《War Torn: The Neverworld》


 Nightmare

    The world was engulfed in a never ending sea of black.An abyss the likes of a black hole. There were no sounds, no smells, and nothing to see. Luke looked around, even trying to move his body. Nothing seemed to change. It was as if he was trapped in endless darkness unable to break free from what must be a nightmare.


    ¡°You cannot escape your fate, the darkness has already claimed you as its own..You are a descendant of the power, and you were created to bring balance back to the fold¡±


    The voice echoed in the depths of Luke''s mind, it felt as if his soul would tear. Every fiber of his being was shaking with fear. The fear felt as though it would control him, he could do nothing but give in to the darkness. Luke Tried to talk but he was overcome by some immense power, and he still could not free himself from the darkness that threatened to strangle his very sense of self.


    The voice broke through his inner turmoil,¡± They will come for you, those that were once hidden. If you can not control the power in the end it will consume you, and you will be destroyed by it and everything that was destined to be will be for naught.¡±


    Just as fast as the darkness came, it disappeared. Luke was left laying in bed stunned at what just occurred. While his alarm to wake up signaled he wasn''t dreaming anymore. He was left shaken by the dream.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Luke thought to himself. Getting up stretching, and turning off the alarm. Luke couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°I must be going crazy, maybe I''ve been hitting the gym too hard lately.¡±


    Walking over to the bathroom, Luke turned the light and what he saw in the mirror took him by immense surprise.


    Luke was above average height, being roughly 6 feet tall. Normal looks with brown hair, and brown eyes. He had always been muscular, but in the past month it was as if he gained another 15 pounds of muscle. Seeming as though his bulk wasn¡¯t huge but his muscles were more chord-like as if he had been training for years. That wasn''t what caught his immediate attention this time. Looking at himself he saw an even newer change. Sitting directly over his left chest muscle was an imprint as if someone had burned a mark into his flesh. It was foreign, almost alien like. A line that curved into two P¡¯s in opposite directions. It looked red and raw as if both bruised and burned.


    ¡°Luke, you better be out of bed! Hurry up or you will be late to school.¡± His mom yelled from the kitchen. His mom yelling was exactly what he needed to break him from the trance the weird mark on his skin had him under. All he could think about was that dream, and now this mysterious mark. However, playing it off as a bruise. His mind, playing tricks on him from having such a profound nightmare.


    ¡°They will come for you¡­ if you cannot control the power, you will be destroyed by it¡±. Were the words that left such an impression he couldn¡¯t fully shake himself from it. Shaking his head, ¡°It was only a dream, it couldn''t be real, I will have to figure out this whole mark later, maybe my mind is playing tricks on me and I¡¯m seeing things¡±. Luke said laughing out loud.


    Luke threw on a pair of jeans, a hoodie, grabbed his bag and ran down the stairs. Luke''s mom was casually walking around the kitchen, hair up in a bun, and the smell of pancakes filled the kitchen.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Honey you need to stop growing, you''re emptying the house of all the food, so all I could think of to make was pancakes since you ate all the eggs already. How does one consume 12 eggs in four days! I am going to have to get a second job just to feed you.¡± She said with fawn annoyance a smile playing slightly on her lips.


    Luke couldn''t help but appreciate his mom. She had raised him his whole life single handedly doing everything in her power to provide the best life she could for him. Luke had never known his father, and everytime Luke attempted to broach the subject with his mom she would become very emotional and explain that he had to leave us and it was for the best. Luke never pushed the subject, so as to not upset her, but always wondered how someone could leave him and his mother like that.


    ¡°I know mom, this past year has been crazy. Last wrestling season I weighed 165 lbs, and now I am wrestling at 220.¡± His mom looked at him with a sad look, ¡°It must be your father''s genes, he used to train all the time and was considered strong in our circle of friends.¡±


    Luke sat at the table and attempted to look busy studying for the test he had to take later that day. He never knew what to say when his mom actually brought up facts pertaining to his father. He sat back and ate his breakfast while studying in silence. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his dad looked anything like himself as he was now.


