Page 20 of Rising

Tomoe

My cheeks hurt from forcing a smile through dinner. These past few months have been hell on Earth, part two. Time had moved so fast, yet so slow. Hours felt like days, and days, minutes. For a while, we weren’t sure if Amaia would make it through, pull herself out and nothing we did helped. If she even noticed who exactly was in her presence, I wasn’t entirely sure.

Out of everyone in our makeshift family, she’d probably been through the most, and Jax had been her comfort through it all. But lost in her grief, a sick sense of bitterness had taken root in my heart. She had abandoned us as if Jax had only meant everything to her and nothing to us. And now she was back, acting as if nothing had happened. Couldn’t speak for anyone else, but I sure as hell wasn’t buying it.

As soon as those thoughts surfaced, I pushed them away, knowing she grieved much more than just Jax. While we had all grieved for the ones we lost when we arrived, finally feeling safe enough to do so, Amaia and Jax had been the ones to help everyone through it. Offering their spare time to offer a shoulder to cry on to anyone who needed it. Never letting themselves truly process their own grief and trauma. From what Reina had told me, based on what she pressured out of Riley, it’d been that way from day one.

Amaia had always been strong for everyone. While Reina radiated positivity, Amaia existed in a consistent state of realism, making sure people saw therewasa light at the end of the very real, very dark tunnel. I admired and respected her for it, maybe even took it for granted for years, not knowing what to do when it was her turn to fall apart.

Reina and I tried to be there for her every day. Showed up when we could, trying to get her to engage in conversation, a puzzle, or even just share what she had read. Some days she’d try to put on a happy face for us, but we could see right through every empty reply or the spaciness behind her doe eyes.

I’d spent most nights grieving not only the loss of a brother, but now worrying about losing my sister as well. When I first arrived at The Compound a little over two years ago, Amaia had just been promoted to General. From all the stories I’ve heard, it was a well-deserved promotion, and I could see why she had gotten it every day she acted in her duties since. Until Jax died.

From our first conversation, I knew this girl would be a pain in my ass, and my sister. The thing most people didn’t understand about Amaia is the girl neverwantedto be General, just accepted her duties because she felt responsible for others’ safety. Didn’t want to let anybody down. Namely Prescott and Jax. They’d always held her to a high standard. I knew the feeling. Jax had that effect on people.

My first night here, I wandered into the Entertainment Square, ending up at a little tavern. It was jam-packed with people for a Thursday night and I’d spent the last two years only surrounded by family, and then out on my own. I wasn’t used to crowds anymore. Had felt the sensory overload taking its grip on my mental.

Not quite ready to leave all the excitement and the buzz of the crowd, I stepped outside for a breath of air. A familiar earthy, sweet scent smacked me in the face. I turned my head and saw a girl with big curly hair observing me to the left of the steps, grinning widely as she extended her packed herbs to me.

“You look like you could use a pick me up,” she offered.

As she leaned forward, I studied her appearance, trying to place who I was speaking to before I accepted such an offer. Her blue jean shorts, crop top, and combat boots offered me no answers, though the muscles gleaning in her legs showed that whatever she did on the daily kept her active.

I’d assume she just arrived here as well, but her leanness didn’t scream starvation the way mine did. No, there was a functional, intentional strength that lingered within her movements.

“Where did you even get that from?” I asked, skeptical of this random girl already trying to fuck up my stay.

At that moment, a man stepped out of the tavern, jovial as ever, as a laugh rang out from deep in his belly. I took in his tall stature, ivory skin, and reddened freckled cheeks. If Ireland was a person, it would be embodied by him.

“Corrupting the new girl already,” he stated, more than questioned, “Typical Mai. Imagine, a general promoting drug use amongst a potential soldier, the scandal this would bring in The Before.”

“The Before?” For a moment, I wish I had just stayed inside, suddenly more overwhelmed out here with them than I was surrounded by a dense crowd.

Mai giggled, clearly amused that the new girl knew nothing of this little dystopia. “Yeah, that’s what we call all the good timesbeforeall hell broke loose. And to answer your first question, what fun is having earth magic if they can’t grow the good stuff, too?”

I took in how she saidtheyand notme, curious about what gifts she had gotten in the fallout.

Taking the spliff, I inhaled deeply and said, “I’m not a soldier.”

As if he took it as a challenge, the man inched closer to Mai, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her in. There was nearly a foot difference in height between their shoulders, “You could be, if you wanted to be.” Though he was smiling, I knew it was a serious offer.

When I first arrived, I was told I’d be given a week to adjust to life here and see what The Compound had to offer. Then I could choose an open job after my skills had been assessed. I was sure that parodying what they called The Before, soldier was an everlasting opening and I hadn’t considered it for a second.

In fact, I hadn’t considered anything at all. I was talented with my katana, passed down through generations. I’d renamed mine after my family died, Wrath. But living the rest of my life in a job that had me in the very environment that I had just spent the last few months trying to get away from wasn’t an enticing offer.

Then there were the visions. I hadn’t met anyone like me yet. My family had each possessed the gift of fire. I didn’t. For a while, we thought I would be the unlucky one and turn, but then I had my first vision and we remained hopeful on a different outcome.

I didn’t mind my powers, but there were times where I wish I had been gifted with something different. The visions made my mind feel spaced out, never able to focus on one thought, often wandering to the next thing. I realized I was having a moment as I came back to focus and saw the girl studying me, in a way that almost felt invasive before a smile pushed back through, teeth shimmering under the moonlight.

“Okay, not a soldier,” she offered tenderly, “but everyone here trains now, for safety purposes,” she added, “so you’ll have to find an open group to train with once a week. I didn’t catch your name, by the way. I’m Amaia, and this is Jax.” She extended her hand, offering me a sincere introduction.

“General Bennett,” Jax threw in, giving the wild girl before me a stern, pointed glare.

“General Amaia. You’ll have to excusemy Lieutenant,” she mocked, before extending her hand to me once more.

Taking her hand, I saw something in her eyes. A defiant spark that let me know she’s exactly the kind of friend I’d get along with in my old life.The Before.

“Tomoe Sato. Is there a way I could train in a … less public way?” I asked, something about the softness in her tone made me think I could trust her. “I’m just not ready to be back around a big crowd. I think I need a more, well to be honest, I’ve never liked crowds. And training like I didn’t just spend the last few months on my own outside these walls fighting for my fucking life isn’t the most enticing offer one could receive right now.”

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