Chapter 29: Chapter 29...
As Agent Thompson began searching for Michael, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Agent Thompson, I'm here."
She turned to see Michael walking towards her, looking a bit disheveled but otherwise unharmed.
"Michael, where have you been?" Agent Thompson asked, a mix of relief and concern in her voice.
Michael shrugged. "My challenge took a bit longer than expected. But I'm done now."
Agent Thompson raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Michael hesitated, looking around cautiously before leaning in. "I'll tell you later. Not here."
Agent Thompson nodded, sensing that something was off. "Alright, let's get back to the others. We need to debrief and figure out our next move."
As they walked back to the meeting point, Agent Thompson noticed Alex, Emily, and Jake waiting for them, looking curious and a bit concerned.
As they gathered around the table, Agent Thompson began the debriefing. "Alright, let's start with Emily. How did your challenge go?"
Emily took a deep breath. "It was tough, but I think I learned something important about myself.
I'm still processing it all, but I feel like I've grown as a person."
Agent Thompson nodded. "Good. Alex, how about you?"
Alex glanced at Jake before speaking. "My challenge was...unexpected.
I faced some personal demons, but I think I came out stronger on the other side."
Agent Thompson's eyes flicked to Jake, her expression curious. "And Jake, you're...?"
Jake smiled. "Just a friend who showed up at the right time, I guess."
Agent Thompson raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue.
"Michael, you said your challenge took longer than expected. What happened?"
Michael hesitated, looking around the group before speaking in a low tone. "I saw something...unexplainable. Something that makes me question everything we're doing here."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, sensing that something was off
"Hey, Jake, can I ask you something?" Emily said, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Sure, what's up?" Jake replied, his eyes sparkling with interest.
"What's your story?" Emily asked, her gaze locked on Jake's. "How do you know Alex?"
Jake's expression turned thoughtful, and he leaned back in his chair. "Well, Alex and I go way back.
We grew up together, explored the woods, got into all sorts of trouble..."
Alex chuckled, a faraway look in his eyes. "Those were the days."
Jake grinned. "Yeah, we were inseparable. But then...life happened. We lost touch, went our separate ways."
"And now you're back," Emily said, her voice soft. "Why?"
Jake's gaze drifted off, his eyes clouding over. "I came back for Alex. He needed me, and I wasn't about to let him down again.
"What happened, Jake?" Emily asked, her voice gentle. "You and Alex were inseparable, and then you just...disappeared."
Jake's eyes dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. "I made a mistake, Emily.
A big one. I hurt someone I cared about, and I couldn't face Alex or myself after that."
Alex shifted uncomfortably, his eyes fixed on Jake. "It wasn't your fault, Jake. We've been over this."
Jake's gaze snapped up, his eyes flashing with pain. "You don't understand, Alex. You never did. I couldn't stay, not after what I did."
The group fell silent, sensing the depth of Jake's emotional scars.
(Word count 543.).
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone