Envisioned

Chapter Two: Jace

Inside the packed arena, the crowd cheered my name, but I couldn't think of anything but her face. Her perfection tormented me day after day, night after night, when I awakened from my dreams, unable to save her.

The paralyzing fear on her breathtaking face wrenched my insides every time. Especially the tears falling from her gorgeous eyes, shining like golden, glistening pools of honey that were splashed with a vibrant green.

I needed to find her, to save her from the fate in the nightmare, but I had no idea where or who she was, not even her name. She could have been across the country in New York for all I knew, so how was I going to find her? It didn't matter because I had to find her.

I knew all too well that the monsters from my dreams were a reality, even though the majority of the world knew little of their existence. They believed all of the creatures and magic to be myth, but I understood the truth.

I was an Elemental, trained to defend the world against the evils from those myths. My Element was fire. I could create, manipulate, project, and do just about anything with it. My favorite aspect was that I was impervious to it, so I couldn't be burned or hurt by it in any way. That was a huge advantage given the creatures I encountered.

There were four classes of Elementals: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The prophecy of our race foretold of a day where there would be One who would be able to control all of the four classes of Elements, and I was disappointed that it wasn't me.

I wanted to be the One, the ultimate Elemental who wiped out evil and brought peace to the world. I still didn't understand how it was even possible, since two Elementsweren't able to be present in one being at the same time, let alone all four. The dominant Element completely subdued the other when two Elementals had a child. In my case, my dad's Fire subdued my mom's Air.

Elementals received their powers on their eighteenth birthday. Most were prepared by their parents, and many were also trained to defend themselves in some form of fighting technique. I was trained in mixed martial arts, which led to my profession as a fighter in the UFC.

I was undefeated in my career, which my mom teased was cheating due to my enhanced strength and superior fighting skills. She didn't complain too much, thanks to my salary. I loved my job, as well as the lifestyle that came with it, including the fame, women, and traveling.

The match bell rang, signaling the start of the first round and releasing me from my thoughts of her and the Elemental world. Registering that I was inside the cage in the arena, I chastised myself for losing focus. Damn daydreaming! I needed to concentrate on my fight, not think about her.

I bounced on the balls of my feet, surveying my opponent, who stood no chance at defeating me. He was shorter than me, probably five-feet ten inches, and he lacked the muscular definition and bulk size that I had. He could make up for it in speed, but that still didn't matter—I always won.

My adrenaline kicked in—my heart raced, sweat clung to my body, and all my senses were intensified. Thoughts of her always did that to me, and the roar of the crowd only heightened my high.

My opponent's blue eyes locked on mine as he moved in and threw the first swing, which I side-stepped, causing him to stumble slightly. I took advantage and swiftly kicked him in the back, sending him into the fence that surrounded the arena.

He pushed off the fence, rearing back to throw a right hook, which grazed my cheek, knocking me off balance a bit. I could have easily dodged the blow, but I had to put on a show. Holding back my strength and speed so that no one discovered my abilities, I retaliated with a left jab that caught him square in the mouth and caused his bottom lip to split.

Blood trickled down his chin as he charged me, readying for a punch. Before he could land it, I kicked his legs out from under him, and let gravity do the rest to bring him down to the mat. I immediately pinned his body to the ground, the sweat from both our bodies making it difficult to keep my grip on him as I attempted to lock him in an arm bar.

I would much rather have had her sweaty body underneath mine, submitting to me in a different way. My opponent elbowed me, jarring my attention back onto submitting him and away from her again.

My trainer yelled, “Thirty seconds left! Focus, Vasquez!”

Okay, playtime’s over. I placed my right hand on my opponent's chest before wrapping my other arm around his and interlocking both together, trapping his arm between mine. I swept my left leg around the arm I had locked between my own, placing both my feet on the left side of his body.

He fought against me, his body bucking against mine, but his waning strength was no match for the superiority of mine. My triceps flexed as I held him in place, and the crowd roared their approval. My sweat glistened as it ran down my fevered skin, making it increasingly difficult to maintain my grip.

I sat on his right side, my legs flattened against his torso, pinning his neck and chest. I leaned my body back, extending his arm further and inflicting intense strain on his elbow joint until he wisely tapped out after a few seconds.

The bell sounded and the referee tapped me on the shoulder, signaling for me to let go.

The crowd chanted, “Vasquez, Vasquez, Vasquez!”My undefeated streak continued with the victory, and my team rushed me in the ring as I raised my hands in triumph.

My best friend and one of my trainers, Zane, congratulated me as he asked, “So, where do you feel like celebrating tonight?”