His frustration grew, and he tried again, coming at me with more precision. “You don’t get it, do you?” he sneered. “This world doesn’t care about Faunus unless we take what’s ours.”

“You’re wrong.” I met his blows, moving swiftly, and kept the hood low enough to avoid giving myself away. “Not all of us think that way. Some of us are tired of the violence.”

He froze for a brief moment, caught off guard, but then his confidence returned. “You sound like a coward,” he taunted.

“Think what you want,” I shot back, staying light on my feet. “But I’ve made my choice.”

Shadow swung his sword hard, his frustration showing, but I held my ground, the clash of our weapons sending sparks flying. Whatever it took, I had to keep him from realizing who I really was.

We clashed once more. My claws are getting worn. A snapping sound came from Fated Hour. The claws snapped clean off. His sword hits me hard.

“Heheheh! Ahahah!” He laughed as his hilt hit my chest. My golden Aura flashes and I couldn't feel my Semblance.

He raised his sword once more. I looked afraid. My eyes were full of fear. “Any last words?” He asked me.

I felt something rising in me. The same thing that I felt when I awakened to my Semblance the first time, an uncontrollable rage. I got on all fours, and charged at him. 

I growled and knocked away his sword. It made a clunk sound. I might've been declawed by him. I couldn't satisfy my rage now. He took away my Semblance, he disabled my Aura but now it was my turn to show him Fear! 

Shadow’s confident grin faltered as I rushed him, claws gone but rage fueling every move. I tackled him to the ground, pinning him with all the force I had left. My vision blurred with red as I let the anger take over, instincts guiding me instead of strategy.

He tried to push me off, but I held him down, growling low and dangerous. “You think the White Fang’s way is the only path?” I snarled. “You took away everything that matters to me—my Semblance, my Aura—but I don’t need them to show you just how wrong you are.”

He flinched, the first real sign of fear flashing in his eyes, and tried to twist away. I slammed him back, feeling the weight of all his wrongs pressing on me. "The White Fang won’t save you from this."

Shadow looked up at me, his bravado cracking. “Who... who are you?”

I leaned closer, letting him see the fury and pain he’d unleashed. “I’m just a passing through Faunus—but one who’s not going to forget.”

Before he could respond, I felt his grip weaken. The crowd that had gathered nearby looked on in shock. He broke eye contact, finally seeing the mistake he’d made. I let go and stood up, the rage fading as quickly as it had come.

Shadow scrambled back, breathing heavily, then looked up at me with a new look. A look of fear, a look of that wasn't as confident as before.

Dan and the others looked at me from the crowd. They saw what I became, a Monster. Azu ran off in fear I think. I'm not sure. Shadow and his White Fang members ran off.

“C-c-corey?” Sumire said my name for the first time. I'm ashamed of myself. I had tears welled in my eyes. I fell to my knees. “What happened?”

I didn't answer her. Dan walked over to me. “What did you do, Cat?”

I couldn't meet their eyes, the weight of what I'd done crashing down on me all at once. I’d lost control. I'd been a monster, the kind of person I swore I wouldn't become. My fists trembled, still clenched from the fight, and I felt a knot in my chest that was heavier than any injury.

"I..." I started, but my voice cracked. "I didn’t mean to. I just... I lost it. He took away my Semblance, my Aura, and I just—" I took a shaky breath, but the words felt wrong, not enough to explain. Nothing felt like enough.

Dan crouched in front of me, his face serious. “You didn't lose it, Cat. You let the rage take you, but it’s not who you are. We all saw what happened, and we got it. But we’re here, alright?” He put a hand on my shoulder, steady and firm.

I shook my head, still unable to stop the tears. “I don't want to be that person. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. Not like this.”

Sumire knelt beside me, her voice soft. "You weren’t yourself, Corey. We all know that. It’s okay. You're not a monster."

But Azu’s words cut through the air, even though I hadn’t seen her since the fight. She stepped from behind a wrecked shelf, her face pale. "No," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You became the monster. I... I don’t know who you are anymore."

Her words hit harder than anything else. I looked at her, but she turned away, not wanting to meet my gaze. It felt like everything I’d worked for, everything I thought I had with them, was crumbling.