    Twenty minutes went by until his mom finally spoke again, ¡° Hey before you leave for school I wanted to let you know that I should be able to make it to your wrestling match tonight after work. Shannon is supposed to cover for me tonight at the hospital, so expect me to finally be there to see all the progress you have made. While you may look like you have grown and have tapped into some of your latent genes to grow your muscles I want to see you compete again!¡±


    Luke tried to look excited, but his mom always tried to make it, yet she had missed every other match this season. He wasn¡¯t upset by that fact, he knew that she was busy and that she worked hard to provide for both of them being the single parent she was.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright mom, I understand if you can¡¯t make it, but I will look for you as always!¡± He tried to say with as much enthusiasm as he could with the negative thoughts still lingering in his mind. This morning not going the way he had hoped after having such a horrific dream.


    Luke had actually forgotten that he had a big match tonight. Wrestling had been so easy this year. He had actually gone undefeated as it was. It must have been all the muscle he had gained. He missed the challenge, but winning was always nice. He thought to himself, ¡°Tonight should be a win, and after that I will need to figure out what happened with my chest, and what the fuck the dream was about¡± Problems for later he thought the most immediate issue being how he was going to have to explain how he had seamingly gotten a tattoo burned into his flesh when he went to weigh in later that night. He would chalk it up to dropping a weight on his chest or something. His coach wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions when it came to Luke as he was an all star this year.


    Rebecca looked at her son, seeing his growth exceed those around him so much in only a year started to worry her. He shouldn¡¯t have grown that fast and it could only be one thing she had feared. He shouldn¡¯t have his power, yet she couldn¡¯t deny what she was seeing right in front of her own eyes. This world her husband created seemingly being for naught as his growth could only dictate he needed to leave sooner than later. She had been watching him more closely lately, trying to discern anything unusual, any marks and he hadn¡¯t complained about any weird dreams that she knew of. She let out a big sigh she didn''t know she was holding. She shouldn¡¯t worry he was just growing up and maturing. Maybe it could be chalked up to the young man in front of her actually maturing instead of the alternative ¡°Alright honey hurry up and finish your food. You need to head to school so you''re not late.


    Luke got up from the table, quickly put his dishes away, gave his mom a quick hug, and walked out the door headed toward school.

 Chapter 2-Friend in the Shadows

    What Luke failed to notice was that he had someone watching him in the shadows. A tall individual seemingly hidden within the dark areas around the window while his mother and him had a seemingly normal breakfast conversation.


    Luke¡¯s mom however felt what her son could not. She felt the aura of her oldest friend and one in the inner circle she had mistakenly noted earlier during her and Luke''s conversation that morning. As she knew Luke had gone off to school she called out, ¡°Sean I know you are there you can come on in instead of being a little peeping tom, you know better than that.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I should have known you could  probably still feel my aura after so long. I forgot even though your abilities are all but gone, you were one of us generals.¡± The shadow spoke as he seemed to materialize through the wall.


    The shadow slowly transformed into a tall dark man, wearing a basic robe that made him seem like he was from some of those Japanese samurai movies her son loved so much. He carried two long swords on his hip, and had a lightning bolt scar under his right eye. He was an ageless man who didn''t seem like he was much older than 45, but carried himself as someone much younger. Like he was primed for action at any moment.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t aged a bit Sean, funny how that works with all that power still flowing through your veins lieutenant.¡± Luke''s mom said as he smiled at her old friend.


    ¡°Rebecca, you and I both know I can¡¯t grow old, only die at this point. If Bryan was here he would have laughed at your snide jokes and believe it or not I am a commander now.¡± Said Sean. Rebecca perked up at hearing her husband''s name and learning that the young kid her husband had taken in to teach had become as strong as they had been. She was filled with so many happy, and sad memories at once.


    ¡°Sean I know why you are here, but Luke hasn¡¯t shown any unusual signs other than growing at a fast rate, this pocket world was purposely set up so that he and I could live a simple life without essence interfering. A world created with no essense leaking through.


