The Vermillion Protégé

The idea to write this story came during a time when I felt that all light had left me. I was facing the end of my career, and the end of my socially imposed identity as an athlete. I was struggling to endure the beating life was giving me.
When I first began this story, I saw it as a means to help me heal and transition from my athletic career. But if there's anyone out there reading this who's struggled with nightmares, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, feelings of ina...