After seven long years, Selene slid back into the driver’s seat of the Solarius
It was as if something deep in her veins awoke; every cell in her body seemed to jelt to life, electrified by the engine’s roar that rumbled through her core
A shiver ran through her. She could hear her own heart pounding, fierce and wild–a sound she hadn’t known in years. For the first time in so long, she felt truly alive.
Adrian lounged in the passenger seat, eyes closed, savoring the surge of adrenaline as the car hurtled down the highway.
Today, the Solarius was different. In Selene’s hands, it was reborn. The machine purred, nearly feral–restored to its former glory.
“Floor it all you want,” Adrian said, grinning. “If you get a ticket, I’ll take the blame
Selene tried to steady her voice, hiding her excitement. “No need. If the speed cameras catch us, they’ll take the points off my license anyway.”
Solarius thundered down the open road, its growl turning heads as it flew by pedestrians.
“Did you see that just now? Something just shot past!”
“Was that a swallow? It zipped by so fast I almost missed it.”
“In this season? Swallows don’t show up around here now. Maybe we’re seeing things!”
People on the sidewalk craned their necks, chattering in amazement.
Up ahead, Selene spotted a group of spoiled rich kids–Felicity’s usual crowd–showing off on the highway. Their souped–up cars blasted music, neon lights glowing bright against the dim stretch of road.
The Solarius wove effortlessly through the chaos, its black silhouette a shadow among their garish rides. In a blink, Selene overtook them all.
“Holy crap! What was that?”
Shouts erupted from inside the other cars. Someone frantically pulled up the dashcam footage.
“It’s the Solarius!” one guy cried, voice trembling with excitement. “No way see that? That’s the Solarius! The first car ever driven by a woman to place top three in the International Rally! That was her car!”
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Phones came out immediately. “Pull up the street cameras, now! I need to know where Solarlus is headed!”
“Didn’t the original owner sell it years ago?* another chimed in. “Back then, it went for seventy million at auction. Some collector from Aldonia bought it, right?”
“No amateur could drive that fast. That was a pro behind the wheel.”
“I have to meet the owner! If I can just touch that car, my life’s complete!”
“Felicity! I just saw the Solarius! I swear! My dashcam caught the whole thing–come check it out!”
Preschool parking lot.
Dames and Felicity were sitting in the back of Harrison’s Maybach.
Dames fiddled with a compact crossbow in his lap, utterly absorbed. Felicity had her phone pressed to her ear, rolling her eyes as she listened in.
“Are you serious?” she scoffed. “You must be seeing things. Maybe you had one too many drinks last night.”
Felicity’s own custom bike was named Solarius, an homage to that legendary Aldonian sports car that blazed through the international championships years
ago.
Everyone in the racing scene assumed the Solarius was locked away in a collector’s garage after its auction–no one expected the legend to ever hit the streets again.
“There are tons of Solarius knock–offs in Capital City. You definitely saw the wrong car,” Felicity insisted.
But even as she said it, a sleek black sports car slid into view. Among the rows of ordinary vehicles, its fluid, effortless movement stood out as it reversed into a space–no wasted motion, no hesitation.
“Is that… the Solarius?” Felicity blurted out, unable to hide her awe.
“What a gorgeous car!” Dames breathed.
He sat up straight, instantly forgetting the toy crossbow. His eyes shone as he stared at the black sports car.
The car doors opened upward like wings.
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Selene and Adrian stepped out.
“Mommy?!” Damen shouted, shock and delight mingling in his voice. Felicity’s face blanched
“Mom’s driving that amazing sports car!”
“You’re mistaken. She’s not the one behind the wheel!” Felicity snapped, a little too quickly. “Those cars are all imported–you know, steering wheel’s on the right.”
But as she watched Selene climb out from the driver’s side, Felicity’s expression darkened. Why was Selene getting out of Adrian’s car?
“I want to go see that car!” Dames said, already reaching for the door.
Felicity caught his arm. “Relax–I’m good friends with the owner of that car. If you want to check it out, I can arrange it anytime!”
Then she smiled slyly. “Hey, Dames, you know this time of day? That’s when the mice come out. Want to use your crossbow and be a hero?”
“Yes!” Dames nodded eagerly.
Felicity led him away, keeping her eyes on Selene until they disappeared from sight.
Selene headed straight for the preschool building.
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