Dan’s hand on my shoulder tightened. “Azu’s scared, man. She didn’t mean that.”

"Then why?" I choked out, voice barely audible. "Why did she look at me like that?"

“Because we all saw what happens when you let your emotions take the reins," Dan said quietly, "but we also know you're better than that. It's just... we need to understand it first. Take some time. We'll work through it, but you’ve gotta be honest with us."

I couldn’t say anything more. I couldn’t justify it, not after what I’d done. Instead, I stood up slowly, my legs unsteady, my head hanging low. “I need to think.” I couldn’t bear to stay there, to face any of them, especially Azu. So, without another word, I walked out, leaving the stunned group behind.

I didn't want to be the Monster I had once been. I knew deep down Azi was right. I didn't know who I was. Shadow really pushed me to my limit. If it's coming from someone who is a Grimm, is it true? Is adrenaline ever accelerating for me?

It started raining. I hate it when it rains. I guess it's a little better than loathing in Self pity. I heard someone say “My Grandma once said ‘"One that drowns in oneself will eventually fall to darkness!”

I looked towards the person. It was a girl in a purple jumpsuit. She had on her back a chainsaw sword hybrid. Her hair was an album color. “Who are you?”

Do I want to say it? “Corey Gold Towika-Silver.” I answered. I didn't feel Sarcastic, I didn't even feel like I knew of that was the name I could call myself anymore.

“Well I'm Autum Ablaze.” She introduced herself. “I'm from Atlas.”

I looked at her, the rain pouring down between us as I tried to make sense of the strange moment. Something about her presence was... different. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was almost like I could sense a connection, a familiar energy.

"Atlas, huh?" I muttered, wiping the rain off my face with the back of my hand. "What’s someone from Atlas doing all the way out here?"

Autumn’s gaze softened, her chainsaw sword resting lazily against her shoulder. “I’ve been around, traveled a bit. You know how it is—just trying to find my place. And I overheard what you said earlier.”

I looked down at the ground, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my chest. “What did I say?”

She tilted her head, her eyes steady. “You said you didn’t know who you were anymore. You’re struggling with it. I get that.”

I didn’t respond at first. I wasn’t sure how. She didn’t need to know everything about me—especially not now, not after what I just did. But I couldn’t help the nagging feeling that she might understand.

“Sometimes, we get caught up in what others think we should be,” she continued, her voice gentle, but carrying an air of experience. “And sometimes... we forget who we are deep down. But what people think doesn’t define you. What you choose, that’s who you are.”

I looked at her, narrowing my eyes. “You sound like you’ve been there. You get it?”

Her smile was soft but understanding. “Maybe more than you know.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I felt like I was standing at a crossroads—lost, but not completely hopeless. Shadow had taken me to a dark place, but Autumn’s words, however simple, felt like a lifeline.

I finally let out a breath, feeling the tension in my chest ease just a bit. “I... don’t know if I can fix it. What I did... I hurt people. I hurt them.” I gestured vaguely, thinking about my team, about Azu.

Autumn’s gaze didn’t waver. “And you can’t undo the past. But you can still choose what happens next. You can start fresh, Corey. No one’s asking you to be perfect. They just want you to be real.”

I swallowed hard, her words piercing through the fog in my mind. "I’m scared I’m going to lose them... lose myself. What if I can’t control it? What if I hurt someone again?"

She stepped closer, her chainsaw sword almost forgotten as she placed a hand on my shoulder. “Then you keep fighting. For yourself, and for them. Don’t give up before you even try. Trust me, I’ve been there. You’re not the first person to feel like this, and you won’t be the last.”

I looked up at her, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. Maybe it was because she wasn’t here to judge me—she didn’t know me, and yet she saw something in me worth reaching out to. Maybe it was just the rain or the night, but for a moment, I actually felt like I could breathe again.

“Thanks,” I muttered, unsure if I was talking to her or just to myself.

Autumn gave me a slight grin. “No problem. Just remember—you don’t have to carry all that weight alone. You’ve got people who care about you.”

I wasn’t sure how, but something about her made me believe that. “I’ll try,” I said, the words sounding more hopeful than I felt.

