How to Love the Stars | Ghost (Simon Riley)

Chapter 21

When Althea truly focused in battle, it was as if she was falling into a deep sleep. She never saw people running towards her to attack, just targets. She got a whiff of something burnt, and suddenly it was as if she was on that balance beam again, competing for the medal back in her childhood years.

The memory carried her back to a time when she was a young girl with dreams as high as the balance beam that stood before her. Cameras took pictures, flash lamps giving bright bursts of light, and smoking. The burnt smell of magnesium curled in her nostrils, and she relished the feeling as she smiled into the cameras, waving to the crowd. The gymnasium was alive with the buzz of excitement, filled with thousands of spectators, each holding their breath as they watched 13-year-old Althea and others compete for the coveted medal. They marveled at her long, shiny black hair and agility.

Althea's heart raced, her breaths shallow and quick as she prepared for her routine. Her body was a finely tuned machine, each muscle honed to perfection through years of grueling training. She was the most talented 13-year-old gymnast in Belgium, and some even argued that she was second to none worldwide. She began her performance flawlessly, each twist and flip executed with grace and precision. The audience marveled at her skill, their applause and cheers a symphony that spurred her on.

But as Althea approached the climax of her routine, the final dismount that was her signature move, something went terribly wrong. She had trained too hard the day before, and she hadn't eaten enough, afraid the food would make her stomach bigger. Gymnasts weren't supposed to have a protruding stomach. Fatigue had taken its toll on her young body, and in her exhaustion, her takeoff went completely wrong, she could feel it the moment her feet left it. Her landing was catastrophic, and a searing pain shot through her leg as she crumpled to the mat. Her dreams of a gold medal shattered along with her leg that day. She never forgave herself for that. To Althea, she was the worst failure.

After recovering from her injury, Althea tried to continue with gymnastics, but she was now older than 14, and in the unforgiving world of competitive gymnastics, anyone older than that was no longer considered special. She longed to compete again, but her dreams were buried beneath the weight of disappointment. In a way, her leg never really recovered. Occasionally, there would be a dull ache in it after working too hard, like a reminder of what she could no longer have. Even worse than her leg injury, her mind had taken a rough hit too. Sometimes all she could care about was what others thought of her.

One day, when Althea was older, her life took an unexpected turn. The general, a man who had found her as a small child after her parents were killed by terrorists and had arranged for her to be adopted by two kind and wealthy individuals, paid her a visit. He wanted her to see what life was like at his military base. (He would never admit it, but she was like a daughter to him, and he just wanted to show her off at his work.)

Althea, ever curious, slipped away for a few minutes to explore the base on her own. That's when she stumbled upon a training area where a spy, lithe and agile, was moving with breathtaking swiftness, leaping over obstacles and shooting targets with deadly accuracy. It was a mesmerizing display of skill, and Althea knew she had found something that ignited a fire within her.

She approached the general with her newfound passion, expressing her desire to become like the spy she had seen. However, the general, who had come to care for Althea as if she were his own child, was reluctant. He wanted to protect her from harm, fearing for her safety.

Althea's persistence knew no bounds. She pestered the general relentlessly until he finally relented and allowed her to join the military. Her heart swelled with happiness at the prospect of a new adventure, but the reality was far from her expectations.

On her first day in the military, Althea's excitement turned to disappointment when she discovered that the general had assigned her the role of a cleaner, far removed from the action she had envisioned. He was adamant about keeping her safe and away from danger.

Despite her disappointment, Althea found solace in being able to observe the soldiers and agents at work. One day while she was cleaning, she came across a training warehouse, empty except for a few training dummies, guns, and an array of throwing knives. Recalling the spy's graceful movements, she picked up a gun and tried her hand at it, but it felt awkward and clumsy in her grip.

Then, she turned to the throwing knives, and something extraordinary happened. Althea had a hidden talent, a natural ability to hit target after target with uncanny precision. Her skill was mesmerizing, her throws landing exactly where she aimed. She had so much fun there, her abilities finally being able to be used again, leaping from obstacle to obstacle, hitting each dummy with precision.

Unbeknownst to her, a high-ranking officer in the general's army stood at the warehouse's entrance, watching her with a mix of amazement and intrigue. She was thoroughly impressed with Althea's skills and recognized her potential.

It turned out that this officer had the authority to persuade the general, and she convinced him to allow Althea to participate in a few recon missions with her. The general agreed, still driven by his fear of Althea getting hurt, but he saw her talent and relented.

As time passed, Althea steadily climbed through the ranks of the military. Despite her longing for the balance beam and the high bars, she felt a different kind of energy on the battlefield. She had a talent for combat, and an innate ability to excel in the chaos of war. When she was out there, something seemed to wake up, and she became one of the most efficient soldiers on the field.

Althea's journey had taken her from the heights of the gymnastics arena to the front lines of conflict, a path filled with unexpected turns, disappointments, and triumphs. Though her past was filled with the echoes of what might have been, she had found her purpose in a new kind of performance, one that took her beyond the balance beam and into the heart of battle.

When she came back to her senses, off the high of adrenaline and battle, she found that she was standing next to Rudy, panting for breath. Blood covered her from head to toe. Alejandro and the rest of Los Vaqueros piled into vehicles, preparing to get themselves to safety. Althea climbed into a vehicle with Price, her entire body screaming for rest. She wasn't even seated all the way before she collapsed into the backseat, fully asleep. 

A/N: I know this is boring guys but I need it for the story alr

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