Die Alone

Chapter Seventeen

Adrian Alcado
Niveous

The morning was bitter and miserable. The sky roared and a blitz of light flashed outside Adrians windows. This was a sight he'd gotten used to these seven months.

He was naive the first rainy day to think it meant no training that day. A fools mistake. There was no breaks when preparing for a war. There was no time to think and process where you are. There was only time to train. He tasted the blood from his cheeks when he trained and held fresh blood when working on abilities.

His trainer was a tireless woman who put cross fit workers to shame. His teacher was just as ruthless. He was mentally and physically drained but somehow the adrenaline of training gave him some sense of relief. Accomplishing goals became all that mattered. It was a good distraction from reality.

And accomplish goals he did. For the past month he trained as a part of the Orphic Armed Royal Officials aiding the Viridis.

Realizing he started his morning too much in his head, got out of bed and changed into uniform before making it to the indoor training grounds.

"Adrian!" He heard his friend Calum shout. Adrian turned around and saw the boy jogging towards him. Finally making it to him, he struggled to make a sentence.

"Take a breather sheesh," Adrian joked. "It's been a long day, you're going to pass out."

"Me? Never," Calum huffed confidently before having a choking fit. He held up a thumbs up before clearing his throat. "Did you see me beat Cairo's ass today? Hah he's all talk when it comes to sword fighting but he could lose to a wall."

"You're all talk too y'know," Adrian said.

"Look at you all high and mighty because you're a Niveous," Calum laughed, slapping his arm around Adrians shoulder.

Well I guess this is to make up for all the years of football I never played in a normal high school I never attended.

"Ava, Cairo and I are going out to Elysian again tonight? I know you always say you're too busy but come for once!" Adrian sighed. Elysian was a pub in town that Calum spent a lot of time at but Adrian usually had night classes with his ability teacher. "And since I know you don't have classes, you should also bring that girl along that you study with."

"Who? Amber?"

"Yeah!"

"Amber doesn't really do that scene," Adrian said, desperately trying to find an excuse to not go.

"Sure she does," Calum said. "Saw her there last Tuesday but she was with some girls and I was too chicken to go up to them. You should so invite her!"

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Fine... whatever."

"Okay great!" Calum said. "You go get her and get changed, we'll meet up back here in like twenty minutes."

And then Calum ran off. "Uh... okay," Adrian called out.

He made his way to Amber's room. They both lived on the grounds of the training headquarters. Amber was more of an ability prodigy than Adrian, but she lacked the combat skills.

He knocked on her door and heard her shout, "Come in Adrian."

"Can you stop doing that? I get it you know it's me," Adrian muttered as he walked into her room.

"Well I am practicing for a reason," Amber retorted. "Gotta see it's making progress."

"Yeah okay whatever. Anyway Calum, that guy who's always drooling over you, wants to go to Elysian tonight."