Ten years ago, Randall Connor led his people against the Council. Their walls proved impenetrable and the rebellion came to a swift halt. It was enough to gain the attention of the Council. This attention comes in the form of a tribute. They now expect Outsiders to provide food for their people in exchange for the location of a few cities from before the war. While the locations have prompted for the rapid development of cities and allowed people to build a life after expulsion from the city, some argue the price is too steep. – Phillip Wallace, 494 Anno Imperi Ortu

I can’t feel the weight of the building above me. Either that’s good – and it means I’m using my power well – or it’s terrible and I’ve gone numb. At this point, I can’t tell for sure. I do know that I lack the strength to push myself free. The rubble shifts above me, threatening to cave in. Thankfully, my barrier holds.

Breathing slowly, I try to calm the ache in my muscles. I wonder if I would be able to provide them supplemental energy and heal myself if I had better control. Right now, I definitely couldn’t pull off such a maneuver. Instead, I simply wait for the pain to pass.

Through the small cracks in the destroyed building, I can hear the war waging. I thought I could handle this on my own and all it took was one Council dog to incapacitate me. I’m pathetic. Regardless, I have to push forward.

From the darkness, all bullets sound the same. All screams and all pain blend together. I have no way to tell which army is winning or to identify the casualties. I wonder if I led my army into battle too soon – once again acting hastily. I don’t think I’ll get a third chance. If I’m going to defeat the Council, it has to be now. There is no retreat and regroup. If I die here, all I’ll ever be is a failed leader. I’ll be a cautionary tale in the history books and a further excuse to inhibit powers like mine. I will lose to the tyrannical regime before me. I refuse to be a failure. I refuse to be powerless. I don’t care if coming here was a mistake or not. The decision has been made, and I’m going to make it the right one.

I muster my strength and push upward, but none of the rubble moves. Not for the first time, I feel weak. I thought I had mastery of my power, but I’m just a crumpled mess.

“Stop it,” I growl, forcing the thoughts out of my head. I will no longer accept inadequacy or failure. I am not powerless. I am Carson Adachi. I will rise above this – just as I was meant to. I will defeat the Council and lead my people to a magnificent victory. I am not a failure. I am not broken – and by no means am I defeated.

Exhaling slowly, I pull my focus from my own muscles and think about energy like Satoshi taught me. The pieces of rubble slowly start to clatter, rolling down the sides of the mountain which crushes me. I hear a large piece clatter as it rolls down the stairs. A soldier screams, but I’m not sure if he escapes in time.

More rubble rolls away as the pieces closes to me begin shaking. I wish I could make a powerful entrance and blast the pieces away. I know such a visual would inspire my people and terrify my enemies. However, it would also risk launching debris at bystanders unnecessarily.

Finally, I see a stream of light filter in through a crack above me. The pieces of the roof directly on top of my rise into the air and clatter away. Slowly, I struggle to my feet and turn to face the chaos before me. Hundreds of bodies litter the ground surrounding city hall. Whichever side they’re on, they bleed the same. Red covers their clothes and taints the green grass. In a sense, it’s tragically beautiful. Most of the bodies are soldiers of the Council, and this image is a perfect picture of our impending victory.

I levitate over the mound of rubble and cautiously land to the side of it. The entrance to city hall is now blocked, so I push aside the stone blocking it. Before I can enter, I hear my name. Turning quickly over my shoulder, I see a battered man walking toward me. His left arm is clearly broken and one of his eyes is swollen shut. Walking with a limp, he struggles toward me. In his altered state, he’s almost unrecognizable until his right arm slowly sharpens into a blade.

“Where is Jade?” I demand.

“I didn’t want to hurt anyone,” Danny coughs.

“But you did.”

“You didn’t leave me a choice!”

Danny is clearly in no condition to fight. He can barely walk. All I have to do is push him back slightly and go finish this battle. However, I can’t simply allow him to walk away. I know Jade wouldn’t have allowed him to walk away if she had any strength left in her at all.

