THE WARRIORS OF TWO WORLDS

chapter six

The Fighter Returns

Jaden stood outside the MMA gym, staring at the large sign above the glass door.

It read “OctaFight Training Center.”

The same place he used to train before everything changed.

He touched the scar on his arm — except, there was no scar anymore. His skin was clean. Still, when he closed his eyes, he could feel the pain from the battles in the other world.

The sound of swords. The smell of blood. Kael’s voice.

He shook his head. “It was just a dream,” he whispered to himself. “Just a dream.”

But it didn’t feel like one.

When he opened the door, the smell of sweat and rubber mats filled the air. Fighters were training inside, punching bags and sparring. Some stopped when they saw him.

“Yo, Jaden! You’re alive!” one of them shouted.

Another guy laughed. “Man, we thought you were gone for good! What happened to you?”

Jaden forced a smile. “Just… needed rest.”

They welcomed him back like an old friend, but he felt strange. Their faces looked the same, their voices sounded normal, yet everything felt smaller — slower — compared to the world he had been in.

He went to the locker room, changed into his training shorts, and wrapped his hands with bandages. His muscles looked harder, sharper, even though he hadn’t trained for a week.

When he walked to the ring, the coach, Mr. Damon, looked surprised.

“Jaden,” the coach said. “Didn’t think I’d see you so soon. You sure you’re ready?”

Jaden nodded. “I need to move my body.”

The coach sighed but smiled. “Alright. Light sparring. Don’t hurt anyone, got it?”

Jaden didn’t answer.

He stepped into the ring. His partner was a tall fighter named Rick — strong, fast, and one of the best in the gym.

Rick grinned. “Let’s see if you still got it, champ.”

The bell rang.

Rick came forward with quick jabs. Jaden dodged them easily — too easily. His body moved on its own. It was like his senses were sharper. He could feel every movement, every breath, even the sound of Rick’s foot brushing the mat.

Rick swung a heavy punch. Jaden tilted his head slightly, the punch missing him by inches. Then his hand moved before he could think — a quick strike to Rick’s ribs.

Rick fell back, gasping for air.

The whole gym went silent.

“Whoa, that was fast,” someone whispered.

Jaden stepped back, frowning. He hadn’t meant to hit that hard. He felt strange again — like something inside him was waking up.

“Let’s go again,” Rick said, trying to catch his breath. He knew Jaden has always been beaten. He was the weakest among them.

Jaden nodded slowly.

The second round began. Rick came with a high kick this time, but Jaden saw it coming before it even happened. He moved in close, blocked it, and spun behind him — his fist stopping right before Rick’s face.

Everyone watching shouted in surprise.

The coach blew his whistle. “That’s enough! Jaden, what the hell was that? You’ve been out for a week and now you fight like a machine?”

Jaden lowered his hand, breathing calmly. “I… don’t know.”

Rick rubbed his face and stared at him. “Man, that was scary. It’s like you knew what I was going to do before I did it.”

Jaden didn’t answer. He just looked down at his hands. They were shaking again.

When training ended, everyone kept talking about his “new power.” Some said he must have been training in secret. Others said it was luck.

But Jaden knew better. He had seen death, blood, and war. He had fought for survival in a world that made no sense. That world had changed him.

He sat alone in the locker room, staring at the floor. The sounds of the arena echoed in his mind again — the crowd, Kael’s voice, Ragnar’s last words.

Then he heard a soft voice behind him.

“Jaden?”

He turned. It was Lena, one of the gym’s assistant coaches. She looked worried. “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet since you came back.”

Jaden forced a small smile. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

She hesitated. “You… don’t look fine. When I saw you fight out there, it didn’t look like you. It was like watching someone else.”

Jaden looked down at his hands again. “Maybe I am someone else.”

Lena frowned. “What do you mean?”

He didn’t answer. He just stood up and grabbed his bag. “Thanks for checking on me. I’ll be fine.”

As he walked out of the gym, Lena watched him, her eyes full of worry.

Outside, the night air was cool. The city lights glowed around him. Cars passed, people laughed on the streets — everything was normal. But Jaden felt far from normal.

He stopped at a crossing and looked at his reflection in a shop window. For a brief moment, he saw Kael standing behind him again, his faint shadow smiling.

Jaden blinked — and the image was gone.

He rubbed his temples, confused. “Get it together, Jaden,” he muttered. “It’s over. That world is gone.”

But deep down, he wasn’t sure.

He could still feel the burning in his muscles — the kind that came only from real battle. He could still hear Kael’s voice saying, Remember your world, Jaden.

As he walked home, his phone buzzed. A message appeared from Coach Damon:

> “Big fight this weekend. You in? The Octa Championship. Big prize money.”

Jaden looked at the message for a long moment.

Part of him wanted to say no. But another part — the part that had lived and fought in the other world — wanted to feel that rush again.

He typed back:

> “I’m in.”

Then he put the phone away and looked up at the night sky. The stars looked the same as they did in the other world.

He whispered softly, “If that place was real… then why do I still feel like I left something behind?”

The wind blew past him, carrying the faint sound of cheers again — just like before.

He closed his eyes and smiled faintly. “Guess I’ll find out soon.”

And as he walked into the darkness, his shadow stretched long behind him — shaped like a warrior still trapped between two worlds.