Dragonblade: a new dawn

As Gabriel walked towards the locker room, the sound of his footsteps echoed off the empty corridor walls. The rush of adrenaline from his impressive sprint had begun to wear off, replaced by a sense of relief and accomplishment. He had given it his all, and it had paid off.

Just as he was about to turn the corner, he heard his name being called. "Gabriel." He turned to see Harry jogging towards him, a faint smile playing on his lips. Gabriel's instincts told him to be cautious, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. He was alone with Harry; he didn't know what Harry would do or say. 

"Hey, nice run out there," Harry said, falling into step beside Gabriel. 

"Thanks, you weren't too bad yourself," Gabriel replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Harry chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Yeah, I guess I had a good warm-up."

The two of them walked in silence for a moment, the only sound being the echo of their footsteps. Gabriel was very suspicious, why was Harry being nice to him? Soon, Harry spoke up again. "You know, Gabriel, it's not always about being the fastest or the strongest. Sometimes it's about being smart; about knowing when to hold back and when to push forward."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, sensing a hidden meaning behind Harry's words. "What are you getting at?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light. Gabriel wasn't quite sure what was happening or what to do. He decided to let what was happening play on, and hoped that he would understand it the more Harry spoke.

Harry's smile grew wider, but his eyes seemed to gleam with a sinister intensity. "Just that sometimes, the biggest obstacles aren't the ones you can see coming. Sometimes they're the ones that sneak up on you when you're least expecting it."

Gabriel's instincts were screaming at him to be wary, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what was bothering him. "I think I know what you mean," he said slowly, trying to gauge Harry's reaction. The fact that Harry was being so cagey with his words creeped him out. Harry was usually very mean and outspoken;he didn't even call him a nerd once. 

Harry's smile faltered for a moment, and Gabriel caught a glimpse of something darker beneath the surface. "Good," Harry said, his voice low and even. "I'm glad we understand each other." Where were his usual lackeys? Why was it just them alone? Gabriel found himself asking these questions in the confines of his mind.

As they reached the entrance to the locker room, Harry clapped Gabriel on the back. "Take care, Gabriel. You never know what's around the corner." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Gabriel standing alone in the corridor.

Gabriel watched him go, feeling a sense of unease settle over him. What had Harry been trying to say? Was it just his imagination running wild, or had there been a genuine threat lurking beneath the surface of Harry's words?

He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. Maybe he was just reading too much into it. After all, Harry had complimented him on his run, and they'd had a decent conversation. Maybe Harry was changing, becoming a better person. But the words lingered in his mind, refusing to be shaken off.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Harry's words had been laced with an ominous tone, leaving Gabriel with more questions than answers. He pushed open the door to the locker room, his mind still reeling from the encounter.

The sound of laughter and chatter hit him like a wave, but Gabriel's smile was forced. He couldn't help but wonder what Harry had been trying to warn him about. And what role did David play in all of this? The questions swirled in his mind, refusing to be silenced.

As he changed out of his gear, Gabriel's eyes scanned the room, searching for any sign of David. But he was nowhere to be seen. Gabriel's instincts told him that this was only the beginning, and he needed to be prepared for what was coming his way.

***

As Gabriel sat in his final class of the day, he was lost in thought. Gabriel sat in class, staring blankly at the whiteboard as the teacher droned on about complex mathematical formulas. He tried to focus, he really did, but his mind kept wandering back to the events of the day. The rush of adrenaline as he crossed the finish line, the stunned looks on his classmates' faces, and the proud smile on Coach Kemp's face – it all replayed in his mind like a highlight reel.

But alongside those triumphant thoughts, another image kept popping up – Harry's sinister grin as he spoke those ominous words in the corridor. "Sometimes the biggest obstacles aren't the ones you can see coming. Sometimes they're the ones that sneak up on you when you're least expecting it." Gabriel's skin crawled as he remembered the tone, the way Harry's eyes seemed to gleam with an intensity that made him feel uneasy.

He promised himself to be cautious, to keep his guard up around Harry and the rest of the team. He didn't know what Harry's game was, but he was determined not to let him get the better of him. Gabriel's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the teacher's voice, calling on him to answer a question.

"Gabriel, can you solve this equation for us?" Gabriel's heart sank as he realized he had no idea what was being discussed. He hesitated, trying to recall anything relevant, but his mind was a blank slate.

"I...I'm not sure," he stammered, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment. The teacher sighed, writing the solution on the board. "It's okay, Gabriel. Just pay attention next time."

Gabriel nodded, feeling a twinge of frustration. Why couldn't he focus? He was usually a good student, but today his mind was elsewhere. He tried to refocus, taking notes and participating in the discussion, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation with Harry.

What had Harry meant by those words? Was it just a veiled threat, or was there something more to it? Gabriel's imagination ran wild, conjuring up all sorts of scenarios. He pictured himself facing off against Harry in some kind of showdown, or being sabotaged by David during the next trial. If only he knew how right he was.