Ellie and I walked down the stairs, our arms linked, the tension between us finally gone. It felt good. Normal, even. To have her beside again, to laugh at sothing stupid she said and not feel like the weight of the world was pressing on my shoulders.
I had missed this.
The sun had barely begun to set, casting warm light through the windows of the main hall. People walked about, so eating, others sharpening weapons, the usual controlled chaos of life at Watkins Glen.
For a brief mont, it almost felt like things were okay.
Then I saw him.
Ronan.
He was standing near the center of the room, his arms crossed, his dark eyes already locked onto like he had been waiting.
I slowed, my stomach twisting. Ellie noticed imdiately, her gaze flickering between us.
"You got this?" she murmured, squeezing my arm.
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure.
She gave a look that said, You better not screw this up again, then released and walked off, disappearing into the crowd.
Ronan didn’t move. He waited.
I took a breath, squared my shoulders, and walked toward him.
"You wanted to talk?" I kept my voice even, casual like my pulse wasn’t hamring against my ribs.
Ronan’s jaw tensed. "Yeah. Let’s go sowhere private."
That was never a good sign.
I followed him out onto one of the side walkways, away from prying ears. The air was cooler out here, the sounds of the camp slightly muffled.
Ronan turned to face , and I braced myself.
"What’s going on with you?" His voice was calm, but I wasn’t stupid. I could hear the strain beneath it.
I forced a shrug. "Nothing."
His stare sharpened. "Try again."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Ronan, it’s just-"
"I saw you, Hailey," he cut off, his voice low. "You’ve been avoiding , dodging my questions, looking at Marco like-" He stopped, his jaw clenching so hard I thought his teeth might crack.
My chest tightened. "It’s not what you think."
"Then tell what it is." His eyes darkened. "Because I’m not going through this again."
I flinched.
Luke.
He didn’t have to say it. I knew.
"I-" My throat closed up. The words sat heavy on my tongue, refusing to co out.
Ronan’s expression hardened. "Is this another Luke situation?" His voice was quieter now, but sohow it was worse than if he had shouted.
"Ronan-"
He took a step closer, his body tense. "I need to know right now. Because I won’t be in a relationship with three people again. I won’t do this if I can’t trust you."
My breath caught.
He was serious.
If I lied, if I ran from this, he’d walk away.
The thought of losing him sent a cold spike of panic through my chest.
I swallowed hard, my hands curling into fists. "Marco... he-" I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to look Ronan in the eyes. "He confessed to ."
Ronan didn’t move. Didn’t blink. But I felt the shift in the air.
My voice was smaller when I added, "And I was scared of him."
Silence.
Ronan’s expression didn’t change, but sothing in his eyes flickered.
Then, before I could say another word, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Straight toward Marco.
●●●
I pushed through the crowd as the fight broke out.
People were shouting, scrambling back as the tension between Ronan and Marco snapped like a live wire.
Marco’s fists were already clenched, fire curling between his fingers, his entire body pulsing with heat. But it was nothing compared to Ronan.
Ronan wasn’t holding back.
Lightning flickered around his hands, sparking through the air, so bright it left spots in my vision. His entire body humd with raw, crackling energy, the power making the ground beneath them tremble.
Then they collided.
The sound of it was unreal. A deep, thunderous BOOM shook the air, followed by the roar of flas as Marco lashed out. The fire hit Ronan dead on, swallowing him whole-
But then the flas flickered and died.
Like they had been snuffed out by an unseen force.
Marco’s eyes widened.
And then Ronan struck.
He moved faster than I had ever seen, his fist slamming into Marco’s ribs. The impact sent Marco skidding backward, his boots scraping against the dirt.
Marco snarled, shoving his hands forward. Fire erupted from his palms, a searing wave of heat ant to incinerate everything in its path.
Ronan didn’t move.
The lightning around him swelled.
And then-
CRACK.
A bolt of lightning shot forward, splitting the fire in two before slamming into Marco’s chest.
Marco hit the ground hard, his body convulsing from the shock. For a second, I thought it was over.
But then-
Marco growled.
The fire inside him surged, the glow beneath his skin pulsing brighter than before. His eyes snapped open, burning molten gold.
He moved like a shadow, too fast, reappearing behind Ronan. His fist connected with Ronan’s jaw, a fiery blast sending him staggering.
The air between them boiled.
People scread, scrambling away, but no one dared to interfere.
I could barely breathe.
Then Ronan wiped the blood from his mouth.
And smirked.
Marco barely had ti to react before Ronan struck again.
Lightning wrapped around his fist as he slamd it into Marco’s gut. Another crackling surge of energy sent Marco flying, his back crashing into a nearby wall with a sickening crunch.
He coughed, flas sputtering weakly from his lips. But he wasn’t done.
Not yet.
He forced himself up, his entire body burning. "You think you’re stronger than ?" His voice was ragged, his breath labored. "That you can just-"
Ronan didn’t let him finish.
His hands lifted-
And then the storm answered.
The sky darkened. The wind howled. Electricity scread through the air as lightning erupted from Ronan’s body.
I saw it happen in slow motion.
The bolt shot down, jagged and unstoppable, slamming into Marco’s chest with a force that sent shockwaves through the ground.
Marco scread.
The sll of ozone filled the air. The fire inside him flickered wildly, like a candle in a storm, before finally- finally- dying out.
He collapsed.
The silence was deafening.
Then-
"STOP!"
My own voice broke through the haze, my scream raw and desperate.
Ronan’s head snapped toward . His eyes were wild, electricity still crackling over his skin. His chest heaved, his hands still balled into fists-
And I realized, he wasn’t done.
He had almost killed him.
And he wasn’t done.
I took a shaky step forward, my breath uneven. "Ronan. You’re scaring ."
His expression twisted, torn between rage and sothing I couldn’t na.
Then, slowly. Finally. The lightning faded.
The storm passed.
And Ronan stepped back.
Marco didn’t move. He was still breathing, but barely.
Around us, the entire camp was silent.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Because now, they knew.
Now, they had seen what real power looked like.
And I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
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