Added Chapter 6 to Sword Dancers 1

CHAPTER 6
Colin
he next day, Colin sat in the academy courtyard, his
mind swirling with the recent revelations about Venus
and Hector. Razor had been quiet all morning, which
was unusual. He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or
worried.
Tyree plopped down next to him, a tray of food balanced
precariously in his lap. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,
man. What’s up?”
Colin hesitated for a moment before replying, his voice low.
“It’s Razor. He hasn’t said anything all day. It’s weird.”
Tyree frowned. “Crush has been quiet, too. Think
something’s up?”
Colin glanced down at his watch, rubbing his thumb over the
metal casing. ‘Razor? You there?’ he asked telepathically.
Nothing.
“That’s not like him,” Colin muttered. He felt a sudden pang
of anxiety in his chest.
T
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Tyree leaned back, staring up at the sky. “Maybe they’re
just… resting or something? I mean, they’re ancient devices,
right?”
Colin shook his head. “No, something’s wrong. Razor never
shuts down like this.”
A moment later, a cold voice pierced Colin’s mind, startling
him. “Colin, I am here,” Razor said, his tone unusually sharp.
Colin’s heart skipped a beat. ‘What’s going on? You’ve been
quiet all morning.’
For a long moment, Razor didn’t reply. When he finally
spoke, his voice was filled with a gravity that Colin hadn’t
heard before. “There has been a disturbance in the ether. I
believe Venus has reawakened.”
Colin sat up straight, alarm flashing across his face. “What?
Now?”
Tyree’s eyes widened. “What’s happening?”
‘Venus is awake,’ Colin communicated telepathically, his
stomach sinking. ‘Razor just confirmed it.’
Tyree Tyree felt a sudden surge of emotion course through
him as Crush’s deep voice rumbled into his mind. “Venus.
She’s back.”
For a second, Tyree thought he misheard. ‘What do you mean
she’s back?’ he asked, his pulse quickening.
Crush’s anger was palpable, making Tyree’s heart pound
harder. “Venus was never supposed to return. If she’s awake,
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Hector must have found her. This isn’t just a threat—it’s a
disaster.”
Tyree’s breath hitched. ‘So, what do we do? How do we stop
them?’
Crush’s voice sharpened, the determination in his tone clear.
“You need to focus, Tyree. If Venus and Hector are active
again, we are all in danger. Their goal will be to destroy us—
and you.”
Tyree’s chest tightened. He looked over at Colin, who was
pale but calm, communicating with Razor in hushed tones.
The weight of everything they had learned crashed down on
him all at once. It was no longer just about training or
mastering their abilities. Now, their lives—and the fate of the
world—were at stake.
‘We’ll stop them,’ Tyree said, his voice steadier than he felt.
‘But how do we find them?’
Crush’s response was immediate. “They will come to us.
Venus won’t hide for long. Prepare yourself.”
Colin
Colin’s mind raced as Razor explained the full weight of what
had happened. Venus and Hector—back after centuries. The
thought sent a chill down his spine.
“What now?” he whispered aloud, though Tyree was the only
one nearby to hear.
Razor’s reply was grim. “Now, we must prepare for war.”
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Colin swallowed hard, looking over at Tyree. The gravity of
the situation was finally sinking in. “We’re not ready for this,”
he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Tyree, always the more optimistic one, clapped a hand on
Colin’s shoulder. “We’ll get there. We’ve come this far,
right?”
But Colin wasn’t so sure. He could feel the weight of the
world pressing down on him, and for the first time, he
wondered if they really could stop what was coming.