She nodded, turning toward the direction of Vale. “Good. Now, why don’t you come with me? There’s a nice little diner I know, and I think you could use a hot meal.”

I hesitated, but then, for the first time today, I felt a spark of something—like maybe I could take a step forward. Maybe I could start to find myself again.

“Alright,” I said, the smallest trace of a smile tugging at my lips. “Lead the way.”

Autum lead me down to a small cafe. “Here's my team: SANE.” She points at the group in the back.

“I'm Soji Uva, The man who walks the path of Heaven.” A formal looking man with yellow eyes looked at me.

“I'm a Navy Smith.” A girl with blonde hair and green eyeliner looks at me. “To my left is Exhaust Turbo.”

A big guy with messy red hair gave me a nod. “Name’s Exhaust Turbo,” he grunted, crossing his arms with a smirk. “I’m the muscle around here, so don’t mess with my team, got it?”

I raised an eyebrow, a bit amused by his confidence. “Nice to meet you all.” I glanced back at Autumn. “SANE, huh? I like the name.”

She shrugged, chuckling a little. “We get that a lot. Team SANE, but trust me, we’re anything but. Don’t let the name fool you.”

Soji leaned forward, his gaze sharp and piercing. “So, Corey, Autumn tells us you’re... figuring things out?”

I looked down, feeling a little exposed but grateful for their openness. “Yeah, something like that.”

Navy gave me a warm smile. “Well, whatever’s going on, you’re welcome here. We all have our own battles. Sometimes it helps to have a few people in your corner.”

Exhaust laughed, patting me on the back hard enough to nearly knock the wind out of me. “Yeah! Besides, we’ve all been in a scrap or two. If things get rough, just remember we’ve got your back.”

I managed a smile, feeling a strange sense of belonging I hadn’t felt in a long time. “Thanks... I appreciate it.”

Autumn nodded, giving me an encouraging look. “See? You’re not alone in this, Corey. We’ve all been where you are. Stick around; maybe you’ll learn a thing or two from these goofballs.”

Looking at them all, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, I’d found people who understood.

I saw Dan, and Sumire entering the cafe. “Cat, where have you been?” Dan looked at me.

“Hey, now let's not be disrespectful. He has a name.” Soji looked at him. His hands were on his belt.

“Soji, The man who walks the path of Heaven and he can clock up.” Dan stepped back. “I'm sorry.” He bows politely.

I was a babbling mess after seeing that. Sumire looked at the rest of Autum’s team. “Team Sane, you're here for the Vytal Festival.”

Exhaust looked at her. “Yep. Little Lady how about we take a …” She threw one of her fans and it cut Exhaust’s sideburn clean off.

She has good aim. “I'm not interested. Gold Senpai please come back. Azu didn't mean what she said.”

I looked at Sumire, feeling a mix of emotions—relief, shame, and a glimmer of hope. “I... I didn’t think any of you would want me back after what happened.”

Sumire stepped closer, her expression soft but firm. “We’re a team, Corey. We don’t give up on each other that easily.”

Dan nodded, a small smirk on his face. “Yeah, besides, we’d be totally lost without you, Cat. Who else is gonna keep me in check?”

I managed a weak chuckle, feeling the weight of their support. Soji clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Listen, kid, everyone loses their way sometimes. What matters is that you’re willing to find it again.”

Exhaust laughed, rubbing his chin where his sideburn used to be. “Yeah, and you’ve got some strong teammates here. Don’t let them go.”

Autumn smiled at me. “So, what do you say, Corey? Ready to head back with them?”

I looked around at my friends, realizing that even after what happened, they were still by my side. I nodded. “Yeah… I’m ready.”

Sumire held out her hand, and I took it, feeling a sense of warmth I hadn’t felt in a long time. We turned to leave, but not before I gave Team SANE a grateful look. “Thanks, all of you. Really.”

Navy waved us off. “Anytime. Good luck out there, Corey.”

As we walked out, I felt something different—a sense of purpose, a drive to make things right. I knew I still had a lot to work on, but with my team beside me, I felt like I could face whatever came next.