Seven knew something was off the longer the fight lasted. At first he felt the oddities that he witnessed were completely in his head, but as he stood in the empty bar, standing over countless defeated gang members, his mind drifted back toward the fight, the entirety of the encounter replaying in his mind on repeat.

  His attention to detail was why he made bets with such precision. His mind able to capture moments of significance, and catalog them like a running log of stats with coinciding mental images attached to them.

  If asked about a powerful right hook from his favorite fighter, Seven could describe to you in near perfect recollection every moment that he witnessed that exact right hook being performed, making him one of the best databases for impactful moments in any sport broadcasted.

  This is also what made him a decent fighter. His body couldn’t always perform what his mind could recollect perfectly, but he could come close.

  Yet the things he had just lived through, all struck him as wrong. Completely out of place. The situation bothering him unlike any he’d ever lived through for multiple reasons.

  Am I tripping…

  The first thing he realized made absolutely no sense, was Carter. Not just Carter, but the bond between Carter and Troy.

  From what the pair had stated to him, they’d only recently started to date, getting together once Arson scouted and recruited Carter from CloudLake City, the young man’s hometown.

  He at first was able to ignore Carter’s lack of knowledge about CloudLake City, feeling the young man may have been one of many scions who was sheltered in a way that left him without much experience of his home realm, but that was until he saw how well he fought alongside Troy.

  The pair fought together as if they’d fought side by side for their entire lives. This was something he at first assumed was due to them both being incredibly skilled fighters, until he witnessed the pair do something familiar to him. Familiar because the last time he’d seen it done, was by Troy, and Arson.

  The simple shared glance flashed in his mind. The memory bringing him back to the time his father brought him to meet the Jade of CloudLake, and the young scion Arson.

  Every bit of how they’d looked at one another was identical. From their side eye gazes, down to Troy’s smirk and the smile worn by the young Arson. A smile he felt he’d just seen perfectly mimicked by Carter.

  They look so much alike now that I think about it, thought Seven, glancing over at Carter. The young man crouched over a gangster, resting his elbow on his knee, his chin cupped in the hand of the same arm, as he prodded the tied up young woman with his free hand.

  “No way…

  The pose flared in his mind to Troy’s first few wins in his father’s night club. A young Arson sitting beside the ring in the exact same position.

  Could they be brother’s? Doubtful… When is the last time I saw that sparking kid?

  Seven’s mind raced wildly. As he wished that was the only matter that bothered him.

  His second issue with the entire incident was how everyone in the night club seemed far too used to the violence that ensued. No one was affected negatively. If it wasn’t for Vivid asking them to leave, Seven felt they’d still be surrounded by happy drinkers. Drinkers Seven was beginning to believe were accustomed to violence, because of their own familiarity with street life.

  What made Seven feel this way? The bar’s patrons practically transforming from civilized to barbaric at the snap of a finger. Something he’d only ever seen in his father’s men.

  His own security team were quick to shift from classy to savage after a few drinks, which made Seven begin to wonder if his father’s own brand of recruitment from impoverished sectors of the realms, was being practiced here.

  Do I fit in here because we all come from the same place?

  It was this line of thinking that made his biggest red flag flare up. Which was Vivid. Not only had she been able to handle herself, their were many a moment when those attacking them could have clearly struck the young woman, only to ignore her completely.

  Even worse, the timid act that she was trying to put forth, was shown to be a fallacy more than once. Seven wasn’t entirely sure, but he was beginning to wonder if Vivid was a Cultivator.

  At one point during the fight, Seven was being blitzed from behind, and had turned, just in time to dodge? Yet when he thought back, he felt he’d seen Vivid pushing aside a sword strike aimed at his spine. With nothing more than a well time finger.

  The more he played the fight out in his head, the more incidents of miracles seemed to be his girlfriend’s well timed aid.

  A flying bottle caught and set down in a flash before it could strike his head. A powerful bump of the hips that pushed him out of the way of a chair being dropped from the second floor walkway. Even a stern glare and a pointed finger that resulted in one of the many gang members simply turning around and walking away.

