Echoes Of Power

Lifting the Mask

The next morning, Antonio awoke with a sense of fatigue. He had barely slept, his thought racing with images of Trey and the unsettling feeling something wrong. Just as Antonio had finally gotten his thought under control, he got that eerie feeling again like he was being watched. He peeks from over his blanket and see nothing. "Huh, must be going paranoid" Antonio said, as he got up to get ready for school.   

As he made his way to school, Antonio was torn on if he should tell Michaela about Trey and his conversation. She had sensed something was off about Trey too, and truthfully he didn't wanna do this all alone. He eventually found her by her locker, her hair woven in to beautiful braids.    

"Hey Braids," Antonio greeted with a false smile.     Michaela rolled her eyes for his never-ending nicknames. "Good morning, Antonio. What's on your mind?"    "Listen I need to talk to you about Trey," Antonio said lowering his voice to a whisper.

"I confronted him yesterday and I swear something wasn't right about his vibe."    Michaela's eyes widened. "What do you mean? "What did he say?"    "He gave some BS answer about trying to fit in. I don't know but it's something he's hiding," Antonio explained, his voice powered with frustration. Michaela nodded "I've felt it to. There's definitely some tension whenever I'm around him." " We'll get to the bottom of it together, Antonio. I promise."   

Throughout the day, Antonio's mind was a cluster of thoughts and theories. He found it hard to concentrate in his classes, his gaze always shifting to Trey. The more he studied Trey, the more he realized there was something manipulative in personality.    During lunch, Antonio and Michaela met up to discuss their plan. They decided to invite Trey over to Antonio's house under the illusion of another study session.

This time though, they would do more investigating rather than studying.    As the final bell rang Antonio felt like a weight was just pressed up against his stomach, He met Michaela by her locker and they walked to the parking lot together . "You ready for this?" He asked her, his voice determined.    Michaela noted. "Hell yea let's get to the for this."   

That evening, Trey arrived at Antonio's house, his usual laid back demeanor in place. They gathered in Antonio's room, books spread out on their laps. As they continued studying Antonio could feel Delirium's presence at the edge of his vision. He regained control and instantly Delirium disappeared. "For this I need to focus" Antonio said, to himself. "Trey," Antonio began "how are you settling into Fairmont? Make any new friends besides us?" Trey looked up, his eyes not giving away any answers. "Yeah its been ight. You guys have been all I need."    

Michaela chimed in, her tone innocent. "It's just that we don't really know anything about you . Like you don't even talk about where your from. Where are you from again?" Treys'd expression remained calm, but Antonio say the flicker of fear in his eyes. "Just a small town ip north. Nothing to special."    Antonio gave Michaela a nervous glance. "We should definitely hangout more then just study sessions, you know get to know each other better," Antonio suggested, trying not to sound suspicious.   

"Yea, sure," Trey replied, though his tone showed no motivation.    As they continued their study session, Antonio couldn't shake the feeling that Trey was definitely hiding something. Every time Antonio would try and ask a question about Treys past, Trey would either change the subject or dodge the question entirely. That suspicion that had been building inside Antonio grew stronger with each passing minute.    After Trey left, Antonio and Michaela sat in his room, the vibe thick with tension. "Did you notice how he kept repeatedly dodging our questions?" Antonio asked, his voice full of frustration.    

Michaela nodded her head. "Yea, its like he's intentionally trying not to talk about himself. Well I'm going to go ahead and head home if you end up coming up with anything, just give me a call." As the night grew darker, Antonio laid in his bed , his mind racing with possibilities. Delirium's shadow casted larger than ever, a constant reminder of the battle raging within him. The mystery of Trey and the haunting figure of Delirium the braid between the two formed a web of intrigue.