Winner of Panhellenic Games 2022 - Olympic Games.

Olympic Games by TinayeWakatama

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The gods thought they were blessing us by giving us these powers, but little did they know that all they were doing was dooming our future.

The gods gave us these abilities centuries ago, and at the start, there had been no conflict, but as the years progressed human nature took over. People wanted more power and became greedier.

Racism was no longer about skin colour and ethnicity, but about your ability. There was a hierarchy. The Lighters, who controlled lightning, were the richest and most privileged, but also the proudest and bitter.

The Flames, who controlled fire, were wealthy but not as rich and privileged as Lighters.And Thunders, who controlled thunder, were poor, slaves treated like dirt because they were the weakest. Because they'd never won a game. The game that decided your power's position in society.

The Olympics game.

It happened once every 100 years. The Lighters were the reigning champions, winning every game for the past several centuries, which was why they were at the top.

The rules were simple, three people, each with a different ability, entered the arena and the last ability standing won. They had to defeat their opponents within 30 minutes, but if they failed to do so then the judges would decide the winner based on performance. Nobody ever survived, the Lighters always turned their opponents to ash within the first 5 minutes.

Anyone could sign up, but only the three best could qualify. The officials put up generous compensation for the families of those that entered the ring.

And that compensation was my only incentive for signing up. 

The games took place in the beautiful city of Olympus. They had pavements of gold, several mansions, and everyone was clothed in silk or some other expensive materials.

I tried not to gawk too much, but I couldn't manage to close my mouth when I entered the Palace. It was so shiny, so expensive. I could see my reflection everywhere I looked. Several chandeliers hung from the high roof, expensive vases stood on the golden pillars, mirrors and art hung from the exquisitely detailed walls. It was beautiful.

A palace guard approached me, asking why I was here but when I told him I wanted to sign up for the games he started laughing. 

I clenched my fists, and only when the chandeliers above us started rattling did the guard stop laughing.

He shot me a taunting, condescending grin instead, "control your temper, miss. I could turn you into dust." He held his hand out, palm up, and sparks sizzled. I swallowed, unclenching my fists. "I thought so." He said, pleased.

"I want to sign up," I repeated. "Where do I go to sign up for the games."

He clicked his fingers and a guard approached, handing him some machine before leaving again. It was small and black and I had no idea what it was. The guard pressed a button before asking me my name, age, ability, and occupation.

"Sorine Wakes," I answered in reply to his questions. "19 years, Thunder, Cleaner."

The guard then told me to repeat after him, so I did.

"I, Sorine Wakes, hereby sign up to take place in the Olympic Games. I promise to adhere to all authorities during the preparation and swear on my life that I will not change my mind if I'm chosen to enter the arena. If I become an Olympian, my death will not be held accountable by the authorities. If I kill, the blood of the dead will not be on my hands, and if I die, I die."

"Follow me," the guard said when he was done, and lead me through several halls and finally stopped before a door that was double my height. "Your fellow Thunders are in here."

I entered the room but was surprised to see so many Thunders. I imagined they were all only here for the money too. 

These people were my competition, because if I couldn't beat them then I wouldn't fight in the arena and get my family the compensation we desperately needed. 

There were three preparation games. The officials monitored and compared our scores, and the one who got the highest scores would proceed to fight in the arena. 

The first game challenged my strength. I was placed in a room with several items of different substances—glass, plastic, stone, wood and steel—and I had to destroy as many as I could in under three minutes using only my powers.

The glass was the easiest to destroy. I shook the room so all the glass fell and shattered. Then I went for the stone, placing both hands on the head of the statue, compressing my thunder and creating rumbles within the statue till it ruptured. I failed to destroy the other materials.

The second game challenged my control and accuracy. Several pictures hung on the walls, but I could only drop one. The smallest portrait. The fewer pictures I dropped, the higher my points would be. I had to harness my thunder. 

I dropped 7 portraits before I finally dropped the one I was meant to.

The final game challenged my durability. The longer I could utilize my power, the better. I had to keep the room trembling for as long as I could without tiring out. I had just reached the half-hour mark before my powers gave out. 

The officials compared the results and out of the Thunders I got the most points, meaning I was going to be the one to fight in the arena.

The next day I was escorted to the arena. I was led underground but I could hear several cheers coming from above ground. The guard who was walking with me told me to stand on a platform, to keep my hands to my side and not to move till I reached the top.

"Congratulations Sorine," the Guard said as the platform began rising. "You've just died."

