Chapter one: The fall
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the school rooftop. Moon Sheen stood at the edge, the wind whipping through his hair. He looked out over the city, grappling with a mix of anger and frustration.
“Hey, Moon!” Raiden's voice broke through the air, laced with mockery. “What’s the matter? Still failing every subject?”
Moon turned, trying to mask the irritation boiling inside him. “What do you want, Raiden?”
Raiden stepped closer, a smirk playing on his lips. “Just thought I’d remind you how pathetic you are. You really think you can rise to the top? You’re a joke.”
Maya, standing beside Raiden, crossed her arms. “You are a joke moon . Tempest doesn’t need any more losers in the gang.”
Moon clenched his fists, heat rushing to his cheeks. “I’m not a joke. I’m trying, but you wouldn’t understand what it’s like to struggle.”
Raiden chuckled, a cruel sound echoing off the rooftop. “Trying hard doesn’t change the fact that my older brother is the failure in our family.”
Marco burst onto the scene, his usual energy palpable. “What’s going on? You guys look like you’re about to start a fight!”
Raiden rolled his eyes. “Stay out of this, Marco. It’s not your business.”
Marco crossed his arms, frowning. “If you’re bothering Moon, it’s my business.”
Just then, Carlo, Marco's cousin and Tempest’s enforcer, stepped in front of Marco, blocking his way. “You think you can take him on, clown?” Carlo sneered.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Marco shot back, stepping closer.
In a swift motion, Carlo shoved Marco hard, the impact sending him crashing into the ground. “Oops,” Carlo said, feigning innocence before raising the bat he held. “Let’s see how tough you are now.”
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Before Marco could react, Carlo swung the bat, breaking Marco’s arm in one swift motion. Marco cried out, the pain radiating through him, but Carlo only grinned.
“Looks like you’ll be out of the fight for a while,” Carlo taunted.
As chaos unfolded, Devonte stood on the rooftop, seeing his friends getting picked on. He took a deep breath, feeling the wind whip around him, trying to clear his mind. Just then, Spade, Tempest’s number three, emerged from the door behind him.
“Look who we have here,” Spade sneered, brandishing a bat. “Time to put you in your place,Devonte Anderson.”
Devonte turned, his resolve hardening. “I’m not afraid of you.”
But before he could react, Spade lunged forward, swinging the bat. The impact sent Devonte sprawling back, the pain blossoming in his side as he struggled to recover.
Devonte lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath when Spade loomed over him, a smug grin on his face.
“Did you hear?” Spade said, swinging the bat down and landing a light hit on Devonte’s side. “Aloe’s mine now.”
Devonte gritted his teeth, pain shooting through him. “You think she actually likes you?”
Spade laughed, bringing the bat down harder. “Oh, she loves me. Unlike you, I know how to treat a girl right.”
“Treating her right?” Devonte spat, struggling to push himself up. “You just bully everyone, including her.”
Spade swung again, the bat connecting with Devonte’s leg. “And that’s why she’s with me, not some loser who can’t even stand up.”
Devonte grimaced, glaring up at Spade. “You won’t keep her forever. She’ll see you for who you really are.”
Spade smirked, hitting Devonte with a swift jab to the ribs. “Keep dreaming. While you’re up here wallowing, I’m with her. How does that feel?”
“I’ll make you pay for this,” Devonte growled, his voice strained.
Spade chuckled darkly. “You really think you can? Look at you—pathetic.”
Devonte loses consiousnes
Raiden glared at Moon, his eyes burning with a mix of frustration and anger. “You think you can just show up and challenge me?” he spat, stepping forward. With a swift motion, he shoved Moon hard, sending him stumbling back toward the edge of the roof. “This is my turf, and you’re nothing but a failure,” Raiden sneered, watching as Moon struggled to regain his balance, the weight of his brother’s disdain crashing down on him. The wind whipped around them, but all Moon could focus on was the impending fall that felt like the culmination of his failures
.As Moon stumbled, his feet slipping on the gravel, he felt the ground give way beneath him. Panic surged through him as he lost his balance, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to grab hold of something—anything. Raiden watched, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, but it was too late. Moon plummeted from the edge, the world blurring around him as gravity took over. In that heart-stopping moment, time seemed to slow, the realization of his fall crashing down harder than the ground would. He gasped, and for a brief second, all he could think was that this was it—his chance to prove himself, shattered in an instant, and then Darkness.