Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
One year ago
Jade jogged off the landing pad, smiling and waving to the smattering of spectators applauding her vault. Christina and Miko were waiting for her in the staging area, beckoning her over. She moved towards them, doing her best to ignore the growing twinge of pain in her ankle. That last landing had been a little rough, but she wasn't too worried. She'd had far worse over the years. Stepping out of the way of another group of gymnasts preparing for their routine, Jade joined her friends. Unlike Jade, her university teammates were wearing normal street clothes, a sight that she wasn't used to in this environment. But of their team, she was the only one competing today.
"That was great!" Miko said excitedly, grabbing her hands. The shorter girl was practically vibrating with energy, a broad grin splitting her face.
"You're almost there!" Christina clapped her on the shoulder. "Just one more vault."
They turned to face the scoreboard as it updated with her most recent jump, and Jade's heart leapt with excitement. It was better than she'd expected, definitely one of the best of the day.
"You're going to make it!" Miko squeaked, squeezing Jade's hand tighter. "Oh my God, Jade, I can't believe it! I mean, not that I was doubting you, but the Olympics?! Our Jade?!"
"I still have one more to go." Jade reminded her, trying to stay grounded. Nervous energy swirled in her stomach like a vortex, making it impossible to stand still.
So many years of endless practice, competitions, and championships. The highs of victory and the lows of defeat. All of it had led to this day. High above them, a huge banner stretched across the width of the stadium. Jade glanced up at it yet again, reaffirming to herself yet again that it was real. That she had made it.
'2032 Summer Olympic Games United States Women's Gymnastics Trials'
Part of her still couldn't believe it, even months after she'd received the invitation to compete from the selection committee. But now that she was here, surrounded by the best competitors in the nation, it was finally starting to sink in. A smile broke across her face as she took it all in.
"Hey." Christina punched her lightly in the shoulder. "Stay focused." Her friend's expression grew a little concerned. "You were limping a little after that landing. Everything okay?"
"I'm fine." Jade said, waving her concern away. "Just a little sore."
"Want me to tape it up for you? There should be time."
"Really, I'm okay." She flashed her a confident smile. She was on top of her game today, and nothing was going to stop her.
Jade didn't want to risk being late to her last routine, she needed time to get back into the right headspace. She started that process now, centering herself, finding that elusive state of clarity and focus where everything just seemed to fall into place.
"Be careful." Christina said. She looked like she wanted to say more but held back, frowning instead.
"Good luck!" Miko encouraged her. "You've got this!"
Jade gave them a thumbs up, starting back towards the runway. One last vault. Only five of the dozens of competitors here would get the honor of being selected for the Olympic team. The decision was made by committee, but Jade knew that if she nailed this last jump, she had it in the bag. Her scores hadn't quite been the best over the course of the two-day competition, but she was definitely in the top three.
One more jump.
A dull ache was growing in her left ankle. Jade did her best to push it from her mind and maintain focus. Just one more. She could give it all the rest it needed after one more jump. She'd been telling herself that for weeks, ignoring the growing pain, but this time she meant it.
"Go big or go home." She whispered to herself. That singular mindset had carried her this far, to the precipice of greatness.
As soon as Jade stepped onto the runway, her anxiety melted away. The clamor of the stadium faded, leaving her in an island of calm. This was her world, her element. Problems and pain were things of the outside world, and none of them mattered here. All that existed was her, the vault, and the watching panel of judges. In this moment, worries over her absent mother, detached father, and infirm brother couldn't reach her. Here, in this one place, she was special.
The signal came. Jade took off down the lane, thundering towards the launch pad. After hundreds of grueling repetitions, her body knew what to do. The motions were instinctive, requiring no concious thought. She flipped forward, launching herself off the vault into a graceful, spinning arc. It was a perfect jump, precisely controlled down to the smallest movement. Jade twisted through the air in a stunning display of peak athleticism, making an acrobatic feat that would be impossible for most appear utterly effortless.
The final rotation brought her feet under her at just the right moment, and Jade thumped to the padded floor in a flawless landing.
At least, that was how it appeared.
