The boy without a system

CHAPTER 3 — THE DOJO

Evan woke up before the alarm could even go off.

He lay there for a few minutes, just staring up at the ceiling. The water stain. The dog. Everything was still there.

It's still real.

He forced himself out of bed, got dressed, and grabbed his notebook. Lily was still fast asleep, so he just scribbled a quick note on the fridge:

Went for a run. Back later.

Then, he stepped out the door.

The dojo was tucked away on Fifth Street a small, unassuming building with a weathered sign featuring a faded logo of a fist.

Evan stood outside for a moment, catching his breath.

Chen. In the old timeline, he was a survivor. A true fighter who trained people and saved lives.

But that was then. In this life, he’s just a guy teaching karate to kids.

He pushed the door open.

The space was cramped, filled with the scent of old wood and sweat. A few punching bags hung from the ceiling, and a handful of kids in white uniforms were practicing their kicks across the floor.

An older man stood in the corner. He was lean, with shock-grey hair and his arms folded tightly across his chest, watching the children with a keen eye. He looked up as Evan stepped inside.

"Can I help you?"

"I want to train."

The old man gave him a slow, skeptical look, scanning him from head to toe. "You're a little old to be starting karate."

"I'm not looking for karate." Evan stepped closer, his voice dropping. "I want to learn how to fight. For real."

The old man’s eyes narrowed. "What's your name?"

"Evan."

"Evan." Chen seemed to weigh the name, tasting it. "I'm Chen. And I don't teach 'for real.' I teach discipline. Respect. Control."

"I don't need control," Evan countered. "I need to survive."

Chen tilted his head, studying him. "Survive what?"

Evan hesitated. I can't tell him the truth. Not yet.

"Just... survive," he managed.

Chen stared at him for a long, heavy moment. Without a word, he turned and headed toward a door at the back of the room. "Come with me."

The back room was a different world.

There were no mats here, no noisy kids. Just a single, heavy punching bag hanging from the ceiling worn, battered, and reinforced with strips of duct tape.

Chen stood beside it. "You want to learn how to fight? Fine. Show me what you've got."

Evan looked at the bag.

My body feels weak. Slow. But the muscle memory is there. The stance, the footwork, the timing... I remember it all.

He took a breath, planted his feet, and threw a punch.

The bag barely budged.

Chen didn't look impressed. "Again."

Evan threw another, putting more weight behind it. The bag swung slightly.

"Again."

He kept going. Punch after punch, harder and harder, until his knuckles began to ache.

"Stop."

Evan halted, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Chen walked toward him.

"Your form is sloppy. Your hips are stiff. You're punching with just your arm, not your entire body." He stepped back, eyes searching Evan's. "Who taught you?"

"No one."

"Then how do you know how to stand like that?"

Evan froze. I learned it in the apocalypse. I learned it from you.

"I... I watched a lot of videos," he lied.

Chen didn't buy it. The skepticism in his eyes was unmistakable. "Videos," he repeated flatly.

"Yeah."

The silence stretched between them. Finally, Chen turned and walked over to a small desk in the corner. He opened a drawer and pulled out a photograph.

"This is my son," he said quietly. "He died three years ago."

Evan looked at the photo. It was a young man with a face strikingly similar to Chen's, caught in a bright, easy smile.

"I'm sorry," Evan whispered.

"He was a soldier. Killed in action." Chen tucked the photo back into the drawer. "He used to tell me things. Things he shouldn't have known. About the future. About what was coming."

Evan felt a chill run down his spine. What?

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice unsteady.

Chen turned to face him. "He said the world was going to end. He said people would gain powers. That monsters would come." He paused, his gaze piercing. "He said he’d seen it. In a dream... or another life. I never understood what he meant back then."

Evan felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. Someone else knew. He wasn't the only one.

"When did he tell you this?"

"Before he died. Two years ago." Chen stepped closer. "He spoke about something called a System. An Administrator. And he said someone would come. Someone who would try to stop it all."

Evan’s heart hammered against his ribs. "Who?"

Chen looked him dead in the eye. "He didn't know for sure. But he said they would have a mark. A ripple." He tilted his head slightly. "You have that ripple, Evan. I can see it."

Evan recoiled, stepping back. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Chen crossed his arms. "My son told me to watch for you. And I have been. Waiting for two years."

Evan stared at him, his mind racing. This is insane. This can't be real.

But it is.

"Your son... did he say anything else?"

Chen nodded. "He said the person who comes would ask for training. And that I was to give it to them." A small, knowing smile touched his lips. "So. When do we start?"