Tomb Raider: The Legacy

Chapter 25: Rage

Kat sighed and looked around with an unhappy expression. "If I tell you, you'll promise you won't do anything."

"You know I can't promise that, Kat. Actually, as soon as I know, I'll go for that motherfucker and I'll crush her. I swear." She spat between her teeth.

Her friend sighed and looked at her sadly. Even with disappointment. "That's why I don't tell you. For you'll do exactly that - and I don't want you to do it. What's more, you don't help me anything that way. It makes everything worse." She sighed and looked down. "You frighten me, Anna. I'm sorry, but I must admit it. Since you're back... maybe even before... you've changed. You're not the same. There's something in you. Something dark - and I hate it. It terrifies me."

Silence thickened around them. Surprised, for Anna didn't use to shut things up, Kat looked up - and her friend's reaction froze her. She was pale, so much that even the lips seemed blue, and they trembled. She blinked rapidly a couple of times, then her eyes filled with tears and she lowered her eyelids, suppressing a sob going up her throat.

For once, Kat repressed the urge to hug her. She stared, instead, at the swollen veins in her neck. "And just so you don't do any stupidity on your own." She warned her, because she felt she should. "It wasn't Clarice Rochford. You heard me? It's not her. Clarice doesn't approach me or anyone else, since before you left. Moreover, she looks at you with a face of terror, and at me as well. You don't need to threaten her again. Understood?" Sighing, she turned and walked away, quickly, as if fleeing.

Anna waited to be completely alone. Then she gave free rein to her rage and wept, with fury, with resentment.

(...)

Kurtis grabbed the steel bar with both arms and pushed himself up. Slowly. Progressively. Higher. Stronger. He began to rise above the bar, first his head, then his torso. Higher. Stronger.

He descended slowly. He breathed hard. He rose again. Muscles tensed, veins and joints marked deep in the skin. A sweat film covered him. He started to redden. He breathed again, then rose even more. Higher. Stronger.

Ethan watched him, speechless. After a few seconds, he closed his mouth, swallowed, and opened it again. "Y'know?" He said. "You're naturally making progress and at the expected rhythm. No need to beat yourself like that, so soon. Take it easy."

Kurtis didn't answer - could not, anyway. He breathed hard again, let out a growl. Descended - and rose again. Higher. The shirt was soaked with sweat, stuck to the skin.

"Well." Ethan shrugged. "At least your arm is completely healed and back to normal function. More than normal – extraordinary."

He heard a soft sound behind him and turned. Lara had entered and was watching Kurtis in the exercise bar. She opened her lips slightly, smiled.

"Rest reassured." Ethan said. "I'd never seen anyone so fervent on his rehabilitation! What a willpower."

She nodded thoughtfully, smiling to herself, like a secret joke. She kept watching him until finally Kurtis came down and sat again on the bench where he'd risen from. He sighed and bent, sweaty, on the legs still extended and immobilized, still unusable. Recently he'd been given good news though, since his spine hadn't been particularly damaged. He would walk again. Since then, Kurtis trained intensely, as before... at least half of his body.

"How do you feel your arm?" She asked.

Kurtis stretched and folded the joint. Except for the already diffuse mark left by the healed wounds, there was nothing in particular to highlight. Nothing but the mark of punctures and drippers, which, however, were on the other arm, the healthy one. Now both seemed identical. "Fine, I guess." He replied, breathing again. "A bit weak, far from my original mark - but getting better." And as if addressing a mute reproach, he looked again at his useless legs, and frowned.