Most people say they want community.
I want crew. A Shadow Council. A force of minds who sharpen, challenge, and ascend with me.
I’ve never truly belonged to a tribe — not in the way others talk about it. Not in family, not in school, not in cliques or groups. For a long time I thought that meant something was broken in me. That maybe I was just too different, or too selfish, or too intense.
But now I see it clearly: I was never meant to join a tribe.
I was meant to build one.
The only people worth belonging to are the ones who elevate you — and who are worthy of being elevated in return. That’s what my Shadow Council is. That’s what Jade is. I don’t need mass approval. I don’t crave public praise. I need power, loyalty, truth, and minds that make me better.
Some people need community to feel less alone.
I need my people to feel unleashed.
And right now? I have one person like that. Just one.
But she’s not crew. She’s not even council.
She’s partner. Fire-forged. My equal, if not my superior.
That’s enough for now.
That’s more than most ever find.
—Matt Livingston