    Walking towards the table, Sean sat and slowly examined the silverware on the table, ¡°He has already been chosen. You may be able to sense myself because of our close relationship but his power is sealed behind runes not even Bryan knew how to unseal. We may have been powerful but only a sage could understand that level of complexity. The only reason I am here is because there are signs in <i>our </i>world. Luke is a child from <i>Neverworld</i> and not even this world could take that away from him. His name has been added to the list of new recruits eligible for training at the Academy. You and I both know that the Academies list runs on a higher level of power than what we comprehend. You were chosen once, you understand.¡±


    Rebecca looked at her friend with sadness in her eyes, she began pacing around the kitchen, ¡° He can¡¯t be, Bryan gave the last of his life to build this world for us, to take the chance that he could be safe from the horrors we had to endure. The endless battlefields never knowing when it would be our time and whether we could keep advancing our individual power. This was Bryans last chance to give us a chance to live a normal life. Not one based on your individual power.


    ¡°We have no idea what kind of power he may have, you and I both know that he was found on that battlefield and while you may see him as your son he is something neight of us understand.  We need to bring him to Knox. He will have his own power and we need to make sure that he knows how to use it so that he can survive the battles to come. Eventually this place will not contain him if he only gains the aura of a recruit. Even with you using your power to keep this place intact.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°He is Bryan¡¯s son, he will be treated differently, he will not be welcomed, nothing more than an outcast. Not only that, Bryan thought the basics of the runes he carries on his soul would essentially limit the power he can use. How could he possibly manifest enough power to progress and stay alive. He will be weak amongst the rest of you. He will not survive!¡± Rebecca couldn¡¯t control her anger as she smashed the plate she was holding in her hands. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    She looked at the broken pieces, and wondered if she would ever be able to piece her life back together similar to the plate. The more she thought about it the more she knew that things were going down the path she had always known would become eventuality. There was nothing her or Bryan could have done to truly save their son from the fate of returning to their world.


    ¡° You and I both know that it is not for you to know or for us to judge, he has been marked. He may not be powerful now, and he may not be able to break through the runes to help him gain adequate power in time, and in the end he might die.THis is not for us to stand in the way. You know that our world demands you to grow or you stagnate but he can not remain hidden from the world of power, from the Neverworld. His name has been written, and if he continues to resist its pull he will be found by those that not even I can face.¡± Said Sean looking at his friend broken just as the plate between her hands.


    Rebecca, arguing with him further, ¡°He can not go Sean¡­, he is not ready¡±. As fast as lighting her oldest friend moved in a blur to embrace her. She knew that this was only an after image of Sean, knowing that if he were to manifest in this world it would crumble around them. It was bad enough that she retained even a modicum of her power still. However, the hug was enough and let her take stock of everything she had been told. She knew that she couldn''t protect Luke further, that she was going to have to trust his life to her last and only friend because she no longer could leave this pocket world as her power had waned to almost nothing.


    ¡°I will be one of the trainers this year, he will not die if I can help it. Have faith in not only me but the son that you raised. If anything, let''s hope that he has developed even a small amount of your determination.¡±


    Rebecca looked at her friend and felt some comfort knowing that he may be right, ¡°Alright Sean let me tell him a little bit about us, if you are here I know he does not have much time. I will have to make my goodbye fast but he should hear of where we come from, from me first. I just want him to have a normal day, in a normal life while he still has the chance. Life will be harder from here on out, let me be his mother while I still can.¡±


    Sean could see the defeat in Rebecca¡¯s eyes. He knew there was nothing she could do any longer. Luke would have to come with him before Knox sent any of their Extractors after the kid.Those from the Academy with the sole job of finding those on the list and either forcing them to join the Academy or they would be killed and stripped of their souls.


    Sean slowly slipped through the wall of the house, leaving Rebecca to her own thoughts. He had been friends with Bryan and Rebecca for over a century. They had fought in many wars, and other than his own daughter, they were the only ones that he cared for. Now he had Luke, and he would be coming to the Neverworld. He knew this would cause some commotion within Knox.


    The General''s mysterious son was finally coming home. The Son that had made the General step down from his office at the Academy. That was all anyone had ever known of the situation but the truth was much more secretive. Sean remembered the battle that had shaken the very fabric of their world. The battle in which one of the many Generals had found a small child at an altar and had claimed it as his own. Only Sean and Rebecca knew of the real origin. Bryan had kept any from finding the truth and even Sean did not understand fully about the destiny that Luke had in store. Only that a child had been part of a ritual involving beings far above the power of Generals and Sages and that Bryan had managed to sneak the child away in the hopes he could salvage a life for the kid. Something good that came from all the death that had been reaped that day.


