Chapter 4

  Dramaine found his usual corner and began warming up, but his mind wasn’t in it.

  Markus’s flame had been wild.

  Isiah’s had been precise.

  Different. But growing.

  The first time he’d ever seen the glow was with them—back when they were kids. A faint blue light around his two best friends.

  Only he could see it.

  He’d tried to explain it. Doctors ran tests. Friends laughed.

  And no matter how long he stared into mirrors…

  He never saw a flame around himself.

  That bothered him more than anything.

  Warmups done.

  Time to test something.

  He closed his eyes and imagined Isiah in front of him—stance grounded, shoulders loose.

  The first punch came.

  He parried.

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  Second strike—collision.

  Pain flared.

  Third—

  Too slow.

  The fourth hit landed against his ribs.

  Dramaine grinned.

  “Run it back.”

  After some time it was time to head home. As he walked home, blue glows flickered faintly around strangers.

  Muted.

  Background noise.

  Then—

  One wasn’t.

  It burned brighter than anything he’d ever seen.

  Blinding.

  So intense he couldn’t see the person inside it.

  The light pulsed.

  Steady.

  Patient.

  And without realizing it, Dramaine drifted toward it.

  Past his house.

  Past familiar streets.

  Drawn.

  Then it vanished.

  Like a switch flipped.

  He blinked, disoriented.

  And saw her.

  A young woman standing still in the flow of the crowd.

  She was looking directly at him.

  He glanced away, and then looked back.

  She hadn’t moved.

  Her eyes traveled upward slowly—like she was reading something written above his head.

  Then she smiled.

  Not warm.

  Not inviting.

  Knowing.

  And walked away.

  Dramaine almost followed.

  Almost.

  But thoughts of Naomi. Markus. Isiah.

  Anchored him.

  He let her disappear.

  For now.

  Back at the house, everyone was there already having a good time.

  “Is Aisha coming?” Naomi asked Markus.

  “My baby should be here in a few minutes”

  There was a knock at the door and everyone knew who it was. Aisha arrived and went around giving out hugs to everyone. Marcus then stood up and said he had big news to share and the laughter settled, something shifted.

  Dramaine noticed it before anyone spoke.

  A faint glow near her stomach.

  Smaller than the others.

  Fragile.

  Alive.

  His throat tightened.

  “Twin…” he said slowly. “You…?”

  She smiled.

  “Yep.”

  Silence.

  Then chaos.

  Hugs. Laughter. Shock.

  But Dramaine’s eyes stayed on that tiny flicker.

  A second flame.

  Growing.

  “I would also like to invite you all to my show tonight. There will be scouts from the big league there and this might be my chance.” Markus said.

  Dramamine snapped back to focus, “Of course we will be there brother, that’s what family does.”