Lost From Light Vs Nightingale
The court was silent, the air thick with anticipation. The rest of the cohort stood at the sidelines, watching as Sunny and Kai stepped forward, their rackets in hand.
Effie grinned, twirling a tennis ball in her fingers. "Alright, ground rules before we start. No Aspects, no enhancements, no supernatural reflexes. Just pure skill."
Sunny gave her a deadpan look. "What skill? I've never played tennis in my life."
Kai smirked, spinning his racket effortlessly. "Then this will be fun."
Sunny narrowed his eyes at her. "You sound very confident that I'll lose."
Cassie chuckled. "Well… you are going up against Kai."
Effie nodded in agreement. "Exactly. He's got the looks, the charm, and the coordination of a born athlete. Meanwhile, you've got…" She gestured vaguely at Sunny. "A decent backhand?"
Sunny scowled. "I don't even know what that is."
Kai just laughed, tossing the ball into the air before catching it again. "Don't worry, Sunny. I'll go easy on you."
Something about the way he said it made Sunny's blood boil.
Nephis noticed the shift in his expression and stepped closer, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Don't let him get to you. Just focus."
Sunny exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He wasn't about to let Kai humiliate him in front of everyone.
Effie clapped her hands together. "Alright, get into position! The battle of the century is about to begin!"
As Sunny and Kai took their spots on opposite sides of the net, Cassie raised her hand.
"Ready?"
A pause.
Then-
"Play!"
The first serve was Kai's.
Sunny adjusted his grip on the racket, knees slightly bent, eyes locked onto his opponent. Across the net, Kai stood in effortless confidence, spinning the ball in his palm like he had done this a thousand times before.
The sun was high, casting long shadows on the court. A faint breeze rustled the leaves in the distance, but in this moment, everything else faded. It was just the two of them now.
Kai tossed the ball into the air.
Then-
Smack!
The serve was fast. Too fast.
Sunny barely had time to react before the ball rocketed past him, hitting the ground and bouncing against the fence behind him.
"Fifteen-love." Cassie's voice rang out, calm and neutral.
Effie winced. "Oof. That was brutal."
Nephis remained silent, watching.
Sunny exhaled through his nose, turning back toward Kai, who stood with an easy smirk.
"That was a warm-up. Don't feel bad."
Sunny rolled his shoulders.
'Alright, damned pretty boy. Let's see how long you can keep that up.'
Kai served again, and this time, Sunny moved.
His instincts took over, body reacting before his mind could fully process it. His racket swung forward-
Thwack!
The ball soared back over the net.
Kai grinned, as if he had been waiting for this. He stepped into the return effortlessly, sending the ball speeding toward Sunny's left.
Sunny lunged - too slow.
Out.
"Thirty-love." Cassie's voice remained even.
Sunny clenched his jaw, gripping the racket tighter.
This wasn't working. If he just reacted to Kai's shots, he'd always be a step behind.
He had to read him.
Kai served again, and this time, Sunny watched, not just the ball, but the way Kai's body moved. The slight shift in his stance, the positioning of his arm. A second before he even hit the ball, Sunny knew where it was going.
He stepped into place before it even crossed the net.
Smack!
The ball cut through the air, Kai darted to meet it. The rally began.
Back and forth, the ball flew, each strike faster, sharper. Kai's relaxed posture was gone, replaced with keen focus. Sunny's mind was sharp, his body adjusting instinctively, each return more controlled than the last.
Effie let out a low whistle. "Alright, maybe this is a real match."
Nephis's eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
Sunny focused. He wasn't going to let Kai win that easily.
Kai, on the other hand, grinned. "Now this is getting interesting."
And with that, he sent a wicked shot straight for the corner of the court.
Sunny ran.
He sprinted across the court, his feet barely skimming the surface. The ball was rocketing toward the far corner, too fast.
'Damn it.'
He lunged, twisting his body mid-stride. His racket barely connected-
Thwack!
The ball shot back across the net, a sharp, low return that barely skimmed the surface.
Kai was already moving.
He slid into position with infuriating grace, his footwork light and controlled. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the ball curving to the opposite side.
Sunny gritted his teeth. He could see it now.
Kai wasn't just playing fast. He was controlling the game, dictating the pace, pushing Sunny exactly where he wanted him.
'Not this time.'
Instead of scrambling after the ball blindly, Sunny cut his movement short, anticipating the next shot. As expected, Kai returned the ball in the same pattern, predictable, if only by a fraction of a second.