“Your Council will fall today,” I spit.

“We will prevail. People like you can’t be allowed to lead.”

“Because Dante’s better?”

“He doesn’t see us as expendable.”

“Tell that to all the soldiers he forcibly trained.”

“To defend us from you! What happened to my opponent in Battle School? What happened to that innocent boy?”

“Your leaders killed him,” I growl. “Now, they’re going to see how he felt.”

“You’re not walking in that door.”

“You have no chance to stop me,” I taunt. Danny takes a step toward me, but he suddenly stops moving. Slowly, he rises into the air. With nothing more than a thought, I could snap his neck. While I want nothing more than that, Jade deserves justice. A swift death doesn’t serve that. Instead, I snap his right knee. Screaming in pain, Danny drops any pretense of being strong.

“Go ahead and kill me. It won’t make a difference,” Danny chokes.

“You think you’re a good person, don’t you? You think you’re serving a great cause? Killing you would be merciful. No, I want you to live with what you’ve done. Live with the guilt of taking life. Live to see it go to waste.”

I toss Danny a few hundred feet away and watch as he rolls in the grass, landing among the devastation. After what he did to Jade, he deserves far worse, but I’m not a monster. I look toward the door, but I know I can’t go inside yet. The sooner I do, the more death I can prevent, but I have to know for sure. I turn over my shoulder and run down the stairs, racing to the area I’d last seen her.

Instantly, I recognize one of the broken bodies on the ground. Covered in cuts and deep gashes, with blood pouring from each of them, is Jade. Falling to my knees, I lift her and try to shake her awake. Telekinetically, I put pressure on each of the wounds. If I stop the bleeding, maybe I can help her.

“Jade, open your eyes!” I order.

“I’m awake, Powerless,” she slurs. I’m not quite sure how to respond, so I just stare at her in surprise. Her right eye flutters open and I can see that a vessel in it has burst. “You think I’d die that easily?”

“Of course not,” I chuckle. The faintness in her voice and the shape of her body isn’t deceiving me. I can’t help but think her ornery attitude has simply kept her alive long enough to insult me one last time. After everything she’s done for me, the least I can do is grant her that opportunity. “Don’t let them beat you. You can’t give up on me now. You owe me a rematch.”

“I think I’m going to have to reschedule,” she chuckles. Despite my power holding most of her wounds closed, she coughs up blood as she speaks. Her eye rolls back and closes.

“Come on, Jade. Stay with me,” I beg. Tears fill my eyes as I know how useless my words ar. Bullets fly around me, but with my power I steer each of their courses away.

“Maybe in the next life, I’ll actually be stronger than you,” she coughs bitterly.

“You’re going to be okay,” I lie.

“I’ll find a way,” she mumbles. Then her head drops to the side, unable to support its own weight anymore. I’m glad I already dealt with Danny, because after what I just saw I know I wouldn’t have been as merciful. He cut her open like a butcher and then tried to act like the hero in the story.

Channeling that rage into a healthy medium, I set Jade down and stand, turning toward City Hall. I’m going to make sure none of this was in vain. All of the fault lies in that building, and I’m going to put a stop to it. The Council will answer for their crimes – and I will be the one to bring them down.

With renewed vigor, I march toward City hall. I push open the door and find myself in the grand entryway. I realize I have no idea where the Council members may be and I’m not sure how to search for them. It’s likely they’ll try to use their advantage of knowing the territory. No matter – I’ll bring the entire building down on them if I have to. Negating the necessity of that course of action, Dante appears from upstairs. Slowly, he walks down the stairway. It seems as though he was expecting me – which is far from surprising. Still, I’m not sure why he would sacrifice his potential surprise attack.

