a second, noticing how the girls were looking at him with dreamy eyes, and then shifted her attention back to Ziyan. She could understand why the girls were going crazy over him. At this moment, Ziyan looked no different from a prince charming riding on his black stallion that one would read in a novel. 

The gap widened. By the time Ziyan approached Rowan's checkpoint for the final leg, their team had a solid lead. It was evident now why they had seemed so confident earlier. This did not look like some casual high school competition. These boys knew what they were doing.

Then came Rowan's turn. Rowan's horse was a chestnut mare, smaller than the others but incredibly fast. But the moment he started his run, something shifted. A wave of fear hit Astra so suddenly that it nearly knocked her back. 

She watched as Rowan leaned forward, his knuckles white against the reins. To most observers, the horse's movements might have looked normal, just a bit more spirited than usual. But Astra's silver eyes narrowed as she watched the mare's gait. 

"It's out of control," she muttered. 

Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the four-step stairs leading down to the track. Mid-stride, she changed her mind, vaulting over the railing instead. Her silver hair created a curtain around her face when she landed on the grass below. 

Near the edge of the track, a worker was holding the reins of a pure white horse. Astra ran straight for them. Some of the students had noticed her movements and could not help but question what she was doing. One even tried to stop her but she seemed to have not heard them at all. 

"Let me borrow him for a moment," Before the startled worker could properly respond, she'd already taken the reins and swung herself into the saddle with ease.

Her silver hair streamed behind her as she urged the white horse forward, quickly closing the distance between her and Rowan. By now, the others had also noticed that something was wrong with Rowan's horse it had started running in the wrong direction. 

"Rowan!" she called out, bringing her mount alongside his. "Take my hand!"

"What the hell are you doing here, Astra!?" Rowan was startled by her sudden appearance before his eyes narrowed in anger. "Leave before you get hurt!" 

"Now is not the time, Rowan," She stretched her hand toward him. "Take my hand!"

The mare reared slightly, nearly throwing him off. 

"Trust me," she added and for the first time since Rowan had seen her, he saw emotions in her eyes.

For a moment, he forgot he was riding a horse that had lost control and stared in those silver eyes. 

"Rowan!" her voice snapped him out. 

Rowan hesitated for only a moment but his mare's frantic movements left him little choice. He reached out, and in one fluid motion, Astra helped him shift from his horse to hers. The mare's wild gallop was now far behind them, left to the frantic shouts of the event staff trying to corral her.

Rowan's breath came in ragged gasps as he clung to Astra. "I almost died just now," he murmured, his hold on her tightening as the true extent of the situation started to settle in his mind. 

Astra's attention turned to the mare was still running, and now it was veering toward the crowd. The staff seemed to be unable to get it under control. Panic filled in the air and screams echoed as everyone scrambled to get out of the way.

"Get off," Astra ordered.

"What?" Rowan asked, his voice still shaky from the adrenaline coursing through him. He was still in a haze due to what had happened. 

"Get off the horse, now!"

Confusion flashed across Rowan's face, but something in her tone made him comply immediately. He stumbled but managed to stay upright. Before he could even process what had just happened, Astra had already spurred the white horse forward, leaving him behind.

What happened next was something no one expected. Astra leaned low over the horse's neck, her silver hair streaming behind her. The white horse seemed to understand Astra's intentions perfectly, accelerating past the runaway mare before wheeling around in a tight turn.

Suddenly, she sharply pulled the reins, making the white stallion rearing up on its hind legs with a loud whinny that echoed across the field. The mare skidded to a halt, its path blocked. It tried to bolt in another direction, but before it could, Ziyan appeared from the side.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The crowd had gone completely silent, watching the scene with wide eyes. The wind picked up, catching Astra's silver hair and sending it fluttering. Ziyan's breath caught in his throat. His heart, which had been pounding from the chase, now thudded for an entirely different reason. For the first time, Ziyan forgot where he was. The crowd, the horses, even the chaos that had happened, all of it faded into the background.

All he could see was the silver-haired girl before him.