Sid threw the empty bottle aside. His heart pounded unevenly, the beat too fast, too strong. He grabbed the rail and pulled himself up, his arms straining as his whole body trembled from the effort.
The old wood groaned under his weight, threatening to give way. His right knee throbbed with every small bend. He glanced down at it, sweat dripping from his chin.
"What? Did the painkiller not take effect, or is the instant release bugging out? Argh!"
He hissed and slamd his palm against the rail as another wave of pain shot through his side. sharper this ti, like a sting. He groaned, clutching the spot where it hurt.
"Ha? Why is this bleeding... did I hit sothing?"
Blood was seeping from his side, just above his hip. Then everything shifted. The air grew cold, a rush of wind striking his face. He blinked against it and froze. The stairs were no longer wood. They were tal. Red steel, cold under his hands. The sound of the cabin was gone, replaced by howling wind.
"What the hell...?"
His eyes widened in horror. He wasn’t underground anymore. He was halfway up a massive tower, steel beams stretching endlessly into the night sky. His breath fogged in front of him, and the world warped below, flashing lights from the city far beneath his feet. The hollow clang of tal echoed under his sneakers. Then a voice crackled through his headset.
"Sid! You alright? Why did you suddenly stop? I told you to take it easy, you have got a fresh wound!"
It was Morgana. Sid blinked hard, his confusion fading. He was back in his old climb— the tower challenge he had planned to do after hitting his first million views. He was wearing full gear, a GoPro mounted on his helt, every move streaming live.
"I-I’m alright. Nothing to worry about. Just taking in the view. Hey, wildlings! I’m halfway up the tower now— look at this!"
He let go with one hand and swung it out, pointing the cara down to give his viewers the full view. The city lights glittered below, dizzying and bright.
"See this? It’s amazing! I can see almost the whole city from up here. That’s where my house is haha!"
Far below, Morgana held his phone, watching the live feed. The counter read 69,918 viewers. Her hands trembled as she whispered under her breath,
"Oh Lord... please, let him be safe."
Big D placed a hand on her shaking shoulder.
"Hey, calm down. This is Sid we’re talking about. He’s not gonna fall, not with you watching."
Morgana looked up at him, biting her violet tinted nails. She wanted to believe him, but the fear in her chest wouldn’t fade. Not now. Not when they’d only just found each other again.
Sid tightened his gloves, the cold biting into his fingers through the thin leather. The steel beam rattled faintly beneath his weight as he adjusted his footing, his breath coming out in short, visible bursts. The night wind was rciless— every gust cut through his jacket, chilling the sweat on his back. His side burned with every stretch, every pull upward, the wound above his hip sending flashes of pain that nearly made his hand slip.
"Tch, this wound’s trying to screw up, but I won’t let it."
Morgana’s voice cracked through the headset again, sharp and frantic.
"Sid! Talk to ! It’s been thirty minutes since you started climbing—don’t you think that’s enough? I’m not trying to be a killjoy, but—"
She stopped, rembering the mont Sid had taken that knife for her.
"You’re halfway up a seven hundred ter tower, bleeding out! Get down, please! You need a hospital, not a livestream!"
Sid grinned, though his jaw tightened from the pain.
"Chill, Morgs. I’ve been through worse. You patched up, your forensic dic skills are top tier."
Morgana couldn’t stop shaking. She knew Sid was a legend in parkour and climbing, but the thought of him doing it while injured because of her made her stomach twist. Sid’s voice ca through the headset, loud and strained.
"Rember the rooftop challenge? I fell three floors into garbage, and I still finished that one!"
He forced a chuckle, his voice shaking slightly.
"Besides, look at these numbers. We’ve got seventy thousand people watching. Seventy thousand! That’s insane!"
He shifted his cara, the GoPro’s red light blinking. The live chat on the stream exploded.
[Chat]: bro’s insane
[Chat]: this is peak content, holy—
[Chat]: is he BLEEDING? THIS IS NOT SAFE.
[Chat]: THAT’S MY BOY!! LOOK AT HIM GO!!
Far below, Big D stood by the van, phone raised high, grinning ear to ear.
"Let’s go, Sid! That’s what I’m talkin’ about! You’re trending, man! Donations are flying like crazy!"
He shoved his phone toward Morgana, who looked pale as death.
"You see that? He’s number one on the live feed! Do you know how many sponsors are watching this? Even if he fall, he got sponsors to pay the bills—"
"Big D, shut up or else I will be the one to hospitalized you!"
Morgana snapped, her voice trembling. She pressed the radio tighter against her ear.
"Sid, you can’t keep going! You’re losing blood, and your grip’s slipping! Please, just co down now before you—"
Her words cut off when Sid grunted, his boot missing a step. The cara jolted violently as he clung onto a side beam, his breath ragged. The world spun below: buildings, lights, streets all blending into a dizzying blur.
The live chat exploded again.
[Chat]: HE ALMOST FELL NAURRR
[Chat]: is this real or staged?!
[Chat]: HOLD ON, KING! DON’T YOU DARE FALL NOW!
Morgana scread.
"Sid! Sid, answer ! Are you okay?!"
He coughed, his voice coming out uneven.
"Still here... just testing if gravity is working."
He laughed weakly, clutching the tal rung with a trembling hand. His wound pulsed hot, and he could feel blood seeping beneath his shirt.
"Yeah... still working."
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