Chapter 79 – Excellence Camp – Outcast VII

Veiled Forest - Inner Section, 26th of Brightforge, year 315 UC

The fire crackled softly in the center of their makeshift camp, casting shadows across the boulder barrier Christopher had constructed. Bryan sat on a fallen log, methodically cleaning dirt from beneath his fingernails while observing his teammates.

Alexander sat hunched forward on a stone near the fire, his hands trembling slightly as he attempted to eat from his bowl. The blonde boy had barely touched his food, his face pale and drawn in the flickering light. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool evening air.

Sabrina emerged from the shelter, stretching her arms above her head with a yawn.

"Please tell me we have more of that stew."

She said, making her way toward the pot suspended over the fire.

"There's some left."

Farrah replied, stirring the contents with a wooden ladle. She glanced toward Alexander.

"You should eat something too, Alexander."

Christopher returned from his perimeter check, nodding toward Bryan.

"All secure. No signs of movement beyond the usual forest sounds."

Bryan acknowledged the report with a slight nod, his attention returning to Alexander. The boy's condition had deteriorated steadily since entering the forest.

Alexander set down his bowl with shaking hands, the utensil clattering against the rim.

"I need to tell you all something."

Alexander said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper.

The others turned their attention to him. Sabrina paused mid-bite, Christopher straightened from where he'd been adjusting his gear, and Farrah set down the ladle.

Bryan remained silent, watching.

Alexander ran a trembling hand through his blonde hair, then looked up at each of them in turn.

"I've been taking something. Performance enhancing drugs."

Sabrina's spoon clinked against her bowl as she set it down.

"I knew something was wrong."

She muttered, shaking her head.

"You've been acting weird for weeks."

"Alexander, why didn't you come to us?"

Farrah said softly, moving to sit closer to him.

Alexander's hands clenched into fists on his knees.

"Because I was ashamed. Because I felt like I was holding everyone back."

His voice cracked slightly.

"I've lost every single fight I've been in. Every one. While you all kept getting stronger, kept improving, I was stuck. I don't want to hold anyone back."

Christopher's expression darkened.

"Who told you that you were holding us back?"

"It doesn't matter."

Alexander replied quickly.

"The point is, they were right. I wasn't good enough for the Excellence Camp. People kept telling me I didn't belong here, that I was just taking up space."

"That's bullshit."

Christopher said, his voice harder than usual.

"Who were these people? Because they were wrong."

Alexander shook his head.

"I started taking the drugs because I thought they would help me control my magic better. Make me stronger, faster. I thought if I could just improve enough, I could prove I belonged here."

Farrah reached out as if to touch his shoulder, then stopped herself.

"You don't need drugs to prove anything, Alexander. You're part of this team."

"Am I?"

Alexander's voice broke completely now.

"Look at me. I can barely hold a spoon steady, let alone cast a spell. I'm a liability."

Sabrina leaned forward.

"Who gave you the drugs? Are other students taking them too?"

Alexander's jaw tightened.

"I'm not telling you that. I won't drag anyone else into this."

"Alexander—"

Sabrina began.

"No."

Alexander's voice was firm.

"This was my choice. My mistake. I'm not making it worse by getting someone else in trouble."

Christopher's frown deepened.

"Wait, your match at the duel hall—that's why you performed so much better, isn't it? You took something before fighting Max."

Alexander nodded, unable to meet their eyes.

"I just wanted to win. Just once."

"That explains why you looked so terrible afterward."

Christopher continued, pieces clicking together.

"And why Bryan and Farrah were covering for you."

Bryan felt Farrah's gaze shift to him briefly before returning to Alexander.

"We weren't exactly covering."

Farrah said carefully.

"I just... I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what. You looked awful, and I thought it was better if the others didn't worry."

Alexander winced at that.

"I didn't know it would be that bad. I thought I could handle it."

"Are you experiencing headaches? Nausea?"

Christopher asked.

"Both."

Alexander admitted.

"And I can barely sleep. When I do, I have nightmares."

"How many other students do you think are doing this?"

Sabrina pressed.

"I don't know."

Alexander said.

"You all make it look so easy. So maybe a couple others? Not really sure, don't think I want to know."

"It's not easy for any of us."

Farrah said gently.

"We all struggle with different things."

"But you don't fail at everything."

Alexander shot back, his voice rising slightly before he caught himself.

"Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Don't apologize for being frustrated."

Christopher interrupted.

"But taking drugs wasn't the answer."

"I know that now."

Alexander said quietly.

"But I was desperate. And scared."

"Scared of what?"

Sabrina asked.

Alexander's hands trembled more visibly as he spoke.

"Of being kicked out. Of disappointing my family. Of proving everyone right who said I didn't belong."

He paused, swallowing hard.

"And now Gloria's going to announce my punishment after the trial. What if they expel me? What if this whole thing was for nothing?"

The worry in his voice was palpable. Bryan observed how the others immediately moved to reassure him, their protective instincts overriding any judgment about his choices.

"They won't expel you."

Farrah said firmly.

"You made a mistake, but you're addressing it."

"Gloria wouldn't have let you continue if she thought you were going to be expelled."

Christopher added, though he sounded less certain.

Sabrina nodded vigorously.

"Besides, you're clean now, right? That has to count for something."

"I don't have any more."

Alexander confirmed.

"And I wouldn't take them again even if I did. But the withdrawal... it's harder than I expected."

"How long until you're back to normal?"

Christopher asked.

