Chapter 5
Colin
Later that day, Colin went to the mess hall for lunch, eyeing the dry chicken on his plate with little enthusiasm. At least the butterscotch pudding seemed promising, a small comfort amidst the uninspired menu. Colin scanned the room with his tray, quickly spotting Tyree at a table. He made his way over and noticed that Ashley was sitting next to Tyree, the air between them tense.
Colin slid into the seat across from them, offering a quick smile. “So, you’re from Detroit, Ashley?” he asked, trying to break the silence with casual conversation.
Ashley didn’t even look up from her tray. “Unfortunately,” she muttered.
Colin glanced at Tyree, who raised an eyebrow as if to say, Good luck with that. Undeterred, Colin pressed on, keeping his tone light. “I hear the city’s making a comeback. Pretty cool place now, right?”
Ashley’s lips twitched into a half-smile, though it was more cynical than anything. “If by ‘cool,’ you mean full of burnouts and bums, then sure. It’s paradise.” Her tone was dry, but Colin caught the hint of humor underneath.
Colin chuckled, appreciating the joke despite her obvious lack of interest in the conversation. He picked at the chicken on his plate, noticing the tense energy still hanging between Tyree and Ashley.
Tyree, sensing the awkwardness but unable to resist teasing, leaned forward with a playful grin. “So, how’d you get kicked out of reform school? Aggressive pillow fights?”
Colin shot Tyree a sharp look, silently warning him to back off, but it was too late. Ashley’s eyes flashed with a mix of irritation and challenge. Without a word, she scooped up a glob of her butterscotch pudding and launched it right at Tyree’s face.
The impact was immediate. The pudding splattered across Tyree’s cheek, and Colin burst into laughter, unable to contain himself. Tyree wiped the pudding from his face, glaring at Ashley, who stared back fiercelywfiercelyith fierce intensity.. The standoff was short-lived, interrupted by Colin’s laughter echoing through the mess hall, drawing the attention of nearby students.
As a stern-looking Sergeant approached, Colin quickly stifled his laughter, but the damage was done. The Sergeant’s eyes landed on Tyree’s pudding-covered face. “What’s going on here?” he barked.
Ashley’s gaze hardened, and Colin could see Tyree considering his options. He could tell the truth, but that would escalate things, especially with someone like Ashley. Instead, Tyree shrugged, wiping his face clean with a napkin.
“I didn’t have a spoon,” Tyree said, deadpan.
The Sergeant stared at them for a moment longer, clearly suspicious, but apparently decideddeciding not to pursue it. “Clean yourselves up,” he muttered before walking away.
Ashley’s tough demeanor softened just a bit, her lips twitching into a smirk. Colin tossed Tyree his napkin, shaking his head in amusement as Tyree wiped the last bit of pudding from his face.
“Well,” Colin said, grinning, “that went better than I expected.”
Colin
Later that evening, Colin lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Tyree was already fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady, but Colin couldn’t shake the thoughts racing through his mind. The events of the last 24 hours, the discovery of the Ciphers, and the growing bond with Razor kept him wide awake.
He reached under his bed and pulled out the watch, securing it around his wrist. ‘Hey, Razor, you awake?’ he asked telepathically.
After a brief pause, Razor’s calm voice echoed in his mind. “Yes, I’m here.”
‘I can’t sleep,’ Colin admitted.
“Does that happen often?”
Colin hesitated. He wasn’t exactly used to spilling his thoughts, especially not to a sentient gadget. But Razor was different. He didn’t judge;, he just listened. ‘Yeah. I never slept well as a kid. Guess it stuck with me,’ he finally replied.
“As someone who’s spent centuries inactive, I can say being awake is far more fulfilling than sleep,” Razor said dryly.
Colin chuckled softly, careful not to wake Tyree. ‘I’ve been wondering… how do I become a Sword Dancer? Like, really become one?’
Razor’s tone grew more serious. “To be a Sword Dancer, you must first master the physical gifts we Ciphers grant you. But it’s not just about combat.”
‘What do you mean?’
“You must hone your emotions. You need to be bravee, but also compassionate. Strong, but empathetic. A leader, but willing to listen. Only then can you reach the level necessary to become a true Sword Dancer,” Razor explained.
Colin felt the weight of Razor’s words. It made sense in a strange way. He could handle the physical stuff—he’d been reckless and daring his whole life. But the emotional control? That was a different story.
“One more thing,” Razor added, his voice taking on a darker tone. “When we came to Earth, there were five of us. But one of us went rogue.”
Colin’s curiosity piqued. ‘Rogue? What do you mean?’
“Her name was Venus, and she bonded with a man named Hector. They were… dangerous. Troubled. And then they disappeared.”
‘Disappeared?’
“We don’t know where they are now. They vanished centuries ago,” Razor said, his tone somber.
Colin sat up in bed, processing the information. The idea of a rogue Cipher out there, bonded to a human, unsettled him. ‘What do we do about them?’ he asked.
“For now, focus on your training. You need to master your abilities and understand what it means to be a Sword Dancer. When the time comes, we’ll deal with Venus and Hector,” Razor replied.
Colin nodded to himself, even though Razor couldn’t see him. He lay back down, his mind racing with the implications of what he had learned. Becoming a Sword Dancer wasn’t just about strength or strategy—it was about becoming something more, something greater. And there was a rogue Cipher out there, waiting to be found.
