Coming toward the end, Seth pushed further again, leaving a gap between the two. Rai smiled and decided she'd forget about the race now. Now that she'd gotten started and only had a few more laps left, she just wanted to run. She didn't feel tired anymore. No, she felt exhilarated. She could finish this in no time.

Throwing away all thoughts and cares for the time being, she charged ahead again, getting a good lead on Seth. She just ran...and she was oddly surprised by how good it felt.

Finally, she closed in on the last lap. She passed the starting place and continued on for another few feet before she slowed and lay down in the grass out of the way of everyone. Smiling, she stared up at the sunlit sky, admiring how alive everything felt. Alive... she thought with a pleasant smile. Now, that was a word that didn't usually hang around her for very long.