Marcus/Rocco
The house never felt so empty. No one seemed to laugh
anymore. Noah still tried. Every now and then but it didn't just feel the same.
Even silence missed Seraphina. The training field
remained untouched. Her wooden practice swords still rested against the walls.
The coffee mug she'd forgotten to wash still sat
beside Darren's desk. Nobody wanted to move it. It felt wrong.
I stood in the training field. Sword in hand, for the
first time since she…
I couldn't move. Every stance reminded me of her.
"Your feet, Rocco."
"Again."
"You need to learn balance before strength."
I closed my eyes. My hands tightened around the hilt.
Across the room, Riley adjusted the harness attached
to her shoulder. It still wasn't comfortable. Nothing about it was.
She swung her baton and missed. Growled under her
breath and tried again.
Callie hadn't picked up her whip. She just sat on the
roof almost every evening. Watching the sunset.
Seraphina used to sit there with her… now, she sat
alone. Livia would quietly join her.
Silence was enough. Darren finally broke it.
"Guys, the readings changed." Every head turned. He
pointed toward the map and only one marker remained. It hadn't moved.
Noah frowned. "Do you think he's just waiting?"
"I don't think so," Darren zoomed out, "It's almost
like he's inviting us."
The room fell silent.
"Aldo wants us angry." I heard my own voice before I
realised I'd spoken. "He wanted his… higher demons to wear us down…" I
swallowed. "to take from us."
No one argued. Because deep down, we'd all reached the
same conclusions. All this had been planned from the beginning.
"So, what's the plan?" Noah folded his arms. Nobody
answered, then they all looked at me.
I hated how that felt and yet… I understood. I took a
slow breath. "We don't fight Aldo the way we've fought everyone else, he'd
expect that."
Everyone nodded. "Exactly." I continued.
"We split the responsibilities. Darren… you monitor
the Tears."
"If anything changes, we need to know immediately." He
nodded.
"Livia, you stay with Darren." She nodded.
"Noah," he straightened instinctively, "You're with
me."
"Always."
"Riley," she looked at me, "I need you watching
everyone's blind spots, there's only so much we can do." She smirked
"One arm, twice the attitude."
Finally, I looked at Callie. She hadn't spoken once.
Her left eye remained hidden beneath fresh bandages.
"Cal…" she slowly looked up then she stood and picked
up her whip.
"Let's do this." She said so softly, I barely heard
her.
That night, nobody slept. Weapons were sharpened,
supplies packed and ready. The building buzzed with quiet preparation.
Near midnight, I found myself outside. Snow drifted
gently through the darkness. I looked toward the stars. Valen appeared beside
me.
"We're ready." Valen just chuckled.
"The ones who think they are ready," he looked toward
the horizon, "usually are not."
I said nothing but nodded. We simply just stood there.
Watching snow settle across the trees.
Tomorrow, everything needed to end. One way or
another.
As dawn broke, Darren's computer emitted one final
beep. The room fell silent. He looked at the screen.
"They're waiting." I picked up my swords, looking at
everyone.
I smiled. Small but confident. "Let's bring everyone
home."
Noah grinned. Riley spun her baton, Callie tightened
her grip on her whip. Darren closed his laptop and Livia slung a medical bag
over her shoulder.
Together, we walked out of the training house.
For the last time.