Jade had always been tall for a gymnast, a fact that she hated being reminded of due to it being a factor beyond her control. This was made worse due to her being drawn to the sport specifically because, in her mind, it was an individual competition. She completed her routine alone, commanding every aspect of the performance. Success and failure were born from her efforts, and hers alone. For a woman coming from a fractured home and a family filled with issues she had no hope of fixing, the appeal of sport that empowered her to forge her own fate was immense.
Unfortunately, Jade's penchant for ignoring what she didn't like had set her up for disaster. Each time she'd practiced her vaulting routine, strain accumulated in her body. The harsh landings carried a great deal of energy, all the more for Jade, whose long body acted as a lever that amplified the already significant force. But despite this disadvantage, she had trained her body to be strong. It dutifully weathered the abuse time after time, the good landings and the bad. Until, at long last, she pushed it one step too far.
No sooner had Jade's feet hit the ground when a sharp, white-hot lance of pain exploded in her left ankle. It buckled under the strain, twisting hard as she collapsed on the pad. She stifled a cry of pain, rolling onto her back and pulling her knee to her chest, holding her leg tightly. Her ankle was already starting to swell, and the throbbing pain was only growing in intensity.
No, no, no!
Despite the agony, Jade pulled herself to her feet. She had to walk it off, to show that she was fine. Had she remained upright long enough for the landing to count? The vault had been perfect, one the best she'd ever done.
"Jade!" Christina was next to her now, Miko right behind her. They weren't supposed to be here on the floor, but no one stopped them. They took her by the arm, supporting her.
"I'm okay." Jade said, trying to walk on her own. "I-" The moment she put weight on her foot, it failed. She nearly went down again before her friends caught her, choking back another groan of pain. Tears stung at the corner of her eyes, both from the throbbing injury and the growing fear that this would put her out of the running.
"Jade, stop!" Christina pleaded. This time, she was forced to let them help her away, half limping, half carried. They were soon met by the first aid team, who rushed her back to a medical room. Through the mounting pain and frustration, Jade was dimly aware of a hushed silence in the arena, and of the media crews tracking her as she was led away.
Her mind was rapidly growing numb, unable to process the sudden change in circumstance. In what felt like no time at all, a medic was carefully probing her ankle while her friends watched.
"It's just a bad sprain." Jade muttered, semi-delirious from the pain. "I-I just need some rest."
"Stay still." The medic told her, his tone firm but not unkind. He carefully applied pressure to various places along her foot and ankle. There was nothing, until-
Jade cried out as intense pain flared through her leg, like something had just speared her through the ankle. There was a horrifyingly nauseating sensation of shifting, grinding bone in her foot, and she groaned, closing her eyes. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she was starting to feel lightheaded.
"Call an ambulance." The medic was saying to someone Jade couldn't see. "At least one fracture, she needs imaging."
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It'll be okay. Jade told herself, lying back as her foot was propped up to provide elevation. Everyone gets injuries. It'll be fine.
Her performance at the trials had been stellar, she knew that. If she could recover, if it didn't take too long, everything would be fine.
The more she repeated that to herself, the closer she came to believing the lie.
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The door closed behind the departing doctor, leaving Jade alone in the hospital room. The past week had been a blur of pain, triage, and meeting with too many doctors to remember. Her father had taken off work to drive her home, resulting in what felt like the longest road trip of Jade's life, where every bump in the road sent stinging waves of pain through her leg. The injury hadn't been quite bad enough to warrant emergency surgery, but it also wasn't the sort of condition that could heal on its own. As soon as she'd returned home, she'd been taken straight to the hospital for the surgeon's earliest availability.
The first procedure had met with minor complications, requiring a second one only two days later. Now, fresh after the latest round of her ankle being reconstructed, Jade was exhausted. She lay back in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the paper her doctor had left with her. It listed her injury as a 'Trimalleolar Fracture', which the surgeon had explained meant that three different parts of her ankle had broken simultaneously. It was an uncommon injury, likely the result of a gradual buildup of stress and microfractures over months, or even years, of hard training.
According to the surgeon, this latest procedure had gone well. They had rebuilt her ankle, holding it together with screws in several places. She couldn't see the scars through the splint strapped to her foot, but she knew they were there. If she followed through with physical therapy, her doctor was confident that she'd be able to recover enough to walk normally again, probably even endure light physical activity, at least for short periods. When she'd asked about returning to competitions, his expression had been answer enough.
