I woke up drenched in sweat, the echoes of Professor's voice still ringing in my ears. "Good job, March," he had said, but all I could see were my bloody hands. The nightmares of the training grounds had returned, haunting my sleep.
A knock at the door startled me out of my thoughts. I opened it to find September standing there, a smile on his face. "Hey, good morning, man," he greeted me. "It's not like you to be sleeping this late, so I came to check on you."
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream. "I was reading a book until late yesterday," I explained. "Alfred left it for me."
September laughed, his large hand clapping me on the shoulder as he walked into the room. "You're slowly returning to your old self, aren't you?" He fell into the chair while I closed the door and sat on the bed.
Glancing at the book on my table, September shook his head. "Never understood how you are so hardworking," he said, looking back at me.
I shrugged my shoulders. "What other choice do I have?" It was true. I had to work harder than most, to make up for what I lacked in natural talent.
September nodded, understanding in his eyes. He and January were exceptions among us, talented and quick learners. They would never truly understand the struggle and happiness that came with hard-earned achievements.
"You know, that Brick is not really an easy opponent, right?" September's words hung in the air, a reminder of the challenges that lay ahead.
"Sure," I answered, keeping my voice steady despite the lingering unease from my nightmare. The images still flickered at the edges of my consciousness, refusing to completely fade away.
September stretched out in the chair, his lanky frame reminding me of a large, lazy cat. His casual demeanor always had a way of putting others at ease, even in tense situations. "Let me help you with your elemental magic training," he offered after a moment of quiet, his eyes showing genuine concern.
We fell into an easy conversation, talking about everything and nothing. It struck me how much September and I had in common - more than anyone else in our group. People often joked that September and I were the real brothers, not August and September. Maybe we connected through our mutual fascination with challenges, though his passion flowed naturally from his abilities while mine grew from my dedication and determination or maybe there was something else.
As we discussed our past adventures and future plans, September's expression turned serious, his usual carefree demeanor slipping away. "Why don't you ask Anna about Brick? You know she has influence here and there and would only like to remove such a scum bag from the streets." His suggestion made perfect sense from a tactical standpoint.
I shook my head quickly, remembering the dangers Anna already faced in the underworld. "I don't want her to risk so much for us. It's not her fight anyway." The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but I knew they were true.
September shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling with characteristic grace. "Whatever you prefer, though it would certainly be more efficient. I'll keep thinking - perhaps some other contacts from the underworld might prove valuable, at the very least temporarily," he said with a smile as he stood up. "Get ready and lets meet with everybody in the dining room."
He walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the weight of decisions yet to come.
I sat on my bed, staring at the door September had just closed, the soft click of the latch echoing in my empty room. Days had passed since my arrival, each packed with events and revelations that left my head spinning. Yet what had I really achieved? The fragments of my past remained scattered, disconnected pieces that refused to form a clear picture, like shards of a broken mirror reflecting only distorted glimpses of truth.
Assassin felt like a shadow dancing just beyond my reach, his playful yet deadly presence a constant reminder of how far I still had to go. Right Hand? He might as well have been on another planet, his genius and influence as distant as the stars. The gap between where I stood and where I needed to be stretched wider with each passing day, a chasm that seemed to mock my every effort to cross it.
I dragged myself down to breakfast, but the food held no appeal, each bite tasting like ash in my mouth. The nightmare clung to me like a second skin, refusing to fade even in the harsh light of day. Professor's voice, the blood on my hands - it didn't feel like just a dream. The memory felt too real, too visceral, as if my body remembered something my mind refused to acknowledge.
The days blurred together in an endless cycle of frustration. I buried myself in books and training, seeking solitude in the library whenever the weight of company became too much, the dusty volumes offering silent companionship. The wind magic came easier now, responding to my call with more precision than raw power, dancing around my fingertips like invisible ribbons. But something inside me recoiled whenever I tried to channel too much at once, like a door slamming shut in my mind, leaving behind only echoes of what could have been.
Saturday arrived, and with it came Anna, her presence a balm to my troubled soul. Our bodies found each other with familiar ease, and afterward we lay tangled in sheets and each other's arms, her red hair spread across my chest like liquid fire. The peace of the moment shattered when she spoke, her voice cutting through the comfortable silence.