  It was that moment that made her words before the fight rush toward the forefront of his mind.

  My dad is going to kill you for this…

  Seven knew what he’d meant when he’d spoken the words, but what had Vivid meant?

  Who is your father, thought Seven looking over at Vivid as she spoke with Troy.

  “Who are you really, Vivid…?”

  …

  “Okay, you gotta rate our first date,” asked Troy, smirking up at Arson as they walked back to the strip they’d claimed within RaidCorp Coliseum.

  “Out of ten, I’m going to go with twenty one,” said Arson, smiling as he looked away.

  “Yeah right, you’re just saying that to be nice.”

  “Nope, extra ten points on top of perfection for how beautiful you look, and another point for the food,” said Arson.

  “The food was epic, right!”

  Arson murmured his agreement, and Troy noticed as his gaze went distant, nudging him to try and bring his focus back toward the moment.

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  “What’s up, I feel like I lost you there for a second?”

  “I would say it’s nothing, but I’m going to be honest, something is off about that Vivid girl,” said Arson, meeting Troy’s gaze with a serious look crossing his features.

  “Yeah, you noticed it too, huh.”

  Arson took Troy’s hand and her mind went blank momentarily, before she pushed down her racing thoughts, and returned her focus to the conversation.

  “What is it? I can’t quite put a finger on it, but something is bothering me about her too,” said Troy after another moment of silence..

  “Other than the fact that she’s a Cultivator, I don’t know, but she seemed to know the Swords that we got attacked by,” said Arson.

  “She’s a Cultivator? No way, really?”

  “Yeah, you think we were the only ones holding back in that fight, Vivid didn’t want to hurt anyone in there on either side of that situation.”

  “Oh my Maiden you’re right, I thought I was tripping when I saw her catch a knife and tuck it into her purse,” said Troy.

  “Nope,” said Arson laughing.

  “You think Seven knows?”

  “Obviously not, she had no reason to hide it from us, if not him, then who?”

  “Yeah, I see your point.”

  “You don’t think we should tell him do you,” asked Arson.

  “What? No, that is none of our business, and if she is mixed up with the Swords, that is the last bit of drama that we want to get tangled up in, sparks we don’t even know if they were there for us, or them, better to leave it alone.”

  “Yeah, for sure, think we should put off the next heist, or should we put off the raid? Sparks, I don’t know what would be more messy right now?”

  “Embers, buddy, you really don’t know when to stop do you,” said Troy laughing.

  “Nope…”

  Troy nodded and smirked, bumping into Arson playfully.

  “Lets just do whatever feels right, wanna kick in some doors, lets do it, want to distract ourselves with senseless violence, let’s do it, we’re on vacation, and what do you all keep saying about left hands and right hands or whatever?”

  “What the right hand raises into the light, the left hand lowers into the dark,” said Arson with a smile.

  “Yeah, wish that wasn’t so bloody catchy but I love it already and I’ve heard it like a hundred sparking times already.”

  “Yeah, I know, you just gotta trust—“

  Arson stopped as soon as Troy glared up at him, her pointed finger in his direction enough to make him stop talking, instead choosing to simply smile.

  “Just go with the flow, got it…”

  “Yeah, you better buddy, or I promise I’ll figure out a way to beat the sparks out of you…

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Don’t play, I got your momma on speed dial.”

  “Noted, I’ll definitely have to keep that in mind.”

  The pair finally made it back to the strip, only to find the normally deserted area, completely bustling.

  “Man, what happened here,” asked Troy looking around at all the people.

  “Rob opened up a diner, and has started to serve exclusive flavors of our liquor that you can’t find anywhere else, on top of potions that has the recovery rate of many of the struggling participants down here that are fighting to make credits to get to higher floors at an all time high,” said Arson pointing toward a sign that now read, Momma Jade’s.

