Monday morning arrived.Riley stood at the front gate of the school, looking up at the familiar campus. The bruises on his face had faded considerably over the past few days. "Riley!"A familiar voice called excitedly from behind him.He turned around just as Mira hurried over, her school bag bouncing against her shoulder."There you are!" she exclaimed before stopping in front of him. She frowned almost immediately. "How did you leave the hospital without telling anyone? And where did you even go? I came to visit you yesterday, and the nurse said you'd already been discharged."Riley scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. I was discharged earlier than expected. I just went to visit one of my relatives. He was dying to see me."Mira let out a long sigh and folded her arms."You should have called me. You didn't even come work, and you didn't answer any messages. I was worried.""Sorry," Riley said sincerely. Mira looked him up and down before her expressio

Claire brushed her hair back with a trembling hand as she heard Riley accept the challenge.Her heart sank.She couldn't believe he had actually said yes.Jerry stared at Riley for a few seconds before a grin slowly spread across his face."I like your courage," he said with a chuckle. "But sadly... it's going to make you a cripple."The smile on his face grew even wider."Since you're this desperate, let's make it an official spar."Those words immediately caught everyone's attention. Even the students who had gathered nearby leaned in with curiosity.Riley frowned slightly."Official?" he asked. "What do you mean by official?"Jerry slipped both hands into his pockets."Actually," he began with a relaxed smile, "there's an underground tournament held every night."He glanced around before continuing."It's not legal, of course. People usually go there to place bets... or simply watch for entertainment. That's where I'd like to cripple you."Fred's expression instantly became more se

They descended into the passage.The air grew warmer as they went deeper, thick with the smell of sweat and dust. The sound of chanting grew louder with every step, until it became a wall of noise pressing against their ears. When they finally emerged, Riley found himself standing in a massive underground chamber. Crowds packed every corner, some seated on makeshift benches, others standing shoulder to shoulder near a raised platform in the center. Bright lights hung above the ring, casting sharp shadows over the waiting crowd.Riley's eyes swept across the room.To his surprise, he found posters of himself pasted along the walls, his face printed beside Jerry's for everyone to see. It told him something important. This tournament, illegal as it was, had been run with disturbing precision. It felt official, almost professional.People moved through the crowd taking bets loudly, most of them shouting Jerry's name with total confidence.Mira's arms tightened around herself as she looke

Jerry, still writhing on the ground with his broken fingers, snarled at the three bouncers standing behind him. "Crush him," he spat. "Break every bone in his body. I want him to feel the pain I am going through right now."The three men stepped forward, massive and silent, cracking their knuckles as they closed in on Riley. Mira, Eddie, Fred, and Karl immediately moved together, forming a wall around him, refusing to budge."This is completely unfair!" Mira shouted, glaring at the coordinator. "He already won the fight! What more do you want from him?"The coordinator looked at them with cold, indifferent eyes, unmoved by the protest. "What are you all waiting for?" he barked at the bouncers. "Beat them."The three men raised their fists, ready to strike, but before a single blow could land, a booming voice cut through the chamber."What the heck is happening here?"Everyone froze instantly, bouncers included, and even the rowdy audience fell into stunned silence. All eyes turned tow

"I am not going to do anything," Riley said, his voice steady despite the men closing in around him.Dennis and Emma scoffed from the crowd. "You're just going to get yourself hurt," Emma called out, laughing nervously, though the laugh didn't quite reach her eyes anymore.Mr. Zed's patience snapped. He raised two fingers and two of his bodyguards peeled away from the Maserati, their shoulders squared, their steps unhurried in the way of men who had done this before."If he refuses to kneel by the count of three," Mr. Zed said, loud enough for the entire schoolyard to hear, "break his knee and his leg. Make sure he never walks again."Jerry smirked at that, leaning harder on his cane, savoring the moment even through his own pain.A hush fell over the crowd. Nobody moved. Nobody dared to. Even the teachers who had drifted closer stood frozen, unwilling to step between them. They knew who Mr. Zed was. Everyone watched Riley. Riley scoffed, “So, you come all the way and you will have