Bab 32: Chapter 32: Back to the Fight
The days following the incident were tense. Cole's body ached from the beating, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. The bruises would heal, and the pain would fade, but the message the guards had sent was clear—they weren't going to let him walk away without consequences.
Jayden hadn't said much since the offer had been made and rejected. In fact, he had been unusually quiet, watching Cole from a distance but never approaching him. Cole could sense that Jayden knew more than he was letting on, but for now, it didn't matter. He had bigger problems to deal with.
The underground fights continued, and Cole threw himself back into the ring with a renewed sense of purpose. Each punch, each strike, felt like a release of the tension that had been building inside him for so long. He couldn't control what was happening outside the ring, but in the fights, he was in control. It was the only place where he could be himself, where he could let loose without worrying about the consequences.
His reputation had grown since his first fight, and now, every time he stepped into the ring, there were more eyes on him. The other fighters watched him closely, sizing him up, trying to figure out what made him tick. But Cole didn't care about any of that. He wasn't fighting for them. He was fighting for himself.
One night, after a particularly brutal fight, Cole sat in the corner of the ring, catching his breath. His opponent lay unconscious on the mat, the sound of his heavy breathing the only noise in the room. The crowd had already dispersed, leaving Cole alone with his thoughts.
He could still feel the phantom ache from the beating the guards had given him, but it didn't bother him anymore. He had learned how to live with pain a long time ago.
As he sat there, lost in thought, a familiar voice broke through the silence.
"You're getting good, Matthews."
Cole looked up to see Jayden standing at the edge of the ring, his arms crossed over his chest. There was a strange look in his eyes, one that Cole couldn't quite place.
"What do you want?" Cole asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Jayden shrugged, stepping closer. "Just watching. You've come a long way since you got here."
Cole didn't respond. He wasn't in the mood for compliments, especially not from Jayden.
"I saw what happened with the guards," Jayden continued, his voice lowering slightly. "You made a choice, and they didn't like it."
Cole's jaw tightened. "It doesn't matter. I'm still here."
Jayden chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You don't get it, do you? They're not going to stop. As long as you keep resisting, they'll keep coming after you."
Cole stood up, stepping out of the ring. "Let them try."
Jayden's smile faded, and for the first time, there was something like concern in his eyes. "You're tough, Matthews, but you're not invincible. They'll wear you down, break you. It's just a matter of time."
Cole turned to face him, his expression hard. "I'm not like you, Jayden. I'm not going to let them control me."
Jayden stared at him for a long moment, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe you should."
Cole shook his head, his fists clenched at his sides. "I'll figure it out."
With that, he walked away, leaving Jayden standing in the empty gym.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone