Chapter 06

Chapter 06

His First Race

The crowd doubled in minutes.

Word spread fast—faster than caution ever could. By the time Kofi reached the engineering road, students lined both sides, phones raised, whispers buzzing with anticipation. Headlights cut long shadows across the asphalt. Somewhere, music thumped low, like a heartbeat trying to stay calm.

The prince stood beside his car, smiling like the outcome was already decided.

A sleek, heavily modified machine—too powerful for forgiveness.

“You’ll drive this,” the prince said, tossing Kofi the keys. “Since you know so much.”

Kofi caught them.

The weight was unfamiliar—but not frightening.

Inside, the car smelled of leather and money. He adjusted the seat, touched the wheel, and for a brief moment, the noise faded.

It felt… right.

Anita leaned into the window. Her voice was low. “Please. Be careful.”

Kofi nodded. “I will.”

He believed it.

The flag dropped.

The engine roared alive, violent and eager. Kofi launched hard—too hard. The car surged forward, power flooding the wheels faster than his instincts could balance. The prince’s car leapt ahead smoothly, controlled.

Kofi corrected. Too late.

The road curved sharply.

He felt it before it happened—the loss of grip, the wheel fighting back, the sickening slide. Metal screamed. The car spun, slammed sideways, and everything exploded into noise.

Glass shattered.

Fire flashed.

The world flipped.

When the car finally stopped, silence followed—thick and suffocating.

Then shouting.

Kofi crawled out, bleeding lightly, ears ringing. The car was ruined—front crushed, body twisted, smoke rising from the hood.

The prince finished the run and stepped out slowly, expression unreadable.

Anita pushed through the crowd, breathless. “Kofi!”

“I’m okay,” he said, though his hands trembled.

The prince walked up, eyes cold now.

“That,” he said quietly, “will cost you.”

The cost came quickly.

The damage bill was brutal—numbers Kofi had never imagined owing in his life. The prince didn’t shout. He didn’t threaten.

He smiled.

“You’ll pay,” he said. “One way or another.”

From that night on, the tone of campus changed.

Whispers followed Kofi everywhere. Laughter cut short when he entered rooms. Some admired him for the courage. Most mocked him for the crash.

‘Talker.’
‘Fake racer.’
‘Poor boy who wrecked somebody’s expensive car.’

The bullying was subtle—but constant.

Group chats excluded him. Opportunities vanished. Jokes landed like punches.

The prince never needed to touch him.

Debt did the work.

By mid-semester, Kofi was exhausted—working extra hours, skipping meals, falling behind in class. Anita tried to stay close, but the weight strained everything.

At night, Kofi replayed the crash in his mind—every mistake, every second.

He had raced once.

And it had cost him everything.

But buried beneath the shame and fear was something else—hard, quiet, unbroken.

He knew why he had lost.

And he knew it wouldn’t happen again.