"With these injuries, it's often hard to tell exactly what level of recovery is possible." The surgeon had said evasively, gesturing to a printout of her X-Rays. Jade lacked the expertise to interpret them in any meaningful way, but even she could see the large crack prominently featured in one of the bones. "In some cases, athletes like you do return to their sports. But keep in mind, that isn't a quick process. It will require dedication to your prescribed physical therapy and, just as important: Rest. It's paramount that the body be given time to heal properly, or the risk of reinjuring yourself is high."
Months. She was looking at months, or even years, of recovery time. The Olympics were coming up in the summer, only a handful of months away. Even if she'd miraculously recovered in time, there was no way the selection committee would choose her for the team. She'd have to miss the training camp, the joint exercises, the routine planning…
The paper crumpled as Jade squeezed her hands into fists. She took a deep, calming breath, sitting up. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't as bad as they thought. If she started now, she might be able to rehab quicker than the doctors expected. They weren't used to patients as fit and athletic as she was, nor with people who had her determination. Surely she could beat their expectations.
Carefully swinging her legs off the side of the bed, Jade eyed the distance between her and the door to the bathroom. A quick test wouldn't hurt, just to get a baseline for how she was feeling after the procedure. Gingerly rising to her feet, Jade found that her leg didn't hurt any worse. Buoyed, she took a tentative step. The instant she put her weight on her injured foot, an explosion of pain erupted through her ankle like searing fire. Jade gasped, catching herself on the side of the bed before she collapsed to the ground. She knelt like that for several long moments, breathing hard, anger and frustration boiling through the walls she'd erected in her mind.
It was over. She couldn't delude herself anymore. Even if she did recover one day, it wouldn't be in time. You didn't bounce back from not being able to walk to completing Olympic vaults in a matter of weeks. Everything she had worked for, all the years of dedicated training, none of it mattered anymore.
Finally, the tears came. All the anger, pain, and helplessness welled up at once, and Jade couldn't hold it back any longer. She sobbed into the side of the bed, bunching the sheets as she squeezed her fists tight. Tears spilled from her cheeks, dripping to the floor. The cruelty of making it so close to her dream, only for it to be snatched away in the last instant, made it all the worse.
"Jade…?"
She hadn't heard the door open. Jade sniffed, wiping her eyes.
"Leave me alone." She muttered, not turning to face whoever it was.
"I'm not leaving you like this."
The voice finally registered. She blinked, looking towards the door. Her brother stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame for support. Gone was the energetic, youthful boy she remembered from childhood. In his place was a lanky, underweight teen, with a bald head and loose-fitting clothes. Alan's eyes were still bright, though, shining from his tired face like vibrant beacons. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Alan…?" Jade asked, surprised to see him. "I thought you were…" She trailed off, trying to remember what his current treatment was. It had changed so many times, she realized that she didn’t know.
"I had an oncology appointment today." He said, kneeling next to her. "Dad dropped me off on his way to work. He wanted to stop by, but… You know how it is." He gave her a sad smile. "Come on, let's get you back in bed."
"No, you shouldn't be straining yourself." Jade said, using her arms to pull herself up.
"Neither should you." Alan pointed out, lifting under her shoulders.
Together, they got her back in bed, Jade wincing as the movement sent another pang of discomfort through her ankle.
"I'm sorry this happened." Alan said, lowering himself into the bedside chair. "I was watching the stream…"
"You were?" Jade asked, surprised.
"Of course I was." He grinned at her. "You were incredible! No one else was even trying the moves you were."
"Doesn't matter now." Jade snapped, thumping her head back against the pillow. "It's all over. All that time, all that effort, wasted."
"You don't mean that." Alan said with a frown. "You took home the national championship last year."
"That was just a steppingstone." Jade countered. Part of her knew she was being unreasonable, but she was too frustrated to care. "All of it was for this! I… I tried so hard…" Her voice broke and, though she tried to stop them, the tears began to flow again. "Why…?" She asked. "Why did it have to happen?! Why now?"
She slammed her fist on the bedside table, knocking a pile of things to the floor. Why couldn't her body have held together just a little longer?