  “Xani is the best builder anyone has ever met, don’t let her know I think that, not that she would immediately believe you, but it would eventually go to her head,” said Arson pointing toward another building with a long line with a sign that read, The Gadgeteer.

  “Jasmine has people coming from all the floors above to shop at an exclusive pop up boutique that you have to be a member to shop at,” said Arson pointing toward a shop that seemed to be amidst a fashion show. Its line was the longest, and seemed to be guarded by two people Troy thought worked for Khalif’s main security team.

  “Lane is using that area to film for a show that she and Jasmine have been working on with my sister of all people believe it or not, I think its called Pretty Kung fu, not going to lie its hilarious from what I’ve seen of it, but I think she is also hiring camera men and woman to start her own bloody network, could be wrong but it seems that way, I think she might just be too afraid to tell me, don’t know why, I’d support her in a blink, honestly may just push her to do it if she doesn’t bring it up,” said Arson with a shrug.

  “And of course Khalif is providing security for it all, and I’m pretty sure because of all this we are filling up the hotel with high priority clients from much of the higher floors, between Jasmine, Lane and Xani, they’d spun this little strip of ours to come off like an exclusive hidden zone within the resort.”

  “Why do I feel like I missed something, when did all of this happen, have I really been doing that many events,” asked Troy.

  Arson nodded.

  “Yeah, you and me both, I went to sleep one night, and feel like I woke up next to my friends trying to take over, if this is how we are going to relax, I can’t imagine what things are going to be like when we go back to work.”

  “I mean can you blame them, they’re friends with you, you bloody disappeared and under the weight of how much you’d already accomplished before you vanished. We started pop up festivals in an effort to not disappoint you, you want to know why Lane hasn’t brought it up that she wants to start a network, it’s probably for the same reason, none of us want to let you down Arson, you changed all of our lives, we just want to show we are worthy of everything you have shared with us.”

  Arson looked at the strip, pausing on the step that lead into the hotel. Troy could tell he was truly considering her words, and hoped he could see how much love his friends had for him.

  “You say you all want to be worthy, but part of me feels like I only am the way I am because of all of you,” said Arson, surprising Troy completely.

  “What would make you say that?”

  “Come on, you can’t be serious,” asked Arson, looking toward Troy with a furrowed brow.

  “Try me, tell me why you would say something like that?”

  Arson sat down, and sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before he spoke; Troy sitting next to him and taking his hand once more.

  “Since I lived at the orphanage, do you know what the number one thing I experienced was?”

  Troy shook her head, knowing Arson could see her, even though his eyes remained shut.

  “Wasted talent, dreams spoken about but never chased, I mean Momma Almarine tries her best to make everyone push themselves, but she is only one person, immortal yet, powerful beyond believe, but she can’t give her time to every child in her care and make them feel as she made me feel, Khalif feel, Xani feel, Jasmine, we were just the lucky ones, how many of us orphans don’t get the experience that we had, how many of them end up forced to fight in cages like you and I had to, Troy? You don’t want to let me down, I was raised around bloody geniuses being ignored because of circumstance, I can’t let you down, I don’t have the luxury of trying like others do, that can lead to failure, my only option is to succeed for you all,” said Arson, opening his tear filled eyes as he turned to face Troy. His smile beautiful, and untouched by the pain she knew that Arson must have experienced to feel the way she knew he did. The way she knew she’d felt since being returned to the orphanage as a child.

  Troy pulled him in, and let him cry. Let herself cry, knowing that she would never forget this moment. Knowing that she could never let him go.

  Their connection deepened in that moment. Unbeknownst to them both, their linked souls took the equivalent to a deep breath, further joining them to one another In ways that neither could currently understand nor describe.

  “Whether or not you succeed or fail, Arson, I will always be your friend, remember that.”

  They pulled away from each other, and looked into each other’s eyes.

  “Do you hear me?”

  Arson nodded and smiled.

  “I will do anything to keep you happy, Troy, I hope you know that.”

  Troy smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Didn’t doubt it for an instant buddy.”

