Page 67 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

“Okay, you’re right. I just appreciate you all.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “I want to make your lives easier. Easier to be friends without sneaking into Grey Territory just to spend time together. I want to become a king you can be proud of and not fear. I’m vowing to each of you now: whatever the future holds, I’ll do everything in my power to change the world as we know it.”

The team stared at him like he’d sprouted a second head, and Rain suddenly felt painfully aware of himself.

“Why does it sound like you’re about to leave us?” Jay asked quietly.

“We have a competition to win. I’m not going anywhere,” Rain replied.

“And after the competition? If we don’t make it far—are you going to disappear then?” Jay pressed, frustration sharpening his tone.

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead. Most of you will be travelling home.” Rain said it gently, though the truth of it sat heavy in his chest. They would drift apart. Of course they would.

“Oh, I can’t think about that,” Emily groaned, clinging to Daphne’s arm. “It makes me super sad that we’re all going to be separated.”

“What about us?” Jay cut in, eyes narrowing at Rain. Rain looked away, pushing off the wall. This wasn’t a conversation they should have in front of everyone—and he wasn’t ready to face the mess of feelings between them. The guilt alone, every time he saw the fading welts on Jay’s beautiful, angelic face, made him want to walk away for Jay’s sake. But the thought of actually doing it felt unbearable.

“Come on. Let’s start training. That’s what we’re here for,” Rain called, ignoring Jay’s burning stare.

“Great. Just ignore me then,” Jay muttered as Rain walked off. “Very mature.” Rain heard it and fought a smile. Jay was infuriatingly cute when annoyed.

Rain stepped into the centre of the half-pipe. “From here on, the events test our combined skills. Our weaknesses will show because we all have to run the entire course. Our strength is teamwork. We need to trust each other and stay focused. Today’s drill: run up the ramp, haul yourself onto the platform, give me ten push-ups, run back down, ten burpee push-ups, repeat.”

The girls groaned.

“That’s the spirit. Rogan; how many sets?”

Everyone turned. Rogan froze like a startled deer.

“Fif—” He caught Emily’s glare. “Twenty-five?”

“Easy. Let’s go.”

Rain stayed back, observing. He knew exactly who would struggle and wanted to see how they handled it.

Wren and Jasmine reached the rim first with speed and technique. Jasmine swung up effortlessly; Wren scrambled but made it. Rogan, Thomas, and Jay followed. Daphne barely clung on long enough to pull herself up. Emily tried every strategy she could think of but slid back down each time. Sean, all muscle and no momentum, couldn’t quite catch the ledge.

By the time the others were on their second set, Emily and Sean were still stuck.

“Come on, Emily, you’ve got this!” Wren called as she passed her but didn’t slow down to help. Sean stared at the ramp like it had personally insulted him.

Rain watched for three more sets before stepping in.

“Emily, you with me?”

“Yeah—why?” she panted.

“When I’m up there, run and take my hand.”

She nodded. Rain sprinted up, twisted, and sat on the edge. “Go.”

She ran; he caught her hand and pulled her up with ease.

“Sean. Run as fast as you can. I’ll help you reach the edge.”

“I can’t make it that far.”

“Trust me.”

Sean sighed, then ran. Rain pushed energy behind him, a firm invisible force launching him high enough to grab the ledge. Sean hauled himself up easily.