I look around the room, but nothing else stands out. Dante is Deathless, so perhaps he isn’t afraid of me. He must be trying to lull me into a false sense of security. Though I have no ounce of respect left for this tyrant, I can’t argue that he’s intelligent. Using himself as bait is the smartest move.

“What happened to the fearless war hero – fighting alongside his soldiers?” I taunt.

“Well, as regrettable a tactic as this was, this will be most easily dealt with one on one,” he tells me.

“That sounds like a risky move,” I tell him, pretending to believe we’re actually alone. I know the rest of them are simply waiting for their chance to strike.

“I wish we could have resolved this,” Dante sighs. He’s a better actor than I’ve ever assumed and I can hear what seems like genuine remorse in his voice. After everything he’s done, he still wants to pretend to be the hero. This god complex is exactly why he has to be stopped. Dante thinks he alone knows what’s best for everyone, but he doesn’t stop to think about his people.

“We still can. Surrender publicly and I’ll show mercy,” I offer.

“I can’t do that, Carson,” Dante sighs. “I made a vow to these people. I will protect them at any cost – even that of my life and my honor.”

“Surrender and the killing stops. That sounds like protection.”

“No, it’s offering them into the hands of a tyrant.”

“You have quite the twisted world-view, don’t you Dante?” I laugh. I think he legitimately believes he’s helping people by categorizing them and forcing them into careers. He thinks belittling people and taking their powers is useful. Somehow, he’s brainwashed an entire civilization to believe him. Lance and Danny would die for this man. Even Rhett is deceived. I have to set them free.

“I don’t assume I can convince you to back down?” Dante sighs. In response, I simply laugh spitefully. This coward is still trying to preserve his own rule – even when he’s so clearly outmatched.

Suddenly, I sense movement to my left. Dante was the distraction – just as I’d expected. It may have worked if I didn’t anticipate his dirty tricks. Derrick’s fist is mere inches from my face when I stop him telekinetically. Stepping forward, I don’t break eye contact with Dante. I feel Derrick struggling against my hold, but he’s no match for my strength. Tightening my grasp on his fist, I compress it until the knuckles shatter.

“You thought you could surprise me?” I scoff. “You think I don’t know that none of you were out there?”

“No,” Dante sighs. “I didn’t think it would work.”

To my right, I see a glint of light reflecting from a blade. Minerva steps in, thrusting her sword toward my ribs. At the last second, I deflect it with a quick blast backward. Committed to her motion, Minerva steps forward and the blade rushes toward Derrick. She’s able to stop before impaling him, but I suddenly release my hold on the brute. With his body able to move again, Derrick finishes the step I’d interrupted and his powerful fist follows his movement. As he lands, Minerva’s sword slides into his heart and his fist connects with her jaw. Flying backward, she collides with a wall and slides to the ground.

Blood pools around Derrick as he falls to his knees, struggling to pull the sword from his body. Minerva coughs, dropping her head to the side.

“Hey, Derrick, I wouldn’t pull that out. It’s stopping the bleeding,” I advise. Grimacing, he looks toward me, barely able to muster the strength to move his head. With a sigh, I decide there’s no point in trying to drag out the fight. Since he either can’t muster the strength or has enough of a brain to respond to my statement, I pull the blade out myself telekinetically. The blade clatters to the ground and Derrick follows after it, his eyes wide.

I step toward Minerva, wanting to end her suffering quickly as well. However, I am stopped by a call from the top of the stairs. A shaking young man stands, pointing a large gun toward me.

“Fillion?” I laugh. “I guess you impressed them, didn’t you?”

“As my successor,” Krista answers for him, stepping out from behind a wall, “Fillion has already stepped up. He’s prepared to end this battle. Surrender, Carson.”

“Your successor can’t speak for himself?” I taunt.

“This gun will drain your energy,” Fillion stammers.

“Steal my energy?” I laugh. Minerva grunts, and I start to worry she has another trick up her sleeve. From everything I’ve heard about them, she is an adept fighter and martial artist. She is also skilled with multiple weapons, so I would be shocked if she doesn’t have more hidden. After the struggle I had with her student, I don’t want to bother with her.