"You know a man called Brick?"
The name hit me like a physical blow, sending ice through my veins. I stiffened against her, my mind racing to make sense of this unexpected connection, while old instincts I didn't understand screamed warnings in my head.
"I do," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady despite the unease churning in my stomach. "But how do you know him?"
Anna shifted beside me, propping herself up on one elbow. Her green eyes fixed on mine with that intense look I knew meant trouble. "Look, don't be angry, but I was doing a bit of investigation about children disappearing in the city." She paused, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest. "In our city."
I knew exactly what she meant by 'our city' - the poor district where we'd both spent countless hours trying to make things better. Where children played in muddy streets and parents worked themselves to the bone just to put food on the table.
"And so I came by the name Brick," she continued. "While I know he's some thug, it's not like children kidnapping is so easy. Even in these streets. It's out of his league" Her voice hardened. "So I went further and discovered somebody from the upper district is helping him."
My heart plummeted to my feet. The room suddenly felt too small, too confined. Cold sweat broke out across my skin as my mind raced through the implications. What if that someone from the upper district was Assassin? Or worse - Right Hand himself? These weren't just street thugs Anna was investigating; these were people who could make anyone disappear without a trace.
I felt like I was sinking into quicksand. Every possible scenario that ran through my head ended with Anna in danger. How could I protect her from them?
After a heavy silence, I forced myself to speak, my voice barely above a whisper. "You should stop."
Anna's eyes widened, then narrowed as anger flashed across her face, her red hair seeming to glow in the dim light. "What do you mean stop?"
I sat up, the sheets pooling around my waist, anxiety gnawing at my insides. "Brick works with Assassin, you know, just like me." My throat felt dry as I continued, each word feeling like sandpaper, "And he may be the one who is helping Brick for some reason. You've seen what Assassin can do - how he appears from nowhere, how quickly he moves. If he's involved..."
But Anna's expression didn't change. No fear, no surprise crossed her features. Just that same determined look I'd seen countless times before, the one that made her seem invincible even in the face of impossible odds. Pride swelled in my chest at her courage, even as frustration and anger churned inside me like a violent storm.
"Let's try to be rational," I pleaded, reaching for her hand but stopping short. "If they want, they will kill you instantly. You won't even see it coming. Let's wait till I and my friends get stronger and get more info about Assassin. January could help us gather intelligence, and August's raw power-"
"No." Anna cut me off, her voice firm as steel. "It's human lives, March. Children are getting kidnapped. I won't wait or go back." Her green eyes locked with mine, blazing with the same conviction that had first drawn me to her, that made her fight for the downtrodden despite her noble birth. "I can't."
I bit my lip, anger and frustration warring inside me. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I fought down the urge to simply grab her and carry her far away from this madness. But I knew that look in Anna's eyes - there would be no talking her out of this. She'd made up her mind, and once Anna Scarlet decided on something, heaven and earth couldn't move her.
"Fine," I said, the word tasting bitter on my tongue, like ash and defeat. "We also have our own issues with Brick. He's messing with Tusk's business, threatening his people, trying to muscle in on his territory." I shook my head, trying to find a compromise that might keep her safe, desperate to find some way to protect her without crushing her spirit. "I don't like you interfering with these people, but if there's no other way, then at least work with me. Let me help you."
Anna's smile lit up her face like the first rays of dawn breaking through storm clouds as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine. The kiss was soft, gentle - a stark contrast to the dangerous game we were about to play. Her familiar scent of jasmine and rain wrapped around me, making my heart ache. "Of course, we are a team," she whispered, her hand coming up to cup my cheek tenderly, her thumb brushing against my skin in that way that always made my resolve crumble.
Oh dear viewer, if I only knew where this decision would bring us and how it would change everything around us. The weight of that moment pressed against my chest like a stone, heavy with possibilities and consequences I couldn't yet imagine. Would I stop her here? Would I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight until she resigned from this dangerous path? Was I even a variable at this time, or just another piece being moved across the board by forces beyond my control? Looking back now, the answers seem so clear, yet in that moment, with Anna's warmth still lingering on my lips, everything felt wrapped in a fog of uncertainty.