The laboratory doors slid shut with a muted hiss, sealing off the outside world.The noise of the hospital corridor vanished instantly, replaced by a controlled quiet broken only by the faint hum of machines. Cool white light washed over the space, reflecting off steel surfaces and glass panels. The air smelled sterile, tinged with something faintly metallic.Benjamin took in his surroundings without comment.Dr. Hale adjusted the tablet in his hand and walked ahead at an unhurried pace, clearly accustomed to the environment. His white coat swaying slightly as he moved, his posture relaxed but precise, the kind that came from decades spent in controlled spaces like this one.“You know, this facility,” Dr. Hale began conversationally, “is not quite part of the hospital’s public wing. It was funded privately.”Benjamin nodded once. He had already guessed as much. Everything here suggested preparation, foresight, and no shortage of money.They stopped in front of a reinforced glass chamb

The convoy slowed as it pulled up before the private club, its exterior bathed in warm golden light that spilled across the pavement like a deliberate invitation. The building stood apart from the surrounding streets, all glass, polished stone, and discreet luxury. This was not a place meant for ordinary patrons. It existed for those who enjoyed being watched while pretending they were above it.Terence Lin stepped out first.The moment his polished shoes touched the ground, several attendants hurried forward, bowing slightly as they opened the doors wider. Conversations along the entrance path fell silent, replaced by a low hum of anticipation. Terence did not acknowledge them. He adjusted his cuffs calmly, his posture relaxed, as though this entire evening had unfolded exactly as he intended.Behind him, Iris Reed hesitated for half a second before following. Her gaze lifted toward the towering facade, then shifted to Terence’s back. The unease she had been carrying since the bar onl

Soon after, preparations began.The spacious hall was cleared, and attendants moved with practiced efficiency, bringing out fencing equipment stored behind polished glass panels. The atmosphere shifted from casual mockery to something more charged. This was no longer just verbal sparring. It was turning into a spectacle.Benjamin and Terence Lin were led to opposite sides of the piste.They changed into fencing gear under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Masks, jackets, gloves. The clean white fabric contrasted sharply with the dark, expectant mood that had settled over the room. Terence Lin moved with ease, clearly familiar with the process, his motions confident and practiced. He looked every bit the elite fencer he claimed to be.Benjamin, on the other hand, took his time.His movements were unhurried, deliberate. He adjusted the straps of his jacket carefully, testing their tightness, then slipped on his gloves. To some, it looked like hesitation. To others, like ignorance. Murmurs

“Let’s end this soon,” Terence said coolly.His voice carried clearly across the venue, calm and measured, as if the duel was nothing more than a casual exercise. The fencing piste gleamed beneath the overhead lights, polished to a mirror sheen that reflected steel, movement, and tension alike. Every pair of eyes in the club was fixed on the stage, following the clash between Terence Lin and Benjamin Lawson.Below the platform however, the atmosphere was anything but calm.Iris Reed stood near the front of the crowd, her fingers clenched tightly together, knuckles pale. She barely realized how rigid her posture had become until her shoulders began to ache. Her gaze never left the stage, not even for a moment. Each time Terence’s blade darted forward, her breath caught. Each time Benjamin managed to block or evade, relief rushed through her chest so sharply it almost hurt.She had told herself she wouldn’t care.She had told herself that Benjamin’s outcome no longer mattered. And yet,

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Terence thought.Not like this.The sword that had once felt like an extension of his arm lay discarded on the ground… again. Its polished surface reflecting the overhead lights in a way that felt almost mocking.Terence slowly lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Benjamin for the first time with something other than disdain or amusement. What stared back at him now was disbelief, raw and unfiltered.He could tell.That was what unsettled him the most.From the very first exchange, Terence had known Benjamin was a novice. It wasn’t just the way he held the blade at the start, or the stiff, unfamiliar posture that betrayed a lack of formal training. It was the small things. The hesitation before the first engagement. The way Benjamin’s footwork had initially been slightly off, his movements guided more by instinct than technique.Terence had seen countless beginners before.And Benjamin had been one of them.But yet—Two rounds.Only two.In that absur