Not So Vibrant, Not So Dull (draft) ✔

Chapter Six: Survive Another Dawn

This was my kingdom as much as it was my father's. I had carved my own place in it—not yet powerful enough to take him down, but no one could deny I was a force to reckon with. Still, it wasn't enough—not to stop you. You was a diamond and even in rough you were the most valuable to me. If you're gonna change, to be polished into fine shine, I wanted it to be in the right way. So I did the only thing I could think of. I took you to Guss.

Guss had been one of my father's best men once, a ruthless strategist with a mind sharper than any blade. He broke free from that life years ago, disappearing into his own peculiar world. He was eccentric, unpredictable, but no one knew survival better than him.

When we found him, it wasn't in some dim alley or secluded safe house. No, Guss had made his home in the last place anyone would look. The Ferris wheel loomed over us, creaking in the wind like a relic of forgotten joy, while faded carnival tents flapped in the breeze. The place felt frozen in time, with eerie nostalgia hanging in the air.

"Is this... where he lives?" you asked, your voice tinged with disbelief, eyes wide as you took in the decaying rides and faded cotton candy stands.

"Yeah," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "Guss always had a flair for the dramatic." A rundown amusement park on the edge of town would be the perfect home for him.

Just as if on cue, laughter echoed from inside one of the tents. The sound was so out of place it made my skin crawl. We walked towards the tent cautiously, the ground beneath our feet crunching with long-forgotten debris. I held the flap open for you, and we stepped inside.

There he was—Guss. He was lounging on a sagging sofa, a makeshift firepit crackling before him, casting strange shadows on his face. The place looked like a chaotic blend of an old caravan and an artist's workshop. Half-painted canvases were scattered everywhere, stacks of books teetered on the edge of collapse, and a mannequin wearing a glittery circus costume sat in the corner. Maybe I should have considered some other option, for your sake.

"Well, well, well," Guss said without looking up, his voice smooth and casual, as if he had been expecting us. "If it isn't Garrete." He finally turned his head towards me, a crooked smile playing on his lips. "And you brought company."

I cleared my throat. "Guss."

Guss sat up, his eyes scanning you with the kind of intensity that could make anyone uncomfortable. "So this is the one," he said, more to himself than to us. "The dancer turned soldier. Interesting choice, Garrete."

You stiffened beside me, clearly uneasy under Guss's gaze, but I put a hand on your shoulder, hoping to reassure you.

"He's not a soldier yet," I said, my tone more serious than usual. "That's why we're here."

Guss raised an eyebrow, his smile fading into something more thoughtful. "You want me to train him."

"Yes."

He stood up slowly, dusting off his hands as he walked over to us. Guss wasn't particularly tall, but there was something about the way he moved, with a languid ease that made him seem larger than life. He circled us, his eyes narrowing as he examined you.

"He looks... soft," Guss said bluntly, though there was no malice in his words. "But I suppose that's the point. You want to make him hard enough to survive. Like you."

I felt you tense up next to me, and I quickly stepped in. "He's stronger than you think. He insisted on this. He wants to fight."

Guss stopped in front of you, looking you up and down again before leaning in close, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "You sure about that, kid? This isn't some grand ballet. You fall here, and no one's gonna catch you."