The evening of their last day at Embercrest Lodge, which should have been a joyful one was one of fear and remorse.

The Adventure Club decided to have one last meeting, their final meeting in the rec room. Phoenix rented it out anyway, and it was meant as a celebration at the end of the week for a job well done, but the box of decorations seemed inappropriate now given their situation. He at least tried to make it a little less depressing.

The rec room had a ping-pong table, a brand-new holo screen, and an anti-gravity challenge simulation, and other arcade machines. In an attempt to modernize the lodge, the rec room had a lot of modern amenities, and it kept the Adventure Club somewhat distracted at the beginning of their meeting. Everyone was excited, except for Aster and Max who had the looks of death in their eyes.

They sat on two wooden chairs in the corner, while everyone was talking, enjoying their last day together, until it was time to go back to school and pretend that nothing had happened.

But Max didn't want to.

"Aster, let's talk outside," Max said.

They left everyone quietly, and went to the far end of the hallway so no one could hear their conversation.

"I know Phoenix and I said earlier that we would disband the group but I don't to," Max said. "Come with me."

"No. I did all this. I don't want to hurt more people," Aster replied.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Aster."

He hugged him and Aster cried into his shoulder quietly. All he had done was cry all day. He was tired of crying, tired of being around people, at the lodge, and wanted to curl into a ball and disappear into the blankets of his bed at home.

"When school is over I'm not joining the military. I couldn't handle seeing people die, or killing someone. This isn't the place for me," Aster said.

"This isn't about killing people, we save people," Max insisted.

"Stop this. Aren't you afraid?"

"Always."

Aster was now never going to stay with Max's group, no matter how strong his feelings for him were. Why follow someone who contradicted their own words?

"Why stop when we just started? We can't stop now, especially after what they did to Princess Rhiannon. Remember what she said?"

Aster nodded, and wiped his nose with his shirt, and agreed that yes, Princess Rhiannon's death should not be in vain, and yes, he supported what Max did, but he was not joining him.

"Why do you want me so badly to stay," Aster asked.

"Because you're my friend. You're important to me, and you're afraid like me. We can be afraid together, and it can be a lot less scary," Max said.

Aster chuckled and smiled, and Max perked up a little, thinking he was starting to come around.

"You've really changed, huh? You're a real charmer now," Aster said. "I thought that since you've seen so much death you would understand my view."

"I saw so much death that I can't stop now."

Aster smiled and shook his head.

"We'll always be friends, but I can't. I just can't."

Aster left the hallway for the rec room and Max sighed in frustration. He truly thought Aster would agree to join. Tiffany and Seraphina came into the hallway to meet Max and another heavy conversation began.

"Aster is freaking out and I don't know what to do," Seraphina said. "Did talking to him earlier help?"

"No. I think I made it worse on accident," Max replied. "I'm sorry."

"Guess he needs to be alone for a while is all."

"We need to ask you something important, Sera," Tiffany said.

Seraphina laughed nervously and already prepared herself to say no because whatever happened in the hallway earlier must have been bad if it upset Aster even further.

"We're making a separate group in secret, after graduation. We're talking to those we think will join and-"

"NO! Fuck, no," Seraphina shouted.

"Quiet," Max begged.

"No! We are going to die if we continue down this path! I am not putting my life, my family's life in danger just to be a pretend superhero!"

"Sera you're not thinking this through," Tiffany said. "There is so much more at stake here. They want to destroy beautiful places like Flaja Temple, and people like us."

Seraphina scoffed.

"We literally learned how to use water like a day or two ago. We aren't actual Weavers," she said. "We can stop now, and no one will know!"

"Sera, please," Tiffany begged her. "We need you."

"No you don't. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this dumb idea of yours. I'm sure no one else will agree to it."

Seraphina left in a hurry and Max and Tiffany were at a loss. They weren't very surprised by Aster saying no, but they thought Seraphina would agree. There were four more people they thought would be the founding members of their group, and it wasn't going well so far.

Phoenix came into the hallway after seeing Seraphina's distress and his face went from concern to mild irritation.

"Can you two not make out in the hallway," Phoenix asked. "It's inappropriate."

"We are not," Tiffany mumbled. "We were talking about group business."

"What group business? All of this is over, and done for. I don't want to put any more of your lives in danger," Phoenix said.

"Some of us graduate soon," Max replied. "Next month I'll be an adult. We will still be in danger but you can be there when it gets rough."

Phoenix went through many conflicting emotions. He knew that without him they would still do dangerous things, that nothing he would say would stop them. He knew, without a doubt, that Eric would join whatever scheme they had.

"Okay," he said. "I'll join. But promise me that-"

"HEY GUYS WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

"Oh," Max mumbled. "It's Kylan."

Kylan could be seen before he was heard. Eric was trying to convince him that he should stay inside because it seemed that his brother probably stepped out for privacy but Kylan didn't believe it. Kylan spoke to Aster about what happened, and Aster confessed what Max was planning.

"Guys, I know what's happening," Kylan said.

"You do," Max asked.

"And you know what I think of it?"

"Uhm..no..."

"It's a great idea, I just think it needs some work," Kylan said.

He moved over to Max, took him by the shoulder, and it looked quite funny because Max was much taller than Kylan. Max had to bend over while Kylan acted as if he were telling someone four years his elder some sort of sage advice.

"You sound like you want to stay in the military and take it down from the inside out," Kylan said. "That's too complicated."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"No it's not," Max replied. "I don't want to do that."

"I say we defeat the Empire by burning it down to the ground."

"Heeeeey," Eric said uncomfortably. "Someone could hear us."

Max unlatched himself from Kylan and became angrier the more he spoke with him.

"I don't want to destroy Aria. What would ever make you think that," Max asked.

"Why not? They hurt that beautiful woman," Kylan replied. "They want to kill us next, and they probably won't stop there."

"Even attempting to destroy the government is dangerous! We need to change it-"

"NO!"

Kylan stomped his feet and now, another person did not want to join Max for different reasons.

"You wanna see us all die because you're some soft boy," Kylan shouted. "I'm not gonna let this go!"

He ran off and they all chased after him, but he entered the rec room before them. Eric pushed him down, got on top of him, and covered his mouth. Muffled screams were all that was heard and everyone stared while Phoenix did nothing to stop the fight.

"What is happening," Akvo asked. "Stop bullying him, he's just messing around again."

"Fine. I'll let go if Kylan promises to stay quiet," Eric replied.

Kylan could not stay quiet if someone paid it one billion credits.

Kylan lied and nodded yes.

He pried himself free from underneath Eric, ran towards Aster, and stood behind him for protection.

"THEY WANT TO START A SECRET GROUP AGAIN WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE AND THEIR GROUP SUCKS!"

"Of course they do," Akvo said dryly. "They want us all to die."

Everyone started arguing and shouting again, the anger and fear too much for everyone to handle. Max's bruised body, thumping head and pained feet made his fuse short and he had enough. Everyone went quiet when the lights in the room flickered. It started slowly with one light, then another, and then all the electric devices shut off. The only light in the room came from the window and Max's electric aura.

"Pick a side, now," Max said. "I don't care anymore which one you choose."

None of them believed they had a choice with the threatening gaze he had. All of the people who doubted any special ability he had were now believers and walked over to him, out of devotion and awe. Those who wanted nothing to do with him crowded around Akvo and there were a few left standing in the middle who couldn't decide.

"Pick a side," Max repeated.

Kylan decided this was another wonderful time to speak his mind.

"I am starting my own group, one that is stronger, and better," he announced. "None of this changing minds stuff! We can't change the mind of a guy that killed his cousin!"

A lot of them nodded and a few left Max's group to Kylan's. A few in the center went to Akvo and Kylan, and now everyone had chosen a side.

"You're just some dumb freshman, what can you do," Tiffany said. "You don't know as much about the Ten Paths as the people in our group do!"

"AND!?! I have time! I can do ANYTHING! WE CAN DO ANYTHING!"

Cheers came from Kylan's group, and Max, for the first time in his life thought about hitting someone who didn't pose a threat to his safety.

Kylan did however give a threat to his dominance.

"There can only be one," Max said. "It's not you."

"I don't want to be alone," Kylan replied. "No one can stop evil alone. That's why we're together."

Max's heart softened and his anger faded. He didn't want to fight Kylan anymore. No one wanted to fight each other.

The lights turned back, and everyone was relieved but now most of them were afraid of Max. He felt ashamed and wasn't thinking through his actions at the moment. Tiffany saw the look of shame on his face and hugged him.

"It's okay," she assured him. "You were only doing what you thought was best."

"Yes. You're right. I have to do what I think is best."

The Adventure Club did not officially disband that evening. Max unwillingly made Kylan become its new president. Max said it was a good thing because he would be graduating soon anyway, but his feelings were still hurt. He told himself that he had more important things to worry about, like the future.

Max told himself that the club would disband in his absence, to spare his ego.

Besides.

All his teachers said high school didn't matter.

That night he went to sleep, making a mistake that would come back to bite him in the butt many years in the future.