Novels by adarighofuamena49

Bai Zhe gritted his teeth as the kick hit his knee. He staggered back a step, steadying himself. The man came in fast again, throwing another punch. Bai Zhe dodged it this time and pushed the man’s arm aside, trying to create space.“I thought you said you were tired,” the man said.“I lied,” Bai Zhe replied.The man chuckled and rushed in again. Bai Zhe moved back, blocking a punch to his chest. The impact still made him wince. He could feel a sting in his arm. The man wasn’t holding back.Marco shouted, “Bai Zhe, move to the left! Don’t stay straight!”“I know!” Bai Zhe snapped, but he still listened. He shifted left and avoided another punch by a hair.The man kept pressing him, punch after punch. Bai Zhe blocked some, dodged the rest, but his breathing was getting heavier. The man didn’t seem tired. He kept a steady pace, like he had been waiting for Bai Zhe’s stamina to drop.“You’re slowing---” the man said.“You talk too much,” Bai Zhe replied.The man smirked. He aimed a kick

The rules were repeated once more, just to make sure no one complained later. Eight fighters. Random pairings. Lose twice and you were out. Lose once and you still had a chance. Win twice and you moved forward. Simple enough, but the air around the ring felt heavier than the words themselves.Jasper stood at the edge of the venue with his hands in his pockets, watching the organizers move around the screen. The others were beside him—Bai Zhe, Reid, Marco, and the woman who joined their team earlier. None of them spoke at first. They just listened as the organizers walked through the instructions again.“Everyone should hold their tags,” one of them said into the mic. “The system will shuffle the numbers. The first match will begin immediately.”Reid let out a small breath and turned to Jasper. “We fight individually. No help?”“No help,” Jasper said. His voice didn’t change. “Do your best. That’s all.”Marco nodded and rolled his shoulders. Bai Zhe looked down at his own tag, rubbing

The next morning came with a quiet heaviness in the air. Jasper woke earlier than the others, sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment as he tied the laces of his shoes. He didn’t rush, but he didn’t waste time either. Outside the door, he could already hear Bai Zhe moving around, the faint sounds of him stretching and muttering to himself.By the time Jasper stepped out into the hallway, everyone was already awake. Bai Zhe, the two men, and even the girl who had joined them the day before were standing together, looking a little nervous but trying not to show it.“You’re up early,” Bai Zhe said when Jasper approached.“Couldn’t sleep much," Jasper replied. “It’s the last stage. We don’t know what they’re planning.”Bai Zhe nodded, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah… yesterday was rough.”Jasper didn’t comment. He simply walked ahead, and the others followed behind him. The old man of the Sinclair family was already downstairs waiting for them, hands folded behind his back.“You’r

Night settled over the compound in a slow, steady way. The training grounds outside were already quiet, the lights dimmed, the air still. Most of the teams had gone back to their rooms to rest. Jasper and his group stayed where they were, seated on low stools in the common hall, talking in low voices about the fights earlier.The door slid open not long after, and the old man of the Sinclair family stepped inside. He walked with that same slow, deliberate pace he always had—never rushed, never sloppy. Bai Zhe nudged the others to straighten up.Jasper lifted his head. “You came.”The old man gave a simple nod. His eyes scanned the five of them one after the other, calm but sharp. “I did. I needed to speak to you.”Bai Zhe shifted on his seat. “Old man… is there a problem?”“There is always a problem,” the old man replied. “And tonight, you all need to hear it.”His tone wasn’t heavy, but it wasn’t light either. Just steady. The kind that made people sit a bit straighter on instinct.H

The arena was quieter now. Only two teams remained. Jasper’s group of five, and the other team of three who hadn’t seemed to tire at all. The energy in the ring felt heavier, as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for something to explode.Bai Zhe wiped sweat from his forehead. His chest heaved. His arms shook slightly. He leaned on his knees, trying to steady himself. “I… I don’t think I can do much more,” he admitted, voice low.Neal glanced at him. “You’ve done fine so far. Don’t push it too far.”Darren wiped a trickle of blood from his lip. “If we keep moving like this, we’ll make it to the end. Just survive for now.”Jasper, on the other hand, looked calm. Almost bored. He stood upright, adjusting his stance lightly. “Relax. Nothing is coming for me yet.”The other team moved as one. There was a strange confidence about them, the kind that only comes when people are fresh and untired. They glanced over at Jasper’s group but didn’t speak. Their eyes were sharp, calculat

The fight didn’t calm down at all. If anything, it got louder. Everyone kept swinging, blocking, grabbing, pushing. No one wanted to be the team that lost more than two members. That pressure made the whole arena feel tight.Jasper avoided a punch and moved back a little. “This is dragging,” he said.Neal blocked a kick. “You just had to jinx it.”Darren shoved someone away from him. “Focus.”The three teams were already tired. Sweat, heavy breathing, irritated voices—everything mixed together. Nothing elegant, nothing planned anymore. Just people trying to survive the round.One of the fighters from the group of four yelled at his teammate, “Move to your left!”“I’m already moving!” the guy snapped.“Well move faster!”“Then stop shouting in my ear!”Their captain tried holding them together. “Focus on one side! If we split again, they’ll surround us!”“We’re already surrounded!” one of them yelled back.Jasper glanced briefly at the disorganized group. “They’re falling apart.”Neal