Compared to the darkness belowground, the light was blinding and it took my eyes a second to adjust, but once they did, my breath suddenly left my lungs. The arena was humungous. The ground was covered in sand, and there was some barrier separating the thousands of spectators from us. The Lighter and the Flame rose from their platforms, but they weren't gawking like I was. They looked fearless, ravenous. And seeing them now, I realised just how stupid I was.

I'd willingly walked into my grave.

They looked in my direction and I marked the surprise on both their faces. They didn't spare me a second glance though, and I imagined they thought I was going to be an easy kill. But I wasn't going to allow myself to die that easily. 

I didn't need to win, all I had to do was stay alive for half an hour.

The Lighter and the Flame ran towards each other as soon as it was announced we begin.

I backed away.

I knew it was cowardly, but I wasn't that much of an idiot to run toward them. I'd keep my distance. It was only a matter of time until one of them killed the other, then I'd only have one person to deal with and—

I stopped in my tracks.

I couldn't wait until one of them died to get involved, it would prove everyone's opinions of Thunders being the weakest. I was sick and tired of Thunders being treated as slaves and in a condescending manner. I wanted to change that and if this was the only chance I could get, then I'd take it. So I took a step forward. Then another. Then another.

I knew what I had to do.

Thunders weren't good at inflicting damage like they were, but we were good for one thing, disruption. I wasn't going to kill anyone, but I was going to disrupt them from killing me, and each other.

The Lighter sparked up his fingers and the Flame formed a ball of fire but before they released I clenched both my fists, causing the ground to rumble so that they lost their balance and their shots went off course.

But that didn't stop them.

They only surged up again, doubling their power only to lose their balance again and miss their opponents. 

I was lucky that they had horrible balance, however, when they started targeting me, it was harder to avoid. A ball of fire singed my arm and I had several near misses with the lightning bolts.

They kept a good distance from each other, but it was clear who their current target was. Me. 

I kept my eye on the timer, willing for it to tick faster as I felt my energy slowly receding to nothing. 

They recharged and shot blow after blow, trying, but failing, to hit me. For now.

The Flame gave up on trying to hit me and instead aimed for the Lighter when he wasn't focusing. A flame ball hit him flat on the back, singeing his skin and bringing him to the ground. 

The Flame found his balance and managed to stand straight without stumbling like before. He formed a wall of fire all around the Lighter and slowly closed it around him. The Lighter was trapped, slowly suffocating in the flames. 

Above head, I noticed bolts of lightning flashing in the sky, hitting against the barrier. The Lighter was going to break it and strike the Flame. Once that barrier broke, the Flame was as good as dead, and so was I.

The Flame was too focused on the Lighter to notice what was going on around him. I unclenched my fists, ceasing my rumbling and sprinted toward the Flame. I tackled him and he hit the sand with a thump just as the barrier broke and a flash of lightning struck where he had just been standing.

His fire ceased but the Lighter's clothes were singed, and his eyes were sparked with rage.I glanced at the timer.

There was one minute left. 

I grabbed the Flame's hand, pulled him up and ran with him around the arena, lightning striking all around us. There were too many close calls, and I knew that one strike would turn us into ash, which made it scarier.

The Flame could kill me right now if he wanted. But he didn't. I imagined he was here for the same reason as me, the compensation, but only fought the Lighter because he knew that if he didn't then he'd die. 

I clenched my fist, occasionally rumbling the ground and making the Lighter lose his balance. 

30 seconds left.

The Lighter roared, summoning more sparks. One landed right in front of us, forcing us to stumble backwards.

25 seconds.

We changed our course, splitting up and running in a zig-zag motion to make it harder for the Lighter to hit us.

20 seconds.

He was ruthless. He wanted to get rid of us to prove his worth. His strength. There was never a time in history when a Lighter failed to prevail in the arena.

A bolt landed right by my feet, but I lost my balance this time and fell to the ground.

5 seconds.

The Lighter smirked, lifting both of his hands in my direction.

This was it.

I shut my eyes, hoping I wouldn't feel any pain.

And I didn't.

It was time up, but I was still alive.

I opened my eyes and saw the Lighter on the ground, his skin burnt. The Flame had saved me.I was still alive. We all were. And that had never happened before.

Since there was no last man standing, they had to decide the winner based on performance. The screens lit up and my breath caught when THUNDER appeared. Even the crowd gasped in shock.

Text appeared below:

'Because neither the Lighter nor the Flame could defeat the other in the presence of the Thunder, that's why they won.'