Chapter: Fire and Shadow
Coach Ray stood by the ropes, arms folded, eyes sharp with thought. The gym lights flickered slightly above them, casting long shadows that danced across the ring.
"Alex," he said, voice calm but carrying weight. "Your next opponent's no joke. Name's David. He's an out-boxer. Moves like a ghost and jabs like a viper. Quick feet, sharper hands. If you let him control the pace, you're done."
Alex leaned forward, curious. "So… what do I do?"
Coach Ray grinned faintly. "We beat him at his own game—but smarter. Use your peek-a-boo defense to stay safe, then mix in counter-style attacks. If you can master both, you won't just survive—you'll dominate."
Alex blinked. "Counter-style sounds hard…"
"It is," Coach Ray said, stepping toward the ring. "But not if you want it bad enough. If you're serious, I'll push you to master it. But this won't be easy. This training… it'll be ten times tougher than anything you've done before."
Alex's heart pounded, not from fear—but from excitement. "Alright then… let's do it."
Coach Ray smiled like a man who'd seen a hundred kids quit before they bloomed. "Good. Come on, in the ring."
As Alex stepped between the ropes, adrenaline surged through him. The worn leather beneath his feet, the scent of old sweat and determination in the air—it all reminded him he was exactly where he was meant to be.
Coach Ray slipped on gloves. "No more warm-ups. We go straight in. I punch—you dodge and counter. But don't get cocky. I'll dodge you too. Stay sharp."
Alex nodded. "Got it, Coach."
The moment their gloves touched, the ring came alive. Coach Ray struck first—a quick jab. Alex slipped left, then ducked under a hook. His body moved on instinct, fueled by every lesson drilled into his muscles.
For an hour, the gym echoed with the sound of gloves snapping against air and leather. The other fighters stopped to watch. No one, not even the pros, had seen someone dodge Coach Ray so cleanly for so long.
Ray, though older now, moved like a man ten years younger. Sweat glistened on his weathered skin, each breath louder than the last. Still, he refused to slow down.
"Coach…" Alex muttered between gasps, "how are you still this fast…?"
Ray grinned, even as his breath labored. "Years of not giving up, kid."
Time blurred. An hour. Then ninety minutes. Finally, with both men staggering on fading legs, they threw punches at the same time—and both collapsed, hitting the mat in a heap of laughter and exhaustion.
The gym erupted with applause.
Coach Ray lay there, looking at the ceiling. "You're different, Alex," he said between breaths. "You've got something inside you… something that doesn't give up."
Chapter: Rumors and Ropes
The next day, Alex walked into school for the first time in a week. The usual noise filled the hallways, but as he passed, conversations died mid-sentence. Eyes followed him—some curious, others unsure.
At his locker, Mark appeared, grinning. "Bro! You're alive?! I thought you were in a coma or something. You've been gone all week!"
Alex chuckled. "Yeah, I've been… training. Really hard. Sorry I didn't say anything."
"You missed a lot, man. Ben hasn't said a word since you decked him. Dude's been walking around like he saw a ghost."
"And… Liana broke up with John."
Alex froze for a moment. "Really?"
Mark leaned in, lowering his voice. "Yeah. Nobody knows why. John's a good guy. But… maybe that's just it. She wanted someone real, not perfect."
Alex smirked. "Maybe that's why they call them 'mysteries.'"
They both laughed before heading to class.
Chapter: The Encounter
The bell rang for recess, but Alex didn't follow the crowd to the canteen. Instead, he slipped quietly into the school gym. The moment he entered, the familiar smell of old sweat and rubber hit him like home.
Skipping ropes. Sandbags. Silence.
He checked the hallway, then shut the door and stripped his shirt. The ropes sang as he skipped—1,000 reps. His body was drenched in sweat, but he wasn't done. He moved to shadow boxing, imagining David in front of him. Fast feet. Fast jabs. Alex's eyes locked on the ghost in his mind, ducking and countering for 30 minutes straight. Then the heavy bag. Ten more minutes. Every punch thudded into the leather like a drumbeat of war.
His lungs burned. His arms ached. But his spirit? Alive.
Suddenly, the door creaked open.
Liana stood there, panting like she'd been running. She didn't see him at first—then turned. Her eyes widened.
"A-Alex?! What are you doing here… like that?!"
Alex blinked, grabbing his shirt. "I was just training… nobody was using the room."
Liana's eyes dropped, then quickly looked away, face flushed. "O-oh. Right. Yeah. Well… I was just… hiding. From someone. I didn't know you were here."
"Someone chasing you?"
She shook her head. "Not anymore. It's fine now." Then she reached to stop him, accidentally brushing his chest. Her hand jerked away like she touched fire. "S-sorry! Can you… maybe wear your shirt? This is… awkward."
Alex chuckled, slipping the shirt on. "Yeah, yeah. All good."
She laughed nervously. "You look… different now."
He smiled faintly. "A lot's been different lately."
As they walked toward their separate classes, Liana looked back.
"Hey… maybe after your match, we could… hang out?"
Alex nodded. "Maybe."
Chapter: The Trial of Four
That night at the gym, Alex arrived early. But something felt… off. His heart beat heavier than usual. His body sore from earlier.
Coach Ray noticed. "You okay?"
Alex hesitated. "I trained during school recess…"
Ray frowned. "I respect the hunger. But promise me—never let extra work ruin the real training. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Good. Then let's test your spirit."
He gestured toward the ring. "Four fighters. All elite. You versus them—at the same time."
Alex stared, wide-eyed. "You're kidding."
"Nope. I want to see how well you can move. Think. React."
The bell rang.
In an instant, four bodies lunged at Alex. Gloves flew. Feet danced. The air crackled with punches.
He dodged. Slipped. Countered. Peek-a-boo guarded his head, but the flurry never stopped.
Round after round, Alex endured. Then he noticed—none of them guarded their body. Just their heads.
Time to change the game.
Alex shifted. Duck, roll, sidestep. Then—BOOM. A hook to one's ribs. BAM. Uppercut to another's gut. His punches cut like thunder. The four fighters staggered, then dropped—one by one.
Coach Ray stared, stunned. "Sixteen years old… and you just dropped four elite fighters."
Chapter: Destiny
Tournament day. The locker room was quiet.
Then, a knock.
Liana walked in, hesitating. "Alex…"
"Liana? What are you doing here?"
"I saw you training. Then I checked the tournament list. I… wanted to see you fight."
He stared, surprised. "You followed me?"
She smiled shyly. "Yeah. Sorry. But… good luck."
As she left, the announcer's voice echoed through the hall:
"On my left… ALEX from Xander Gym!"
Alex entered the ring. On the right stood Wellburg, from Dynasty Gym. Taller. Older. Confident.
The bell rang. Round One.
Wellburg danced around him, jabbing with speed and ease. Alex couldn't reach him.
"Don't chase him!" Coach Ray yelled. "Make him come to you! He's fast, but scared!"
Round Two. Wellburg launched a flurry of jabs. Most hit—but didn't hurt.
Then Alex saw his opening.
He rolled. Shifted right. Hook to the ribs. Uppercut to the jaw.
CRACK.
Wellburg collapsed. The ref counted. Ten.
The crowd erupted.
Alex had won. He was going to the semi-finals.
In the medic room, he checked on his opponent.
"Sorry for the ribs."
Wellburg smiled through the pain. "It's a fight. You earned it. Good luck, champ."