Orion's Rise: From Zero to Hero in Two Worlds

Chapter 24

The morning air bit at Jared's face as his feet pounded against the pavement. Six kilometers down, one to go. His breath came out in small clouds, dispersing into the crisp Brno morning.

Every stride felt heavier than usual. Running used to clear his head, but lately his thoughts kept circling back to how quiet things had gotten. No Orion to push around. No real satisfaction in watching other kids scatter when he walked down the halls.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His running shoes hit the ground in a steady rhythm that felt wrong somehow. Like the sound wasn't quite matching up with his steps.

"Getting soft," he muttered to himself, rounding the corner where Old Man Filip's hot dog cart should've been waiting. The empty spot made him stumble to a halt.

Filip's cart had been there every morning for the past two years. Rain or shine, the old man would wave as Jared ran past, sometimes calling out "Looking strong today!" in his thick Czech accent. Jared always pretended not to care, but that s