“It will absorb all the heat from your molecules until they can no longer vibrate,” he elaborates. “It will slow you to absolute zero.”

“Wait, you built a freeze ray? Be careful, those things have a penchant to backfire.” I laugh. Minerva tries to move, so I pin her to the wall with a quick telekinetic blast. While distracting Fillion, I use a small energy burst to twist Minerva’s neck, snapping the bones and releasing her to slide to the floor.

Fillion pulls the trigger and I can practically sense the beam. Just as he claimed, it steals the energy from everything around it. With a telekinetic barrier, I block the beam. Closing my eyes, I can see the streams of energy from the air thinning as the beam from the gun absorbs their strength. If I’m not careful, he may actually be able to break through my wall. Channeling a massive surge of energy, I fight against the beam and push it back toward the gun. When I open my eyes, I see Fillion stumble backward and the gun starts making strange noises. Sensing the warning, Krista dives to the ground and covers her head. Fillion, though, doesn’t react quickly enough. The gun explodes, shattering into various pieces of shrapnel and burning Fillion’s face. As he falls to the ground, I direct one of the pieces of shrapnel over Krista and pull it down into her heart. Dante screams and races toward me, drawing back his fist. Shaking my head, I stop him in his tracks.

“You should have surrendered. Better yet – you should have killed me when you have the chance,” I tell him. Without so much as a flick of my wrist, I snap his neck. Dante falls to the ground, his eyes wide. So much for Deathless.

Suddenly, I feel a solid block of concrete drive into my ribs. Before I can react, I am flying through the wall. I collide with the ground in the interior courtyard and roll a few feet away. I try to climb to my feet, but a massive block of stone crushes my back. I’m barely able to put enough energy back against it to avoid breaking my spine.

The pressure from the block continues to increase and I assume it’s growing on my back. I try to pull myself free, but I can’t escape from its weight. Finally, I release a surge of energy and dislodge it enough to propel myself forward. I roll over my shoulder and jump to my feet, turning to face the growing concrete block.

It rushes toward me, but I jump and push against it with a telekinetic blast. The concrete cracks and I fly to the side. Another block appears from behind me and collides with my cheek before I can redirect myself. I feel myself falling toward the ground, but I am able to slow the fall with my power. The ground rises to meet me, so at the last second I push against the pillar and flip over it, using a move I saw Ravi practicing. Pieces of the stone retract, but others continue to grow.

I can’t keep fighting the courtyard itself. If I try, it won’t be long before Alistair gets in a hit good enough to stop me. I have to find his actual body and kill it. Otherwise, I know I’ll tire myself out before he does.

Another block appears behind me, but I’m able to blast a hole in that one. I wonder if causing enough damage to the things he creates will begin to harm Alistair. I also know that everything he makes is tied to his main body by at least a thin thread, but he’s too fast for me to track. In the brief moment it takes me to think, he creates a pillar beneath me and launches me into the air. Two more blocks erupt from the walls, threatening to crush me between them.

I put my arms out instinctively, but I know I’m no longer using their strength. Holding back the two blocks telekinetically, I struggle to try to put enough force to break them. Alistair’s constructions are solid, but so is my wall of energy.

Suddenly, his pillar drops from beneath me. I wonder if he realizes I can fly or if he still thinks I need to direct myself with my hands. He probably thinks I’ll have to choose between catching myself and holding back the blocks pressing against me. I hope it catches him off guard when I do both, so I push myself higher into the air and fly over his blocks. When I release my hold on them, I expect them to rush toward one another as Derrick had. Somehow, Alistair is better able to control his own potential energy, and he stops before damaging his constructions. When I land on the ground, all of the blocks have disappeared.

