Episode 8

“Come out and fight me, you coward!” Eli’s voice, raw with a mixture of fury and desperation, echoed against the brickwork of the rooftop. He paced the gritty expanse, the city lights a blurry, indifferent backdrop to the turmoil churning within him. He could hear Bright’s ragged breathing, the subtle shift of weight on the gravel. Then, a guttural roar.

They collided like two battered rams, fists flying in a clumsy, desperate dance. The sound of flesh meeting flesh was sickeningly loud, punctuated by grunts of pain and exertion. Eli felt a sharp jab to his ribs, a blinding flash of white as Bright’s knuckles connected with his jaw. He retaliated with a wild swing, catching Bright on the shoulder, eliciting a pained hiss. They wrestled, stumbling, the rooftop a small, brutal arena.

Suddenly, a piercing scream cut through the din. “You two again! You’re going to kill each other!” Claire’s voice, laced with a terror that jolted them both into a stunned halt. They looked up, blinking away the haze of adrenaline, to see her standing at the edge of the rooftop, her silhouette stark against the inky sky. Her hands were clasped together, her face a mask of pure dread. “I’ll jump,” she choked out, her voice trembling, “if you don’t stop.”