Page 36 of Tempest Awakening

Our swords locked, and I found myself staring into his dark eyes, noting the scar that ran from his forehead through his eyebrow to his cheekbone. A reminder of his past, of the world I'd rescued him from.

The underground fighting ring.

The place I used to frequent as an outlet for stress, for the relentless pursuit of perfection demanded by my father. It was a place I once thought of as a sanctuary, a place where I could let loose, fight, and forget.

But that was before I discovered the ugly truth. Before I found Mason, scarred and broken, a victim of a system that treatedpeople as commodities. I used to fight willingly, reveling in the raw power and adrenaline. But for Mason, and others like him, the ring was a prison. They did not fight for thrill or respite; they fought for survival.

Slavery, in any form, was abhorrent to me. And the realization that I had unknowingly participated, even reveled in such a system, filled me with guilt and anger.

With a swift movement, Mason disarmed me, my sword clattering to the ground. I stumbled back, my chest heaving. The watching applicants murmured in appreciation of Mason's skill.

"You're distracted," he said, his deep voice tinged with concern.

I nodded, trying to catch my breath. "Just... thinking."

As we began cooling down, the other trainees returning to their own exercises, I decided to broach another subject that had been nagging at me all day. "So, what's the deal with you and that librarian? Tempest, right?"

Mason's posture stiffened almost imperceptibly. If I hadn't been looking for it, I might have missed it. "What about her?"

"Come on, Mason. I've known you for years, and I've never seen you so... chatty with anyone outside of Kali and me. What gives?"

He was quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed. "We were friends when we were kids. Before... everything."

I raised an eyebrow. "Childhood friends? That's... convenient."

Mason's eyes flashed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I held up my hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, I'm just looking out for you. People change, Mason. Just because she was your friend back then doesn't mean she's trustworthy now."

"You don't know her," he said, his voice low.

"Neither do you. Not anymore."

Mason grabbed his towel, wiping the sweat from his face. When he looked at me again, his expression was neutral, but I could see the tension in his jaw. "I should go. Kali will be home from school soon."

As he moved away, I found myself speaking. "I think I'll head to the library. Work on that Oral History project."

Mason paused, then turned back, his gaze searching. After a moment, he nodded. "Right. The project."

As he left the training grounds, navigating through the crowd of exhausted applicants, I allowed myself a small sigh. The truth was, I couldn't get Tempest Whittaker out of my mind. Her golden-brown eyes, the defiant set of her jaw. The pull I felt towards her was unlike anything I'd experienced before. It wasn't just physical attraction—though that was certainly part of it. No, this felt deeper, more significant somehow.

But I had a mission. A vow I'd made long ago, born from the ashes of my own pain and the suffering I'd witnessed.

My father's abuse, his prejudices against those he deemed lesser—it had opened my eyes to the injustices in our world. But it was rescuing Mason and Kali from that hellish underground fighting ring that truly crystallized my purpose.

The memory of finding them, broken and scarred, still haunted me. It wasn't just prejudice Supes were facing; it was outright slavery in some cases. The realization had hit me like a physical blow, cementing my resolve to change things.

I made my way through the library's winding corridors, my mind racing. The plan was forming, a delicate web of half-truthsand misdirection. The Oral History project was my way in—my chance to investigate the fighting rings that had nearly destroyed Mason, to gather the information needed to bring them down once and for all.

I couldn't ignore the opportunity her presence presented. It wasn't that I had anything against Tempest personally as a human. In fact, I was a strong proponent of integrating humans and Supes. I admired her courage in stepping into our world, and I couldn't deny my attraction to her.

But her project... it was a golden opportunity. Through her, I could gain access to people and information I couldn't reach on my own. She was unknowingly holding the key to unlocking doors that had long been closed to me.

As I approached Tempest's office, I paused, taking a moment to compose myself. I couldn't let my growing feelings for her cloud my judgment. This was about justice, about righting a wrong I'd left festering for far too long.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Whatever my personal feelings, I had to stay focused on the bigger picture. The fight against prejudice and slavery was too important to jeopardize.

I knocked on her door, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway. As I waited for a response, I silently renewed my vow. For Mason, for Kali, for all the Supes who had suffered—I would see this through, no matter the cost. Even if it meant using Tempest's project in ways she never intended.

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