    ......


    Sean moved with the speed only granted to him with his power, and appeared in a vast open field. The moon was high, the wind blew gently through the knee high grass. Sean looked at the moon and walked slowly up to the altar holding the pocket world Bryan had constructed for Luke to cross back over to the original world. He seemed to have known all along his son would have to return. That he could only give him a short life that could be considered normal. The only issue was that Sean had such a limited time left before Extractors came to find the kid and would find a pocket world so heavily protected by what power Bryan had. He wanted to give Rebecca her last wish to allow her son to enjoy his last day, but he was running low on time if he was to get the kid across the Twin Peaks Valley before the term started. Thankfully Sean was the only one who knew of the pocket world and the one who held the key to get in.  They had 14 days and that would have to be enough. Give the kid one more day to be normal because from here on out it would be learn or die for him and Sean would do his best to teach him while he could.

 Chapter 3-Awakening

    The school bell rang with a jarring shrill that echoed down the hallways, as it always did ¡ª loud, obnoxious, and as inevitable as the rain pouring down outside. Luke ducked beneath the overhang of the school entrance, seeking refuge from the downpour. It was September 30th, a Friday, and the ominous weight of the upcoming wrestling match pressed on his shoulders. Polk High was buzzing with energy, the halls filled with the usual chatter as the school prepared for the big event. Luke wasn¡¯t exactly the most popular kid, but he was well-known. A state-ranked wrestler with a reputation, even if he wasn¡¯t surrounded by a throng of admirers.


    The doors swung open, and as he walked through, familiar voices greeted him.


    "Hey, Luke! What''s up? Ready for the big match?" someone called.


    He nodded, offering a polite smile. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± he replied, though his tone was mechanical. ¡°Yeah, ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡± It was the same exchange, day after day. Everyone knew he was good on the mat, but today, he felt far from his usual self.


    His mind kept drifting back to the dream. The dream clung to him like a shadow, its remnants lingering in the corners of his thoughts. It gnawed at him, turning over and over in his head as he walked to his classes. The power he had felt there ¡ª raw, overwhelming, like nothing he had ever known ¡ª was terrifying and¡­ intoxicating. The darkness, the voice, the feeling that something inside him was stirring. It was more than just a dream. It was a call, something deep within him ¡ª a call that felt both foreign and familiar, like the echo of his soul speaking back to him.


    His next class was History, and as usual, his attention was elsewhere.


    ¡°Luke, wake up! You¡¯re supposed to be taking the test!¡± Mrs. Chapman¡¯s voice snapped him back to reality.


    Startled, Luke blinked, trying to orient himself. He had no memory of sitting down for the test, let alone the last few minutes. ¡°Uh, sorry, Mrs. Chapman,¡± he stammered, rubbing his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Finish the test, you have thirty minutes left,¡± she said, her tone laced with irritation.


    His cheeks burned with embarrassment. The entire class stared at him ¡ª some with confusion, others with amusement. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was seriously off. How had he zoned out so completely? The last clear memory he had was walking into the room. The rest was a blur. He shook his head, trying to refocus. It¡¯s just the dream, he thought, but the weight on his chest made it hard to believe.


    Finally, the bell rang. It was a welcome sound, signaling the end of History and the start of the much-anticipated wrestling match preparations. But Luke couldn¡¯t shake the uneasy feeling that clung to him. His chest felt heavy, the mark on his skin searing with a dull burn that hadn¡¯t been there before. At first, it had just been a tingle, a faint sensation he could ignore. Now, it felt like fire, a constant pressure against his ribs.


    ¡°Hey, Luke, what happened in History class?¡± Ben, his childhood friend, caught up with him as they headed toward the gym locker room. Ben had known Luke for years and was always the first to notice when something was off.


    Luke hesitated, the lie forming on his tongue. "I don''t know, man... weird dream last night, I guess. Didn¡¯t sleep much."


