Page 96 of Wings of Destruction

You ask how much wrong can one person do in the name of good before they become a monster? Basically, you want to know if the end justifies the means.

Does the good of the many outweigh the good of the one struggling to restore the balance? Yes.

It doesn’t matter if you become a monster or not. What is one life compared to the hundreds of thousands of innocents with no ability to protect themselves? Power and responsibility matter, in the end.

Becoming a monster is a small price to pay.

A slow smile lights my face. The gamble I’d taken paid off. They understand me. Whoever is on the other end of these notes has a strange empathy for the situation I’m in.

This was a test and they passed it. If anyone will be an asset to the resistance I’m forming, it will be this person. So, who are they?

It’s the question of the evening.

The letter goes beyond my wildest hopes and dreams. Well beyond. It is exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped for and never expected to receive.

I shove the note into the pocket of my jerkin and replace the book with the others, pressing it into neat formation.

The timing works out well.

I’ve got to show the letter to Astrid before I make a move to find the person. Her opinion matters, although in this case, my mind is already set. They’ll make the perfect addition to our group and benefit our long term goals.

We need others who are willing to go the distance, who fight with fire in their veins, whose thoughts run deep.

I tap my fingers against my chin when my mind carries me too far from my body. Excitement makes it impossible to ground.

“Is this the stroke of luck we needed?” I ask out loud.

Mozi rouses himself from my mind. Do you consider it a stroke of luck?

You’re still skeptical, I see.

Or perhaps I’m not willing to let myself be swayed by the answer. I know it’s what you were hoping for, Kieran, but it is much too soon to pin your hopes on this person you don’t know.

Now is the time to take all the help we can get. My footsteps land sullenly.

Yes, but now is also the time to be discerning.

We may start small but we will grow in momentum and strength. My mind’s spinning. I might not know who’s writing to me but I need someone fearless and ruthless. My gut tells me the other person has those qualities in spades.

It doesn’t matter if they’re afraid or not.

I live in a constant state of fear.

I lock the classroom behind me, lost in thought and marching down the hall. Then stop dead in my tracks, blinking, straining to pinpoint the slight scuffing sounds, like a rodent in the walls.

My mouth slants down and I pat my pocket. Adjusting direction. Slowly, the sounds grow louder, clearer, accompanied by harsh grunts of physical exertion.

Someone’s in my private gym.

Dragon’s teeth and fire.

My stomach drops and I bite down on my lips as I stop in front of the door. I keep my mouth sealed, going still.

The special treatment has never sat well with me. I don’t use the gym often on principle, preferring to stay in the larger facility with everyone else. Students will tease no matter what your circumstances. Insults multiply under muttered breaths and carry on whispers through the student body.

They’re jealous.

They’re envious.