Resentment

Two long and grueling weeks of intense practice passed at the academy. Sadly, some of the first level cadets decided to drop out, while five others chose to run away. The news shook me to my core, and in my heart I knew exactly what had happened. It seemed that many did not care what happened to their lives, regardless of the consequences. The lies and manipulations of the academy were heartbreaking, hiding the true reality of what was happening.

In spite of everything, I felt a momentary relief at having shared that intimate encounter with Lucia, for it had triggered an opportunity to escape from this place. Unbeknownst to me, she had become one of the academy's targets because of her beauty, but I had to concentrate on the impending intergalactic games and leave behind everything that was going on around me.

My relationship with the team improved a bit more, they now saw me as a valued and respected member. Although inside, I still felt some fear, especially because of the daring and dangerous missions Guillermo was carrying out. I just hoped that we could qualify for the competitions without any major problems. While we had no difficulties during the flight practices, I knew that the competitions would be much more challenging and complicated.

It was time to head to the city where the events would be held. Before leaving, I decided to contact Chloe to inform her and coordinate our plans. She had provided me with a dedicated cell phone to communicate, as I did not trust the communication devices here.

"Hello, Chloe," I greeted with some trepidation.

"Ah... Nick...," she replied with a mixture of concern and caution in her voice.

"I'm about to leave for competitions," I quickly informed her.

"I know, but there's something I needed to know," she expressed with some seriousness.

"What is it?", I asked, intrigued.

"Did you and that girl use protection?" he asked directly.

"Uh... Not really, it was hard to get that here...", I admitted, feeling anxiety take hold of me.

"You know you could become a father in a few months," Chloe said, her tone denoting some annoyance.

"Uh... Yeah, I know, but Lucia hasn't communicated with me, so I feel like nothing happened," I tried to justify myself, though deep down I knew she was right.

"It's your responsibility, both her and what might happen to her," he reprimanded me firmly.

I felt a knot in my stomach and the awareness of the consequences of our actions began to weigh on me. I had been reckless and had been carried away by the emotions of the moment. I tried to explain to her what was happening.

"I have tried to talk to her about what happened, but no one has given me any news of Lucia," I replied, seeking her understanding.

"I understand, I'm going to look for her," Chloe said with determination.

Thoughts of being a father so soon filled me with nervousness. I felt mentally overwhelmed by the situation. Then I remembered that Lucia took some birth control pills from time to time. Maybe that would help prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

Immersed in my thoughts, my teammates approached me and spoke to me.

"Hey, Nick, what's wrong with you?" one of them asked, noticing my worried countenance.

"It's nothing," I replied with a forced tone of reassurance.

"Are you afraid of the competition?" asked another, detecting my anxiety.

"Uh... No, I'm sure," I tried to disguise, although inside me uncertainty and fear were intertwined.

"Guillermo is quite serious. Something happened to him a few days ago," commented another of my companions, revealing a disturbing event.

"What happened to him?", I asked with genuine concern.

"He fell and hurt his leg, although he is trying to walk well," he explained, leaving a trace of intrigue in the air.

Guillermo's strange attitude, always so serious and stoic, unsettled me. I decided to seek him out and talk to him to understand what was going on.

[...]

Finally, the day arrived when we all boarded a plane that would take us to the city of Mesten, the place where the competitions would take place. After a five-hour trip, we arrived at this bustling port. Although we were supposed to be calm, I noticed that Guillermo seemed to be going through a turbulent state of mind.

I took every opportunity to talk to him at the hotel and managed to arrange the rooms so that we were roommates. When we found ourselves alone, I decided to broach the subject that was bothering me.

"Are you okay," I asked, noting his distressed expression.

"Yeah, don't worry," she replied with some reservation.

"You're someone strong, that's why I'm asking," I insisted, trying to show her that she could count on me.

"I saw a creature in the academy and ran out. I fell and got hurt, but I feel an overwhelming fear. After these competitions, I will retire from this academy. Speaking of which, why haven't you left here?" he revealed with some desperation.

"With my record I would be in trouble and I need to gain experience to join any company," I explained with a mixture of resignation and determination.

"I understand... at the end of the year, you'll be gone... I'm going to follow your example, I'll leave after this year. I just hope I don't run into any more of those things," she confessed, her voice laden with fear and a desire to escape the academy.

"It's best that you don't tell anyone for now," I warned, understanding his concerns. "Our word would be against the academy's, and we know we would lose."

I felt like I was talking to Lucia at the time.

It was essential to prevent Guillermo from committing any rash actions that would put him in danger. We had to handle this situation with caution and find the right moment to act.

[...]

The next day, our team met for breakfast together to work out a plan. Finally, we had been sent the detailed rules of the competition and the list of teams we would be competing with. When I saw the number of cadets and the experience they possessed, I shuddered. They were older than me and their skill was evident.

To my surprise, among them, I saw a girl similar to Lucia, but I noticed that she was taller, and it was not her. The rest of my companions thought the same. Out of respect for her and to avoid generating more discomfort among the people at school, I decided not to talk to her or try to make contact. I was afraid that they would attack me again. In addition, this issue distracted me and took my focus away from the competition. I was very anxious about what was to come, and I didn't want to take any chances of getting injured.

However, the appearance of a girl similar to Lucia did not go unnoticed. Jhon, one of my companions, approached her with obvious annoyance.

"There's Lucia... you're already afraid of her, so you won't talk to her?" said Jhon with a contemptuous tone.

"It's not her, we are in the middle of a competition, this is not the time to distract us with personal matters. Besides, I don't think this is the right place or time to discuss this," I replied, trying to remain calm and composed in the face of his provocation.

Jhon frowned and looked at me with disdain. I was aware that he was trying to provoke me, but I decided not to be swayed by his attitude.

"Sure, you slept with her every night, and because of you she left the academy. Now you're playing the victim," Jhon threw in a contemptuous and defiant tone.

"This is not the time to discuss this, Jhon. We've talked about it, and we've come to an agreement. It's none of your business," interjected Arturo, who until now had remained silent, but decided to do something to avoid a fight in the middle of the restaurant.

Jhon seemed surprised by Arturo's response, but did not press the issue any further. However, all eyes were on us because of the discussion.

Despite the tense atmosphere, I struggled to keep my focus on the competition and the plan we needed to develop. It was crucial that we were all on the same page and working as a team to succeed at the Intergalactic Games.

Just then, a message from Chloe interrupted my concentration. It was strange to receive a message from her, as she usually called me instead of texting. I picked up the cell phone and read the message carefully.

"Miguel is alive!"

I was stunned. I had seen Miguel die that day in the explosion. It seemed impossible that he was alive, unless he was one of those inhuman beings. As far as I knew, they were very difficult to kill. They had to be burned, as they survived if the torso and heart remained.

I looked around and noticed that Guillermo had also received a message. He seemed to be just as surprised. However, at that point, we didn't have time to discuss it. It was time to head to the competition site and show what we were capable of.

As we made our way to the venue, questions and intrigue about Miguel continued to haunt my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about the possible implications of his survival. What had really happened that day? What role did Miguel play in all of this? I knew I had to be careful and not let these distractions affect my performance in the competition. However, I couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness and urgency to know what had happened on the day of the explosion.