The Summer Prince

Trouble brewing

"So Neo, why are you always spending time with that one guy?" Jack asked curtly

Startled by Jack's unexpected question, Neo paused midway through cleaning his face, and his blue eyes narrowed suspiciously as he shot Jack a guarded glance. Clearing his throat nervously, he tried to play it cool, hoping against hope that Jack hadn't noticed anything unusual about his recent behavior. But judging from the knowing smile spreading across Jack's lips, it seemed painfully clear that Jack had picked up on Neo's shift in priorities rather quickly

"That guy? Oh, you mean milo?" *He laughed awkwardly. "We're just friends, nothing more. I mean, yeah, sometimes we hang out together or whatever, but..." Trailing off, Neo shrugged noncommittally, trying hard to appear aloof and unconcerned when all he really wanted was for Jack to drop the subject altogether.

"But you like him, don't you?" Jack replied, smirking

A red flush crept up Neo's neck as he felt his cheeks heat up at Jack's blunt accusation. For a split second, he considered denying it outright but then decided against it-what did it matter anyway? It wasn't as if Asher reciprocated his feelings, or worse yet, found out about them.

So instead of lying, Neo chose honesty, albeit reluctantly so. "Yeah, okay," he admitted grudgingly, surprising himself with his candor,

"Maybe I like him a little bit." He paused for effect, carefully studying Jack's reaction before continuing. "But that doesn't change anything," Neo added fiercely. "It won't stop me from looking after him or keeping him safe."

"Are you afraid of Levi liking him as well?" *Levi asked, taking another drag from the cigarette

The words struck a nerve deep within Neo, causing him to bristle visibly. He glared at Jack defiantly, struggling to control his anger.

"Funny you should say that," he growled, pushing himself off his cot roughly,

"because it seems like Levi is the one who needs to learn how to mind his own goddamn business!"

Ignoring the smoke now filling the small room, Neo paced restlessly around the confines of his cabin, hands clenched tightly into fists at his sides.

"Hey man, take it easy! You're overreacting, " Jack said, shrugging nonchalantly,

Neo stopped pacing suddenly, turning to glare daggers at Jack. A cold, calculating expression flitted across his features as he contemplated what exactly to say next. Taking a deep breath, he managed to steady his voice somewhat.

"Listen here, jack," he began slowly, enunciating each word deliberately, "you might think I'm overreacting, but trust me when I say that my friendship with Milo means more to me than just about anything else in this world. And no matter what kind of trouble comes our way, whether it's from pathetic losers like Levi or anybody else for that matter, I promise you this-no harm will come to him while I am still alive and kicking."

His tone left no room for argument or doubt; he meant every word he said without question. But Jack just continued silently smiling at him

For a moment, their gazes locked in a silent battle of wills. Then, finally, Jack broke the silence with a low chuckle. Stepping forward, he reached out to clap Neo solidly on the shoulder. Surprised by the show of camaraderie, Neo couldn't help but flinch slightly under Jack's touch.

"Good to know," Jack murmured softly, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed amusement. "Good luck, trust me you'll need it." With that cryptic remark hanging in the air, Jack turned and walked towards the exit

Watching Jack go, Neo couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that something big was brewing beneath the surface. Despite their brief exchange, he couldn't quite figure out what Jack was up to or where his loyalties truly lay.

One thing was certain, though - there was definitely more to Jack than met the eye. As he closed the door behind him, Neo took a moment to gather his thoughts before returning to his routine training exercises. But even as he pushed himself harder than ever before, he couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of dread creeping up on him. Something told him that things weren't going to stay calm for very long,

With a heavy heart and growing apprehension, Neo continued his rigorous training regimen throughout the day.

Every muscle ached from exhaustion, but he forced himself to push through the pain. There was something ominous in the air today-something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Despite his best efforts to ignore it, the nagging sensation refused to dissipate. As night fell and the camp descended into darkness, Neo found himself drawn to the edge of the forest bordering their territory.

The trees stood tall and imposing against the starry sky, casting eerie shadows upon the ground below. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching stealthily from behind. Spinning around swiftly, he prepared for combat only to find Asher standing there looking sheepishly at him. Relief washed over him briefly before reality set back in once again, reminding him of the impending storm brewing beyond these woods.

Neo Slowly nodded, He tried to hide the fatigue etched deeply into his features. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied gruffly, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face. "Just got lost in thought for awhile. How about yourself?" Taking a closer look at Asher,

he could see that his friend looked more vulnerable than usual tonight. Though they had grown close since arriving at the camp, there was an undeniable distance between them--one born not only of circumstance but also of something far more personal.

"I'm okay. I think.. are you sure you're okay?" Asher replied

Shaking his head firmly, Neo tried to dispel the doubts clouding Asher's expression.

"Like I said, I'm fine," he repeated emphatically, attempting to project confidence in his voice despite the trembling inside.

"Now come on, I'll bring you back to your cabin," Neo said, grabbing Asher hand and starting to walk out of the forest. As they made their way back towards the cabins, Neo kept a careful watch over his surroundings, his senses heightened in anticipation of danger. Despite his attempts to mask it, he could tell that Asher was still concerned about him. Squeezing Asher's hand reassuringly, he offered him a half-smile.

"Look, i know you're still worried about me, but...," he muttered under his breath. "I can handle myself just fine, now go to sleep."

Asher sighed before hugging Neo and walking into the cabin, closing the door behind himself.

Watching Asher disappear into the dimly lit interior of his cabin, Neo let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

His heart rate gradually returned to normal as some of the tension eased from his shoulders. Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the rough bark of a nearby tree, allowing himself a few moments of peace amidst the chaos swirling around them.

The night air was crisp against his skin, carrying with it the faint scent of wood smoke and damp earth. In the distance, he could hear the rustling of leaves as small animals went about their nocturnal business, unaware of the impending storm brewing beyond these woods. Tomorrow would be another day filled with challenges - and struggles