Stephen's body slammed into the floor with a force that sent a dull, hollow sound echoing across the fighting platform. The impact wasn't clean or controlled, it was violent, uncontrolled, and devastating. His back struck first, followed by his shoulders, and then the rest of his body collapsed into the ground like a broken doll.
Pain exploded through him all at once.
His vision blurred instantly, stars flashing in his eyes as his entire body trembled from the shock. The floor beneath him felt cold, unyielding, and impossibly hard. His lungs seized for a moment, refusing to draw in air, and when he finally managed to breathe, it came out as a hoarse, broken gasp.
If Stephen had been a normal person, a regular human without enhanced physical abilities, there was no doubt in his mind that he would have died on impact. At the very least, his spine would have shattered, his organs ruptured beyond repair. Even now, lying there, he couldn't be certain his spine was intact.