  They cleaned themselves up and made their way in side, finding everyone sitting in a conference room, sitting in front of a blank wall screen.

  “What’s wrong with you all,” asked Arson.

  “Nothing, Jasmine just made us watch a sad movie,” said Lane, looking as if she’d been crying.

  “No way, not you too, Xani,” asked Troy, shocked to see the normally emotionless girl sniffling. Xani just nodded, seemingly unable to speak up.

  “Khalif,” asked Arson, their friend covering his face with both hands. The young Cultivator didn’t say a word, but instead shook his head without showing his face, refusing to move his hands.

  “I love you guys,” said Rob, blowing his nose as he looked around at his friends.

  Troy and Arson shared a look and both felt something was off.

  “What was the name of the movie,” asked Troy, crossing her arm as she began to scowl at her friends.

  “Yeah, me and Troy may want to watch it if its that good,” asked Arson, growing equally suspicious of what he was witnessing.

  “Love at first sight,” said Lane.

  “Passion and loyalty,” said Lane.

  “The love note,” said Khalif, his voice muffled by his hands.

  “A recipe for forever,” said Rob sniffling.

  “Mmhmm,” murmured Xani.

  Everyone spoke at the same time, and the couple immediately knew something was off as their friends all looked at one another in that moment.

  “Yeah, spark that you dirty low down bastards, you were spying on us,” yelled Troy.

  “No,” yelled everyone, either looking ashamed or turning away.

  Arson waved his hand through the air, and the wall screen turned back on, showing cameras all over the resort. The betting bar. A place they’d stopped for ice cream on the way back. Even sectors of the resort that for all intense and purposes seemed abandoned that they’d walked through to get back to the hotel.

  “Wow, just wow, delete it, Xani,” said Arson, grabbing Troy by the hand and turning to leave.

  “But it was so beautiful,” said Khalif.

  “Delete it,” yelled Arson from the hall as he and Troy stormed off.

  “Never!”

  …

  Vivid knocked on the door to her father’s penthouse. She hadn’t visited in a while, feeling as if she needed to after what had just happened in her bar.

  “Dad, I know you’re home, I walked through the garage first and your car is hear, and I stopped by your driver’s apartment on the way up, and she is home too, so answer the bloody door!”

  The door opened, and her father sighed, backing away from the door in his antique wheelchair.

  “Hello, my beautiful daughter, how may I be of service?”

  “How may you be of service, how may you be of service, you can tell me, oh my, what the sparks happened in here,” said Vivid as she pushed pass her father, walking into the destroyed penthouse.

  “Are you okay, are you hurt, who did this?” asked Vivid, rounding on her father, and beginning to check him for injuries.

  “Will you stop it child, move away from me, you are just like your mother, I am fine, back away please,” roared the man, trying to swat his daughters hands away and failing.

  “It looks like vampires had a ritual sacrifice party in your home dad and you think I’m not going to make sure you are okay?”

  “Why are you here, child? It is late and I have serious matters that I need to handle as soon as I wake up,” said Honzo, finally getting his daughter to stop grabbing at his face and clothes.

  “I am here because we need to talk dad.”

  Honzo rolled his chair around his daughter, heading out toward the balcony, pulling a rolled cigar from his pocket, and lighting it as he exited his apartment. Vivid followed, snatching the cigar from his mouth and throwing it over the edge.

  “You… why would you do that, it was my last one, do you know how rare those are,” yelled Honzo.

  “Dad!”

  “You probably hit someone with that you know, right in the eye, burned them, never to see again,” murmured Honzo, pulling another cigar from his pocket, only for Vivid to snatch it from his lips too.

  “Don’t you dare, that cost more than this bloody building,” roared Honzo.

  “Dad, shut up and tell me the truth!”

  “How can I shut up and tell you something at the same time, what do you want from me, miracles?”

  “Tell me the truth dad,” said Vivid, moving the cigar in her hand over the edge of the balcony.

  “Okay, okay, what child, what?”

  “Are you trying to kill my boyfriend?”