The riders jumped on their horses, and the crowd exploded in cheers, as they shot forward.
As expected, Vento the black stallion took the lead, raising the cheers higher into the heavens.
Valentina kept her camera on video mode, capturing every single second of the race.
"Vento!" The crowd sang repeatedly, praising the stallion.
Half of them had bet on him after all. They could smell their returns within grasps.
But the chestnut lagged behind. No matter how much its rider tried to propel it forward, it simply refused to go faster than normal speed.
Marcello hissed in frustration. "We'll lose everything."
Valentina's chest squeezed tightly on hearing his words.
He lacked faith, but she didn't.
"You can do it," she said in her heart, as she set her lens on the chestnut.
Knowing horses for as long as she had, she knew it just needed a moment. One tiny moment to fly.
Elio was silent. Too silent.
Taking her eyes off the lens for a few seconds, she spared him a glance.
His eyes were focused on the race, as his hands grappled the seat.
She saw the vein bulging from his hand, and face, proving just how anxious he was.
"It's fine," she muttered under her breath, as she returned to watching the race..
The horse track in the arena was built in circles. Which meant the horses had to go round the trail, and then back to the starting line, which would also serve as the finish line.
Silence descended, as the horses turned round.
The people at the opposite side of the area Valentina was seated, all turned their necks to see the horses turn.
But from Valentina's position, they didn't need to turn. They could see everything happen.
One of the horses took the lead from the stallion at the turn, and the crowd erupted in surprise.
The sudden noise caused the chestnut which was gaining rhythm, to fall behind again.
Elio let out a sigh.
"It's fine," Valentina thought, still keeping the faith.
"Elio must be pissing his body right now. He's about to be a seventh time loser!" Hector joked through the mic, and everyone burst out in laughter.
Pity rose in Valentina, and for a moment there, she almost questioned her knowledge.
"No, it's fine."
The riders got to the stumbling heaps they had to jump over, and everyone went silent again.
Immediately the crowd quieted, the chestnut neighed, and shot forward in a burst.
Through her lens, Valentina captured the moment even her riders eyes widened in surprise.
The silence deepened. Everyone's eyes widened in concentration, as the chestnut leaped majestically over the stumbling heaps.
She heaved past the horse before her, and then the other, and then the other, clearly enjoying herself now.
"What the fuck?" Elio leaned out of his chair, his eyes widened almost all the way to the back.
"Yes baby. Yes," Valentina muttered under her breath, as the chestnut trailed only behind the stallion which had regained the peak position.
The tension in the air was thick, as everyone now sat at the edge of their seats, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
In the last lap, and as all the horses successfully made the turn, the stallion surged forward, sensing that there was a challenger behind him.
"Go baby, go," Valentina continued to cheer on the chestnut from her little corner, knowing she hadn't even reached her full potential just yet.
The finish line came into focus, but the stallion was still in the lead.
It was down to this moment. Everyone's heart raced, saliva dried in their tongue, their eyes widened, and thick veins lined the sides of their heads as they concentrated.
Everyone who bet on the stallion began to cheer in celebration, as they calculated there was no way the chestnut would hurdle over the finish line before their stallion.
"Yeah, that was fun while it lasted." Elio reclined into his seat in defeat.
But it happened so fast. One leap was all it took, and the chestnut in her grace, came down directly across the finish line.
The bell rang immediately.
Complete silence descended the arena. And then Hector's voice returned with a bang.
"MammaMia! Flore wins!"
"Huh?!" Elio's eyes widened, as he jumped to his feet.
From her position, Valentina smiled. "Well-done baby," she whispered to the horse.
"Who says the impossible cannot happen. Elio and Marcello won it all. They win it all!" Hector's voice bellowed thunderously.
"Fratello!" Marcello jumped, and hugged Elio tightly.
The rest of the crowd broke into fractions. One half celebrated Elio with cheers, the others murmured in absolute disbelief of what had just happened.
Valentina lowered herself to the floor of the staircase as more people began to look their way.
"Come over Elio and Marcello. You are the people's champion. Come take your championship belt!" Hector called out to them.
Valentina took pictures from her position, capturing the joy and smiles in their faces.
Before Elio made any move, he turned in search of Valentina.
"Over here," she whispered from her position below.
"Thank you. I owe you," he said sincerely.
She smiled. "Go celebrate." She mouthed, and nudged her head.
"I'll be right back. Stay right there."
Valentina took pictures of both men as they walked down the flight of stairs to the center of the arena.
She also captured the celebration happening all around.
Although it was difficult to do from the position she was, she managed to maneuver the hurdles, just like the chestnut did.
On their way down, the crowd suddenly descended into chaotic cheers.
"The LuceNera just arrived!" Hector announced.
Valentina straightened up, and sat right back in her chair.
Now that the boys were not beside her anymore, she was certain no one would look her way.
She readied the camera with her heart in her mouth, and immediately the crowd parted, Luciano became visible.
Her breath caught in her chest as she clicked.
He looked every bit the God everyone in the arena obviously considered him as, judging by their insane reaction to his arrival.
The dark fur coat he wore over the vest and pants combo. His hair left to fly freely in the wind. His face, perfectly chiseled. And lastly— his eyes.
Valentina captured every single moment, as if she was in a trance of some sort..
She couldn't stop taking pictures of him.
"Luce!" Elio, who was only walking before, began to run. "I won Luce! I won!"
She captured him, and then shifted back to Luciano's reaction.
He smacked Elio's arms playfully, and placed a kiss on top of his head.
It was perfect. Everything was perfect. Even Daniela jumping to hug him, sending a clear message to every wandering eyes, was perfect in that moment through her lens.
Valentina rose to her feet. Capturing the crowd's reaction. Capturing the chestnut, as people rallied to take pictures with her Capturing its rider's face filled with relief, and joy.
She continued to walk away, capturing every bit she could take in with the arena.
By the time she stumbled out of the trance photography always propelled her into, she was at the parking lot of l'arenaNera.