I never thought I’d be this close to ever losing him. I could’ve saved him. I was so close. If I’d just had been faster, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt this bad. If I’d just done more, just acted quicker, Rowan would’ve been okay. And now, I’m sitting here at his hospital bed, knowing that it’s all my fault. It’s my fault he’s in a coma, it’s my fault he wasn’t able to graduate, and it’s my fault that even if he wakes up, he might never be the same again.

Am I really a hero if I couldn’t even save my partner?

I was sitting in my dorm room when I’d gotten the distress signal. I silenced the notification on my watch. Someone else will react, right? I’ll go to the location it gave in once I’ve finished this essay, I only need 100 words more anyway.

I desperately needed a good grade on it to be able to graduate. Rowan would understand. He was always very understanding, so surely, he’d understand this too. “I hope someone reacted to his distress call…”, I thought to myself, the increasing sense of urgency gnawing at me as I attempt to focus on my essay.

“It’s fine”, I decide, speaking out loud as if anyone else was listening, “Noor probably did. She always reacts. Just stop over-reacting.”

“But what if she didn’t this time?”

But the feeling of unease keeps growing stronger, and more persistent. Eventually I decide that I can’t ignore it anymore. I jump up, grabbing the jacket I’d thrown on the floor after coming back after class. Praying to the Gods that my gut feeling was wrong, just this once.

I run through the streets as fast as I can, hoping to still get to his location in time. Updating it on my watch every 30 seconds to make sure Rowan doesn’t move to a different location.

The red dot on my watch is still blinking. It hasn’t moved at all since I left my dorm. I don’t know if I should be worried or thankful. The dark and cold atmosphere gives me the creeps. The only thing I can hear are my own footsteps. I feel nervous but put on a brave face. I can’t let Rowan see that I’m anxious, he’d make fun of me till the day that I die.

Gods, I’m hoping he’s still here and didn’t just drop his watch while running away. Otherwise, I came all the way

out here for nothing! I hope he’s okay…

I hate the dark. So much. Where is he? “Wait-”, I mumble to myself, sighing as I summon a small fire into my hand. I mutter to myself: “Kit, you idiot, you’re literally a walking light source…!”

I flinch at a sudden noise, causing the fire to disappear. I’m not sure what it was. I’m not even sure if there was even an actual noise. I couldn’t hear well over the pounding of my heart. I light my hand up again.

“Hello?!”, I call out, “Is anyone out there?!”

No reply.

I check my watch again to see if the distress signal had moved. Nope. Still no movement.

“Couldn’t whatever the thing is that he sent the distress signal for have chosen a brighter spot?! Like, I don’t know, a city?! Did it have to be an abandoned miners building? I don’t know, it’s just kind of ridiculous. At least it’s not an abandoned mine, I guess…”, I complain to myself, a habit I had whenever I was anxious.

The same sense of urgency I had earlier suddenly comes back full force. Maybe I should hurry up. Walk a bit faster or something. There’s something seriously wrong with this situation.

I finally get close to Ro’s location.

…Damn it.

I’m standing in front of the entrance to the abandoned mines. The entrance was made of rotting wood, covered in ivy. It had probably been abandoned for a long time.

I take back what I said earlier about being glad it wasn’t an abandoned mine.

It’s dark inside, and it smells like a rotting corpse inside. I really didn’t want to enter. But I had to. I couldn’t just abandon Rowan. I already took a million years to get here. What if he’s not even alive anymore? What if I’m too late? Gods… I can’t lose him. I should’ve been quicker…

I shake my head to clear my mind, before walking inside with a confident stride. If I continue to just stand here and overthink, it’ll be all the more likely that he gets hurt. And I can’t have him getting hurt. We’re a team! He’s my super-partner! I’d be a terrible partner if I let him get hurt!