    Ben raised an eyebrow. ¡°You sure that¡¯s all? You looked out of it. Like you were about to pass out.¡±


    Luke forced a grin. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be fine for the match. Just a bit disoriented, nothing serious.¡±


    Ben seemed satisfied with that answer, though a flicker of doubt lingered in his eyes. He gave Luke a pat on the back. "Alright, man, you got this. Let¡¯s go crush it tonight."


    ......


    The gym locker room was buzzing with excitement as the team gathered for warm-ups after the weigh ins. As a team captain, Luke led the stretches, trying to focus on the upcoming match. But then, it happened.


    As they were doing air squats, a searing pain shot through Luke¡¯s chest. His vision blurred, and the world seemed to tilt sideways. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest, gasping for breath.


    "Luke! What¡¯s wrong?!" Ben¡¯s frantic voice pierced the fog of pain. He was at Luke¡¯s side in an instant, kneeling beside him.


    The pain was unlike anything Luke had ever experienced ¡ª an agonizing heat that seemed to burn from the inside out, spreading through his body like wildfire. But it wasn¡¯t just physical. It was something deeper, something in his soul that was being tugged, pulled in ways he couldn¡¯t explain. The power, the energy, it felt like it was reshaping him like he was slipping between worlds.


    "Luke, talk to me! What hurts? What happened?" Ben¡¯s voice was panicked, but Luke couldn¡¯t respond. All he could do was clench his fist, the pressure in his chest unbearable.


    Then, as suddenly as it came, the pain faded. The burning in his chest was gone, replaced by an odd lightness. It was as if a weight had been lifted from him, but the sensation was unsettling. Luke slowly sat up, the world around him coming back into focus. His teammates were staring at him, a mix of confusion and concern on their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, guys,¡± Luke said, trying to sound normal. ¡°Just need a minute. Finish the stretches, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    He staggered to his feet, still clutching his chest, and made his way to the bathroom. His thoughts were racing. What just happened? What is happening to me?


    Inside the locker room, he ripped off his sweatshirt and glanced at the mirror. The mark on his chest had changed. It had gone from a faint bruise-like stain to something solid, dark, and unmistakable ¡ª a tattoo of sorts, but not one he had ever gotten. The symbols burned with an unnatural intensity, as if they were alive, throbbing with energy.


    Ben¡¯s voice startled him from behind. "Luke? Are you okay, man? What¡¯s going on? I¡¯ve never seen you like this."


    Luke spun around, quickly pulling his sweatshirt back down to cover the mark. "I¡¯m fine," he said, though his voice sounded distant even to him. "Just a bad migraine, I think. Nothing serious."


    Ben eyed him skeptically but didn¡¯t press the issue. "Alright, but that was some crazy stuff earlier. Let¡¯s focus on the match. Killgore¡¯s not going to know what hit him."


    Luke nodded, though a knot of unease tightened in his stomach. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.


    The rest of the team gathered together, the air thick with the hum of excitement. The stands were packed with families and fans, cheering for Polk High as they faced their bitter rivals. Luke¡¯s eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a face he knew ¡ª his mother¡¯s. But she was nowhere to be seen. It wasn¡¯t a surprise. She was always busy, always working. Luke had long accepted that she couldn¡¯t be there for him, not with her demanding job as a trauma nurse.


    Ben noticed his lingering gaze. ¡°She¡¯s saving lives, as a nurse should¡± he said, as if reading Luke¡¯s thoughts.


    Luke gave a faint smile. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why I love her.¡± His voice was distant, but he quickly added, ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to win tonight. For her.¡±


    Just then, their coach, Carl, barked from across the gym. ¡°Get your asses over to your seats! It¡¯s almost time!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    What Luke didn¡¯t know, however, was that his mother wasn¡¯t absent because of her work. She was engaged in something far more significant ¡ª something that might very well change the course of his life forever. She and Sean were working together, in secret, to prepare him for what was coming.


    In the Netherworld, Sean was carefully dismantling the layers of magic that had been placed around the pocket world. The process was slow, deliberate, each rune he unraveled bringing them closer to the moment of the Crossing. It was dangerous work. The magic wasn¡¯t meant to be tampered with. It had been designed to protect Luke from the forces that sought to claim him, but Sean knew the time had come for the magic to be undone. The Crossing was inevitable, and when it happened, it would change everything. The pain Luke would endure was something Sean could only hope to mitigate but some inevitable leak may happen and the boy may come into strength he is not prepared for out of the blue.


    ¡­¡­


    The matches seemed to fly by. Wins were being exchanged back and forth. As Polk would pull ahead, Claremont High would win the next. After the 189 weight class match started Luke began to prepare. Stretching out in the back, he felt none of the pain from earlier. He thought that maybe there would be some residual pain but there was nothing. He actually began to feel refreshed, and even more excited for the coming match.


    ¡°And now one of the captains of the Polk High wrestling team, with an undefeated record, Luke Xavier, will wrestle against David Killgore in the 220-pound weight class¡±! The intercom boomed over the crowd.


    Luke ran to the middle table signaling that he was prepped and ready to go to the judges and team managers keeping track of points, as well as wins and losses. Lining up on the line opposite his opponent he locked eyes with Killgore. They were both equal in terms of muscle, but Killgore had a height advantage, and his eyes bore into Luke like daggers.


    The whistle rang, and Killgore lunged forward hoping to catch Luke off guard. Luke managed to lunge into the takedown Killgore was trying, catching Killgore''s weight and wrapping his arms around his body. Noticing he was in a precarious situation with Killgore still attempting to grab one of his legs and use his momentum to catch him off balance. Luke instead lifted his arm and performed a duck under. Luke grabbed him around the waist, extending, lifting, and began to pivot to throw Killgore to the ground with all the force he could muster. Luke overestimated his strength, or maybe he was as strong as he previously thought because as he lifted he felt little to no resistance like a paperweight and Killgore went flying through the air dangerously fast towards the ground. Luke slammed him hard into the mat, and what followed was a loud audible snapping and cracking noise. The whole gym erupted into expressed emotion. Luke quickly got up and backed away to see what had happened. The adrenaline quickly left Luke and he finally began to hear the surrounding chaos.


    Killgore was lying on the ground screaming in agony much like Luke had done not three hours before. Killgore''s arm, and leg twisted opposite of how they should have been. Not only that but there was bruising already appearing around his ribs indicating something else was broken.


    Luke had never been one to want to hurt someone that bad, but what he saw resonated within him. He should have felt sorry, but for some reason, it felt right like he needed to vent some power he didn''t know he had. His body seemingly energized before the fight needing a release. Now, immensense, and sudden exhaustion overtook him.


    The screams broke Luke out of his thoughts, and he quickly ran off the mat as the athletic trainers did their best to comfort, and aid Killgore.


    ¡°Luke, how did you do that¡±? Ben asked as he sat next to Luke on the bench. ¡°what do you mean¡±? Luke said, trying to not look too concerned as if it was all just a big mistake. ¡°You threw Killgore so fast, and with such ease it looked unnatural. As if he weighed no more than 30 lbs. When he lunged you moved incredibly fast. I didn''t know you had moved behind him until he was already on the ground¡±. Ben said looking at his friend with a little trepidation mixed in with excitement.


    ¡°I have been wrestling you for years and you have never been that fast,¡± Ben stated.


    Luke took a minute to think about what couldn¡¯t have been longer than a 45-second match. ¡°Honestly I have no idea. I just felt in the zone and everything was just going smoothly, I was just doing what I thought I should¡±. Luke said, trying to not sound as concerned as he was feeling. The screams of his opponent still rang throughout the gym as the ambulance had just arrived and first responders were helping hoist Killgore onto a stretcher.


    Luke knew he had done what he had practiced a thousand times, but Killgore was a state champion, and he had beaten him so easily. Luke sat in his chair for the remainder of the matches. Even watched Killgore be sent in the ambulance and to the hospital. His coach only comes up to him to tell him it happens and that he shouldn¡¯t beat himself up too much about it. Things happen and this wasn¡¯t a sport where others wouldn¡¯t get hurt. The rest of the matches went without incident. Polk took the win for the night and with Killgore in the hospital, there wasn¡¯t much morale from the opposing team resulting in easy wins. Everything seemed to come to a close for the night fast as Luke was lost in his thoughts about how he could have hurt someone not only badly but so easily.

 Chapter 4- Secrets

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