It isn't fair…
Alan didn't say anything. He just reached over and squeezed her shoulder, bowing his head.
"And this stupid hospital!" Jade snapped, gesturing around at the room. Somewhere deep inside her, a floodgate had broken. All the frustration and anger of the past week came spilling out all at once. "How are you supposed to get any rest when you get interrupted every twenty minutes? Or with the constant beeping? It's like they're trying to drive me crazy!"
"I know…" Alan said, patting her arm softly. "I know."
Far too late, Jade realized what she was doing. She looked at her younger brother, seeing him for the first time since he'd arrived. Her righteous anger and resentment drained away as quickly as it had erupted from her, replaced by an intense sense of self-loathing.
"Oh Alan…" She whispered, looking at him with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry…"
"It's fine." He said, giving her a sad smile.
His understanding only made her feel worse. Here she was complaining about spending one night in a hospital for a foot injury to her brother, a boy who had been fighting for his life on and off for the past several years, practically living as in inpatient for weeks at a time. What the hell was she doing…? Yes, losing this chance was soul crushingly painful, but it paled in comparison to her brother's battle.
Jade looked away, cheeks burning with shame. What kind of sister was she? When had she become so self-centered and prideful that she didn't even consider her own brother's feelings?
"Really, it's okay." Alan reassured her. "I'm on the mend, remember? And so are you. We'll be good as new in no time."
She knew him well enough to pick out the forced optimism in his words.
"Besides." He said, looking away. "It really does suck. The least I can do is listen, especially after I made mom lea-"
"Never say that!" Jade snapped, turning a fierce gaze on her brother. He sat up straighter, a look of surprise crossing his face. "Never, ever say that." She continued, more gently. "Mom leaving wasn't your fault."
Jade had never forgiven her mother for walking out on their family. What kind of parent left their sick child because caring for them was too difficult? Not being there was bad enough, but what it did to them was even worse.
"Hey…" He said, changing the subject. "Want me to bring you some books?"
"I'll be going home today, but thanks." She sighed, lying back on the bed. The depression was returning, like a thick cloud descending on her. Through the resentment and anger, though, it finally dawned on Jade what a miserable excuse of a sibling she'd been. Throwing herself into training and competition to escape a bleak family life might have helped her, but it had meant abandoning him. That he didn't seem to hold it against her only made her feel more ashamed.
Everything else might be broken now, but maybe she could still fix that one thing. If something good could come of this then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't lose herself completely.
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Present Day
Awareness of the quiet, still meadow slowly returned to Jade. Her body was trembling from the intense wave of emotions that had accompanied the memories, and she could still feel the throbbing pain in her foot. It was as if she had really been there, reliving it. How… How was that possible? What kind of magic was at play here?
And why?
She closed her eyes, slowing her rapid breaths. The blinding light emanating from the pool was gone, but the intense heat it had filled her with was still fading. She could feel it swirling through the magical conduits in her body, ebbing like a receding tide. Jade got the sense that it was trying to show her something. Hesitantly, she followed it with her mind, letting it take her back through the memories the power had dredged up from the depths of her soul. After several long minutes of introspection, she finally began to understand.
The visions had shown her a past failure. She had been too proud to listen to the advice from her friends and lashed out in anger at those closest to her when she'd fallen. What had Serrethis said? That this power was called 'growth'? Jade had interpreted that as some sort of life energy, maybe a kind of magic that imbued the forest with strength and vitality. But maybe that wasn't all it was. The remnant magic inside her felt like it was trying to guide her. Could that be its nature, instead? Did he send her here to learn from this? If so, had he known what she would experience?
Jade didn't know, but one thing had been made clear to her. As much as she wanted to think that her recent emotional surges of pride and anger came from adapting to her new demonic nature, she was now forced to confront the fact that she'd always held those traits. Her succubus form might enhance them, or make them easier, but she couldn't just give up and put all the blame on that.
Moreover, if she did, she'd be leading herself to the same failures that had cost her everything in the past. Only this time, 'everything' was far more all-encompassing. Jade didn't understand this power, this place, or whatever lost deity had created it, but the message was clear: Get her head on straight or suffer the consequences.