This time, Sunny was ready.
With a sharp pivot, he slammed the ball back-
A perfect shot, slicing just above the net.
Kai's eyes widened slightly.
'Got you.'
The ball hit the ground and skidded sideways, impossible to catch.
"Thirty-fifteen." Cassie's voice was quiet, but there was a hint of amusement beneath it.
Effie whooped. "There we go! Finally!"
Nephis, arms crossed, simply nodded.
Kai's grin returned, brighter than before. He spun the racket in his hand, eyes alight with excitement. "Alright. You're getting serious now."
Sunny exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "You thought I wasn't before?"
Kai's smirk deepened. "Not really."
The next serve came fast, but this time, Sunny was already adapting.
The rally that followed was brutal.
Neither gave an inch, each shot sharper, faster, pushing the limits of what should have been a casual game.
The ball blurred between them.
Kai controlled the flow. Sunny disrupted it.
Kai struck with precision. Sunny countered with sheer unpredictability.
The score climbed.
Thirty-all.
Forty-thirty.
Deuce.
Effie was leaning forward, gripping the fence. Cassie sat still, but a faint smile played at her lips. Even Nephis was watching with a quiet intensity.
Then, the final rally began.
Kai served - lightning fast.
Sunny met it with equal force.
They moved in tandem, perfectly matched.
Back and forth.
A test of endurance.
A clash of instincts.
Then-
Kai shifted. A tiny movement, barely noticeable.
Sunny's eyes narrowed.
'There it is.'
Kai swung, sending the ball into the far left corner.
Sunny was already there.
With a sharp, decisive strike-
Smack!
The ball cut through the air, curving sharply at the last second—impossible to reach.
It hit the ground once.
Twice.
Out of reach.
Game.
Cassie's voice was calm but final. "Advantage, Sunny."
For the first time, Kai looked genuinely surprised.
Then, he laughed. "You really don't like losing, huh?"
Sunny smirked, breath still steady. "I don't lose."
Kai grinned. "We'll see about that."
The next serve was his, perhaps his final one.
The court felt smaller, the air heavier. Sweat beaded on Sunny's brow as he adjusted his grip. Across from him, Kai stood poised, twirling the tennis ball between his fingers with that same easy confidence.
But now, there was something else in his stance, a sharpness, a genuine focus. The fun, teasing energy was gone. He knew he could lose.
Sunny exhaled, his body tensed like a drawn bow.
One more point.
Kai tossed the ball up, his motion fluid and practiced.
Smack!
The ball shot forward, slicing through the air with vicious speed.
Sunny reacted instantly, his muscles burning as he lunged to meet it. He caught it with a controlled forehand, angling his return to send the ball screaming toward the far left corner.
Kai was already there.
He barely seemed to move as he flicked his wrist, sending the ball into a punishing counter-shot.
Sunny grit his teeth.
Back and forth.
Each hit was faster, sharper.
A battle of speed. A battle of endurance.
Kai sent a vicious slice toward Sunny's weak side.
But Sunny anticipated it.
Pivoting mid-step, he swung-
Crack!
The ball curved impossibly, dipping right over the net before bouncing low, skidding toward the edge of the court.
Kai sprinted
His racket met empty air.
The ball bounced once.
Twice.
The game was over.
Silence.
Then-
Effie screamed. "HE DID IT! HE ACTUALLY DID IT!"
Cassie smiled softly. "Game, set, match. Winner: Sunny."
Sunny straightened, his chest rising and falling with deep, controlled breaths. His arms felt like lead. His legs burned. But-
He won.
Kai let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. Then, he grinned.
"Hah… Guess I underestimated you."
Sunny smirked, tilting his head. "You did."
Kai chuckled, shaking his head before stepping forward, offering his hand. "Damn good game."
Sunny stared at the hand for a moment before grasping it, their grips firm.
Nephis finally moved, walking toward them with a rare, pleased expression. "Well played."
Effie threw her arm around Sunny's shoulders, grinning. "You just beat our resident champion, dude. You realize that, right?"
Sunny huffed, shaking his head. "I don't even like tennis."
Kai laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, you might now."
Cassie's voice was light with amusement. "And I believe this means Sunny wins the bet."
Effie's eyes widened. "Wait, what was the bet?"
Sunny smirked. "The loser has to carry all our gear home."
Kai groaned. "You bastard. Well, don't worry. We get to see the next game."
Sunny chuckled, looking at Nephis and Effie.
"Yeah.. we will."