"I don't know."

Alexander admitted.

"Maybe a week? Maybe longer. I can barely access my ether right now. It's like trying to hold water with a broken cup."

"Will this affect your ability to defend yourself?"

Farrah asked.

Alexander's face went even paler.

"I can barely cast my water bubble. And when I do, it falls apart after a few seconds."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group as the implications sank in. Bryan watched their faces, noting how each processed this information differently.

"We'll just have to work around it."

Christopher said finally.

"Work around it?"

Sabrina's voice rose.

"Christopher, he can't defend himself. What if we get attacked? Again!?"

"Then we protect him."

Christopher replied firmly.

"That's exactly what I was trying to avoid."

Alexander said.

"Being a burden."

"You're not a burden."

Farrah said, shooting a look at Sabrina.

"You're part of this team."

"A team where one member can't function properly."

Sabrina countered.

"I'm not trying to be mean, but we need to be realistic about this."

"What do you suggest? We abandon him?"

Christopher asked.

"That's not what I meant—"

"Then what did you mean?"

Christopher's voice hardened.

Farrah held up her hands.

"Let's not fight about this. We're all on the same side here."

Bryan observed the developing argument with detached interest. Sabrina's concerns were practical and valid. Christopher's protective response was predictable. And Farrah's attempt to mediate showed her natural diplomatic instincts.

"What can we do to help?"

Farrah asked, looking around at all of them.

"There's not much we can do except support him through it."

Christopher said.

"Stay close to one of us during any fights."

Sabrina suggested.

"Don't try to be a hero."

Alexander nodded gratefully.

"I won't. I've learned my lesson about trying to prove myself."

Bryan finally spoke.

"You're on first watch tonight. Two hours, then wake Sabrina."

The others turned to stare at him, surprise evident on their faces.

"Bryan…"

Farrah began.

"Maybe that's not the best—"

"First watch is the safest."

Bryan interrupted, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Everyone will still be awake, getting ready for sleep. If something happens, backup is immediately available."

Alexander looked up.

"I can handle it."

"Can you?"

Bryan asked bluntly.

"Because if you can't, now would be the time to use your beacon."

Alexander's face went even paler, but he straightened slightly.

"I won't quit, I made this mess, and I'll see it through."

He said, his voice stronger than it had been all evening.

Bryan nodded once. The boy had some backbone, at least. Whether that would be enough remained to be seen.

"We'll all be here to help."

Farrah said, shooting Bryan a look he couldn't quite interpret.

"Right?"

Sabrina and Christopher nodded in agreement. Bryan remained silent, his attention already moving to other concerns. He could feel Farrah's gaze on him throughout the conversation, studying him with an intensity that suggested she was looking for something specific.

"We should discuss what comes next. After facing that B-ranked two-headed snake today, we need to be better prepared."

Bryan started.

He looked over at Farrah who nodded.

"Your new spell, what is it exactly? It's not pure stealth, that much I can tell."

Farrah shrugged slightly.

"Distortion."

"Distortion?"

Christopher asked, looking up from where he'd been poking at the fire with a stick.

"How's that different from your Light Step?"

Farrah tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Light Step moves me through space instantly. Distortion bends light around me, makes me harder to see and track."

She gestured with her hands, as if shaping something invisible.

"It's not true invisibility—more like... visual confusion."

"How long do you think you can maintain it?"

Bryan asked.

"Maybe thirty seconds at most."

Farrah replied.

"And there seems to be a delay when I activate it—about half a second where I'm vulnerable before the distortion takes effect."

Christopher nodded.

"Still useful for positioning. You could flank enemies without them seeing you coming."

"Or escape if things go badly."

Alexander added quietly.

"You covered Sabrina's sword in the effect, you should see if it extends to people as well. If you're not able to do that now, maybe once you get more practice with it."

Bryan told her.

"Like now?"

Farrah looked around at them.

Bryan nodded.

"Now is better than later."

"I mean… I'm a bit exhausted, aren't we all? Maybe later, tomorrow morning, once we've had time to recover…"

Sabrina tilted her head slightly.

"This is unlike you. What's going on?"

Farrah blushed a little.

"I… just don't like being put on the spot like this."

"Come on, no one is going to say anything if you can't do it."

Christopher commented with a grin.

Sabrina winked before giggling.

Farrah shook her head.

"Here."

Alexander stretched out his hand to her.

"Test it on me."

Farrah looked at his hand for a moment before sighing. She took his hand in her own.

Bryan watched as her green eyes glowed white for a split second before she started to vanish before them. He could still make out her outline, it was a bit harder to see now than when they had sunlight. But she was there.

If he did not know what he was looking for, then he wouldn't see her.

Although he could still tell she was around, even if he couldn't see her. Simply due to the ether being disturbed and her own signature.

He wondered how helpful that spell would truly be to a trained mage. Would they look for the disturbance in ether? Or, would the spell become something truly remarkable where even her signature was erased?

Bryan turned his attention to Alexander only to see him staring wide-eyed at his hand. A portion of it was missing, up to the elbow.

"Not bad."

Bryan said.

"It does extend to others, not just objects. Perfect for covert ops. You'll probably join a recon squad or something in the military."

Farrah appeared in a flicker, breathing heavily as sweat dripped down her face.

"It's a lot... harder to maintain... with someone else."

She said between labored breaths.

"Wow."

Christopher said.

"Me next, do me next."

Sabrina said as she kicked her feet back and forth.