I start walking faster. I should’ve responded quicker. I shouldn’t have waited so long. Nothing is more important than Rowan. I don’t know why I waited. Noor’s going to kill me if she finds out. That is, if I get out of here alive. If the Rowan Kieu can’t fight whatever the hell captured him off, I sure as hell can’t either.

Finally, I hear something. Someone. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but I know that Rowan and Noor’s voices, and that’s not either of them.

I peak around the corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ro.

And there he is.

Tied up and blindfolded. A giant gash across his chest.

I watch in shock. Seeing the blood dripping down from the wound. The pained and exhausted look on my best friend’s face. The pale color of his normally tan skin. It was almost surreal, and definitely not in a good way.

I hear the unknown voice speak again: “I’ll be back in a moment. Do not try to run if you know what’s good for you.”

I quickly hide against the unstable wall I was peaking around as I hear the man’s footsteps come closer and closer.

I ball my fists, ready to ignite them if need be.

My heart pounds louder as the footsteps come closer, and I can only pray that it won’t give away my admittedly terrible hiding place.

I tremble, legs feeling weak. I was so nervous. But I needed to toughen up, needed to save Rowan.

Rowan was always the stronger one between us two. Always the one saving my ass after I get captured. And trust me, that has happened a lot.

But now I was the savior. And the thought of that is terrifying. I’ve never been in this situation, and honestly, I’m hoping I’ll never have to be in this situation again after today.

The footsteps slow down.

Did I get noticed?

Does he realize I’m here?

My heart pounds in my chest as I prepare myself for the fight.

Without a second thought, I turn the corner and swing at the figure.

I don’t even look before igniting my fists and striking again.

I push it down, creating some distance between me and the figure. I finally decide to look at what I’m even attacking in the first place.

It’s close to human, but something’s off. The eyes are too emotionless, and a bright red color I’d never seen on another person. The smile on its face was too wide, the nose too far down.

I don’t know what it was, I’d never seen anything like it before. All I knew was that it was freaking me out.

I summon a fireball, hurling it at the thing as fast as I could. And with that one last blow, it burned to a crisp and turned into ash.

I sprint up to Rowan, pulling the blindfold off and untying the knot in the cloth. Holding it against his wound.

“Rowan”, I lightly hit his face repeatedly, “Rowan, can you hear me?! Wake up! God damn it! Please, dude, just wake up!”

No response.

I begin to panic: “c’mon, dude, please. I can’t do this alone. Wake up!”

After a couple more seconds of waiting I decide to just pick him up. He was taller than me by a couple inches, and heavier than me because of all his muscles, but I could manage.

I carry him all the way to the hospital. Dropping in the chair in the waiting room as soon as the doctors wheel Rowan’s unconscious body out to surgery.

And that’s how I ended up here. It’s been a couple days, and Ro hasn’t woken up yet, and I’m scared that he never will.

I’m the worst teammate alive.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I flinch. Wiping my head around to look at who it was.

I instantly calm down when I’m greeted by Noor’s face.

“It’s not your fault, you know”, she says in that lovely comforting tone of hers, “you did everything you could do.”

“If I’d just gone to help him as soon as he sent the signal, he-“

She cuts me off.

“You didn’t know. And yes, you could’ve reacted quicker, but mistakes happen. Kit, you’re 17. You’re a teenager. You’re not immediately going to be the most amazing superhero alive. And even with the mistake you made, he’s still alive. You almost made it on time. His vitals are steady, he’ll be fine.”

“Almost isn’t enough, Noor. It never is. I should’ve just been on time. And yes, his vitals are steady. But this would never have happened if I’d just done more. If I’d just left on time. If I’d just been a good teammate, he would have never gotten hurt.”

“Kit. You’ve been sitting here for 3 days. Go home, take a shower, eat something, and go to sleep. You look exhausted. And that’s on order.”

I turn my head away from her, looking at Rowan.

“he’ll be okay. Just go home, Kit. I’ll stay by his side”

Hesitantly, I get up. Bidding my goodbye to Noor, the nurses, and most importantly, Rowan, before heading home.