Cautiously, I look around the courtyard, scanning for exits. Alistair has covered the doors, but I could still fly out. That, though, would be running away.

Suddenly, a humanoid mass of rock rises from the ground. The golem towers three feet above me, casting a massive shadow over me. It races forward, preparing a punch with its stone arm. I blast its stomach away and the creature falls apart, disintegrating as it does. Two more arise on either side of me to replace the first.

One by one, I knock down the golems only to see more rise to take their place. Alistair is getting tired. While the golems are powerful and intimidating, they aren’t as solid as massive chunks of stone. He’s trying to give himself a moment to recover before launching another large-scale attack. He’s smart. While minimizing his own effort, he’s also creating the illusion of an impending threat.

Seeing through Alistair’s guise, I slide under the legs of one of the golems as it drives its fist downward. Its hand lodges into the ground and it struggles to pull itself free. Perhaps I overestimated exactly how tired he is, but I’m still confident that’s his tactic. I want to break the golem, but I have to leave it standing. If I can find the thread, it will lead me to Alistair.

Apparently, Alistair is able to surmise my strategy, because the golem disintegrates on its own. Another golem demands my attention, throwing a punch from behind me to keep me from following the thread. I turn over my shoulder and blast that golem backward, shattering it into pieces.

All of this devastation has to be hurting him, but he continues to create his stone army. One after another, they fall, but their sheer numbers threaten to overwhelm me. I have to find out where he is and end this fight quickly.

I step to the side to avoid one golem’s punch and then duck under another. With how quickly I have to move, I’m not able to focus enough to see the thread. If I destroy them, it destroys their connection to Alistair as well. I can’t deny that he has the upper hand, but I know there’s a way for me to be victorious. I haven’t come this far to fail.

One golem reaches its arms out and grabs me, locking me in its tight embrace. Holding my arms against my sides, the golem traps me in place. I struggle against it, but I can’t dislodge myself. Slowly, it starts to squeeze more tightly. I push back against it with telekinesis, hoping to keep it from crushing my bones while I try to escape.

Another rock monster stands in front of me and rears its fist back. It drives its fist forward ad I’m barely able to stop it. I pour energy into its core and break it from the inside, watching it crumble before me.

The crumbling golem reveals Alistair’s true attack. Clearly, he’s recovered enough at least to unleash one more desperate attempt to end the battle. A massive stone block is growing, barreling toward me. Even with my telekinetic barrier, I worry I’ll be crushed between the golem and the block.

In a moment of desperation, a thought crosses my mind. I don’t have to see something to use telekinesis on it. All I have to know is its position. I may not know where Alistair is, but I have a direct connection to him wrapped around my body. Closing my eyes, I focus on filling the golem with energy. I picture my attack continuing down the thread and to Alistair’s body. Finally, I pull the energy outward in every direction, destroying him from the inside.

I feel myself fall to the ground and catch myself on one knee. Breathing heavily, I struggle to my feet. The stone all around me begins to dissipate. Even that which blocked the doors fades away.

I won. I have defeated the Council and liberated the people. I have proven my worth. My mind is swirling with emotions and I’m not entirely sure which is the strongest. I don’t even know how to feel or how to react. It’s over.

I have to tell my people. I turn and walk back toward the entrance. As soon as I tell them, the war will be over. I will be the new leader and I can bring everyone into a new era. I will not be weak like the Council, and I will not undervalue power. I can finally offer the Outsiders the home they deserve, the people the freedom they didn’t know they craved, and the sympathizers the punishments they have brought upon themselves. This country is mine to shape, and I can do it better than the Council ever could.

A shadowy figure emerges from one of the doors, blocking my path. As he moves toward me, I try to hide my surprise. I don’t know how much more I can fight, but I can’t stop now. Confidently as I can, I trudge toward the man.

“You’ve come a long way, Carson,” Dante compliments. “Unfortunately, it has to stop here. I won’t let you harm my people any more than you already have.”