Francesca —a young woman with golden hair flowing around her— sank into the depths of darkness until she landed on a brightly lit golden path. Her expression was somber; her athletic arms refused to help her reach the shimmering surface. The closer her body drew to the golden path, the more it seemed to resist her will, as if trying to pull away. When her bare foot gently touched the radiant trail, she suddenly returned to reality, emerging at the surface. Gasping for air near the riverbank, she tore off her swimming cap and threw it hard onto the ground. Her frustration was visible. She drew her knees close, rested her head on them, and released a soft sigh before looking up at the top of the waterfall.
She realized that what the stranger had asked of her was impossible—something only a salmon could achieve. Then, a memory surfaced: her father's voice, smiling as he said, "Keep going. Even if I can't see you, I'll never stop cheering for you."
That was enough. She stood up again, pulled her cap back on, and leapt once more into the water. With the waterfall just ahead, she began climbing against the current. The pulse of the cascade quickly overwhelmed her strength, sending her plunging into the depths of the river. With great skill, she recovered and resurfaced, trying again.
Her willpower was unshakable. Each time she was thrown back into the small lake, she refused to give up for even a second. After what felt like hours, Francesca finally emerged from the water, wringing out her hair before tying it into a ponytail. She quickly put her athletic clothes over her swimsuit, and as she was lacing her sneakers, she heard branches snapping nearby. Turning her head, she saw the man approaching.
Man: "What do you think you're doing? You haven't finished the test yet."
Francesca: standing up, meeting his gaze firmly "Of course not. And when I come back, I'll continue. But now I have responsibilities to take care of, so…" she started running toward the city "…goodbye!"
Celeritas —one of the most prestigious schools in all of Guarly. Only geniuses were allowed to enter, whether their talents were academic or physical. Those gifted with ability and wealth could attend. Hundreds of students wore their uniforms with pride—soft red jackets with hand-embroidered golden initials, and either gray pants or skirts with green stripes. Say what they would, it looked good on everyone.
In Classroom 1-A, Francesca stood at the board, solving a complex equation at incredible speed. When she finished, she handed the marker to her teacher, who watched in stunned silence, mouth slightly open. The blonde girl with sky-blue eyes waited for the woman to say whether she had done it correctly. The teacher, still shocked, coughed awkwardly to compose herself before saying, "Very well, Miss Sejuk. You may return to your seat. It's impressive that you managed to solve this compound. You may go."
Francesca turned gracefully, her golden hair swaying as the envious gazes of her classmates followed her. She wandered through the quiet halls of the academy, remembering that her best friend should be free at that hour. She ran toward the gym, pushing open the doors to find a tall, athletic young man with light brown hair and beautiful green eyes, wearing his basketball uniform. He hadn't noticed her, so she snuck up from behind and gave him a small scare.
Gregorio: laughing "Hahaha! Damn it, Fran! How's everything going?"
Francesca: sitting on the nearest bleachers "Good. And you, Gregorio?"
Gregorio: practicing dunks "Glad to hear it… How's your training going for the match against the Russian girl?"
Francesca: "Great. I know I'll win."
Gregorio: shooting another ball "That's what I love about you—you radiate confidence."
Francesca: "Look who's talking—the captain of five different sports teams."
They both laughed, sharing an easy, familiar conversation. When the bell rang for recess, Francesca left, knowing how many girls would rush to watch Gregorio practice. The rest of the day passed uneventfully for someone with her raw talent.
The next morning, Francesca was once again swimming, trying to climb the waterfall—but she still failed. After about thirty attempts, she thought it was foolish to keep trying something so absurd. Searching her thoughts for an answer, she remembered what the man had told her the week before: "You want to make those movements, huh? Then you'll just have to find calm…"
With that in mind, she took a moment to clear her head and body of every thought except her task. Diving into the water again, this time she began to ascend the powerful current of the waterfall. Halfway up, however, images of training with her father flashed through her mind, shattering the calm she had found—and she was thrown once more into the depths by the waterfall's force.