Chapter 58" Fight

Thoughts: I made this promise to her so she would have something to hold on to… If I asked her to be my girlfriend right now, she would accept, I'm sure, but I want her to forget about these problems for a while… The weight of her loss still echoed in me, a sad melody that I wanted to transform into something lighter, something that would make her smile again.

"Tory…" I began, my voice low but filled with determination that came from deep in my chest, my eyes fixed on hers as the morning wind blew gently between us. "Let's make that promise even better…"

"Do you want to go back?" she retorted, her brown eyes sparkling with playful challenge, a mischievous smile curving her lips as she stared at me. "Are you scared?"

"It's not that…" I said, chuckling softly, the sound echoing with relief as I shook my head. "If you win this fight… You'll get a million dollars." Thoughts: I mean, that's pocket change for me these days, but for her it could change everything… The weight of those words hung between us, a promise I knew I could keep, a gift I wanted to give to ease the burden she carried.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY, CLARK?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide, shock crossing her face like lightning, her voice rising with a mixture of disbelief and hope that made my heart race.

"Yes, I'm serious," I confirmed, my tone firm but softened by a smile I couldn't contain. "If you win, I'll pay you a million dollars. The fight will be to three points, like in karate tournaments…"

Her thoughts: A million dollars… With that money, my brother would never have to suffer again… She stared at me, her face serious as she processed, her eyes shining with a determination I knew well. "Clark, are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly, as if she feared it was a dream that might fall apart.

"That's change for me," she said, her voice filled with a certainty that came from the love I felt for her. "And of course, you can still ask me for that favor you mentioned. Is that okay?"

"…" She hesitated for a moment, her eyes fixed on mine, the weight of the promise dancing there like a flame that was ignited. "Yes, I will…" she finally replied, a slight smile curving her lips, the glow of hope and strength returning to her face like the sun breaking through the clouds.

"Okay…" I murmured, my heart warming as I stared at her, the love for her burning inside me like a flame I didn't want to extinguish. "Now…" I turned to Sam, who was watching me from a distance, the sun reflecting off his hair like a golden halo. "Hey, beautiful… I need your help with something…"

"With what?" she asked, her brown eyes shining with curiosity as she stepped closer, the warmth of her enveloping me like a hug I didn't know I needed.

"I made a bet with Tory…" I explained, my voice firm as I stared at her, feeling the weight of what was to come. "I want your help training karate, since I'm going to fight her and I also want to enter the tournament…"

"And your…" She lowered her voice, a conspiratorial whisper as she leaned closer, "…powers?"

"Don't worry," I replied, my tone softening as I smiled at her. "I discovered a spell that takes away my powers for 24 hours. I'm still studying it, but I'm sure I can do it…"

"What kind of bet did you make with her?" she asked, her eyes narrowed with suspicion, her tone thick with a curiosity that I could feel like a thread of tension between us.

"A fight… Between me and her," I said, my voice steady as I stared at her, my heart beating fast as I waited for her reaction. "If I win… She'll be my girlfriend…" I locked eyes with hers, searching for what she felt, the wolf inside me growling in anticipation.

"…" She fell silent, her eyes lowered for a moment as she thought, the weight of those words hanging between us like a cloud I couldn't shake.

Thoughts: What's going on here? Isn't she going to say anything? Is something wrong? "Aren't you going to say anything about this, Sam?" I asked, my voice thick with uncertainty I couldn't hide, my heart clenching as I stared at her.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped, her eyes rising to mine, confusion dancing there like a soft shadow. "Haven't you talked to me about this before? I admit I'm not too happy about all this, but… If it's just Tory… I'll take it…"

"Don't worry," I said, my voice softening as I moved closer, my love for her burning inside me like a flame I didn't want to extinguish. "I'll give you lots of love too…" My hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer, my fingers finding the soft curve as I squeezed with a playful touch that made the wolf inside me roar in amusement.

"Ahh!" she exclaimed, her face flushing as she lightly slapped my chest, her eyes wide with a mixture of embarrassment and laughter. "Stop it, you idiot, someone's going to see us…"

"Let them see," I replied, leaning in to kiss her quickly, her lips soft against mine in an instant that erased the world around them. A few students watched, turning their heads with muffled laughter or gasps of surprise. Miguel, hatred flaring in his eyes like an unquenchable flame, stalked out of the dojo, the sound echoing like distant thunder. Roby just watched, her eyes confused as she tried to understand, before approaching Tory, the weight of her emotions dancing across her face.

"Tory, can we talk?" he asked, his voice hesitant, filled with a hope I could feel even standing so close to Sam.

"What's wrong, Roby?" she replied, surprise tingeing her voice as she stared at him, her brown eyes shining with a mixture of confusion and wariness. Her thoughts: I thought he wouldn't even talk to me after that night… He almost attacked me…

"Miguel told me what happened between you and Clark…" he began, his tone low but firm, his eyes fixed on hers as he tried to find the words. "It was before us. I'm sorry I freaked out like that… I thought you had cheated on me…"

She started to feel bad… Because technically, she had cheated on Roby with Clark at the park… The weight of guilt crossed her face like a shadow, her eyes dropping for a moment before returning to him. "It's okay, Roby," she murmured, her voice cracking as she tried to erase the pain she felt. "You don't have to apologize for anything. I was the one who was wrong for not telling you this… I ended up causing all this trouble…"

"Would you like to go out with me tonight?" he asked, his tone softening with hesitant hope. "Miguel is going out with a girl and he wanted to double date… I know we're not together, we're just friends…"

"…" Her thoughts: I feel extremely guilty about what I did to Roby… But I don't regret it. It was with Clark… I love him, I just don't know how to tell Roby… I need to tell him this, but how? If I go on that date, he'll think I'm giving him another chance, and that could lead to another fight. I don't want that… She hesitated, her eyes fixed on his for a moment that seemed eternal, the conflict dancing there like a storm she couldn't control. "Listen, Roby… If it's as friends, I'll go… But I don't want any more relationships right now. I have too many problems and I can't keep thinking about it…"

"Okay, just between friends…" he said, smiling, but his eyes betrayed a sadness he tried to hide, an echo of longing that I could feel even though I was so close to Sam.

"Okay then…" she murmured, her tone low but firm, as the weight of guilt and love for me danced in her chest like a flame she couldn't extinguish.

That night, I was home, the dim glow of the lamp illuminating the yellowed pages of the grimoire Caroline had sent me, the words dancing before my eyes like secrets I struggled to unravel. I already knew everything I needed to do to activate the spell—the ritual that would take away my powers for twenty-four hours, a risk I was willing to take for Tory and Sam. I was about to begin, my fingers tracing the symbols in the air, when my phone vibrated, cutting through the silence like an unexpected clap of thunder.

Riiing, riiing, riiing.

"Who is it at this hour?" I muttered, picking up the phone with a sigh, my voice thick with weariness as I answered. "Hello?"

"Clark, it's me, Caroline…" the voice on the other end answered, soft but filled with a familiarity that pulled me back to memories of Louisiana, her accent echoing like a melody I hadn't heard in months.