As everyone says their goodbyes and slowly leaves the party, the house grows quieter.
I help clean up. Trash bags tied. Plates stacked. Couch cushions fixed. My parents tell me I don't have to, but I do anyway. It feels… grounding.
By the time I get to my room, I'm exhausted.
But calm.
Honestly, it's the most relaxed I've felt in a long time.
I lie back on my bed and stare at the ceiling.
And then—
He's there.
Leaning against my wall like he's been waiting.
Fully red hair. Not dyed-looking. Not tinted. Just red. Sharp. Unreal. Red hoodie. Black jeans. Tennis shoes. Hands in his pockets. Smirking.
I still hate it.
Still not used to seeing myself like that.
Still not used to talking to myself.
"Wow," he says, looking me over. "You look relaxed."
"Yeah," I answer. "What do you want, Eclipse?"
"No need to be hostile." He pushes off the wall and casually sits at the edge of my bed. "I'm just checking in."
"On what?"
"On whether you actually think everything's going to be fine."
I sit up slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," he says lightly, "you're weak. You're slow. And you're definitely not the smartest. So tell me — do you really think you can protect everyone?"
The words land harder than they should.
"Why does it matter to you?" I snap.
He shrugs. "It doesn't. Well… it kind of does."
"How?"
"If you die, I die." He says it like it's obvious. "And I'm not in the mood to die."
I frown. "Aren't you part of the Red Dragon? How would you die?"
"I'm aligned with them. Morally. A little power-wise." He tilts his head. "But I'm mainly you. Separate from the dragon itself. If you disappear? So do I."
That makes my chest tighten.
"Then why try to take over my body?"
For the first time, the smirk fades.
"Well," he says quietly, "doesn't everyone want to live?"
The silence that follows is different.
No sarcasm. No insult.
Just honest.
Before I can respond, he leans forward.
"Get stronger."
I narrow my eyes. "Why? For you?"
"Exactly." The smirk returns. "The stronger you get, the stronger I get."
"So we're the same strength?"
He laughs. "No. You're weaker than me. I'm at least three times stronger than you. But I'm still you. When you push your limits? I push mine."
"I'm not training for you," I say firmly. "I'm training to protect people."
"Sure you are," he says casually. "But when you hesitate — when you doubt — when you can't save everyone…"
He leans closer.
"You'll fall back on me."
He flicks my forehead.
And disappears.
The sting stays.
It actually hurts.
I rub my forehead and turn over, forcing myself to sleep.
⸻
The next day comes fast.
I walk to school with Zack like usual. The morning feels normal. Too normal.
Classes blur together.
Nothing important really happens.
Except for Mike.
The kid I sit next to in math clears his throat halfway through class.
"Hey," he says awkwardly. "Sorry about before. I was being a jerk. Just… bad day."
I nod. "It's fine."
He relaxes and pulls out his sketchbook.
He shows me a few drawings — detailed stuff. Action poses. Weapons.
Then I see it.
A dark-cloaked figure. Hood covering its face. Holding a sword I've never seen before — curved, jagged, almost alive.
It looks… real.
"Is that from something?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "Nah. Just made it up."
I stare at it a second longer than I should.
Then the bell rings.
⸻
After school, I head downtown.
Through the coffee shop doors.
Down the slide.
For once, I'm the first one there.
Cameron shows up next. Then Jordan.
Maya comes last this time. Quiet as usual. Maybe she got held up.
Shu appears once we're all gathered.
"For the next several days," he says calmly, "you will train extensively. You will focus on mastering the three types. Improve your control. Increase your cadence. Grow more comfortable with your abilities."
"That's it?" Jordan asks.
"That's it."
She blinks. "Sounds simple."
"It is not," Shu replies. "Do not overextend yourselves. Growth requires control, not recklessness."
We nod.
Training begins.
Jordan and Maya pair up — experimenting with creativity. Angles. Combinations. Finding smarter ways to use their abilities instead of just stronger ones.
Cameron focuses on enhancement — pushing his speed, strength, durability. Every movement sharper.
And me?
I swing my sword.
Again.
And again.
And again.
It sounds boring.
It feels boring.
But I focus on control.
When I try to summon fire with just my hand — just my will — it flickers out as a small flame.
Weak. Like a candle.
Eclipse's words echo in my head.
Weak.
We train like that for days.
And before I realize it, it's the weekend again.
The Redwood Festival.
Every few years, the city celebrates its founding. They raise a massive redwood structure in the center of town, and everyone hangs small ornaments on it — personal messages, symbols, memories.
Not Christmas.
But close.
We leave my house around six and walk together.
Zack grins. "I'm so excited. Last one was insane."
Ava laughs. "The food alone? Worth it."
Cameron nods. "And the fireworks."
Ava looks at me. "What about you, William? Excited?"
I scratch the back of my head.
"I mean… I'm not really big on celebrations."
Jordan bumps my shoulder. "That's because you overthink everything."
"I do not."
"You do."
Cameron laughs. "He absolutely does."
Maya walks slightly ahead of us, hands in her jacket pockets. Calm. Observant. Red accents in the festival lights reflecting in her eyes.
The closer we get, the louder it becomes.
Music. Laughter. Vendors shouting. The smell of grilled food in the air.
Families gather around the massive redwood structure in the center of the square.
For a moment—
It feels normal.
Like we're just kids.
No dragons.
No world-ending threats.
No Eclipse whispering in my ear.
Just us.
But deep down…
I can't shake the feeling that something is watching.
And that this peace isn't going to last