The fire ignited with a roar.
As the two metal wrecking balls collided, it wasn't just sparks that flew. It was chaos. The heat had turned the steel a glowing red, and when they met, they didn't just clash—they exploded into a wall of fire, an infernal wave that tore through the training ground like a living, burning storm.
The fire screamed. The air twisted. The ground cracked.
And Maxi… jumped.
He didn't think—he reacted. Because somewhere deep in his mind, he trusted her. Even though she was clearly trying to kill him, Hana's instructions always told the truth. Her warnings—cryptic or not—were genuine. Dangerous, but genuine.
So he leapt.
The blazing wave raced across the floor beneath him, devouring everything in its path. The heat kissed his skin mid-air, threatening to consume him—but by some miracle, he landed just as the fire vanished, as suddenly as it had appeared.
Smoke curled in the air.
Maxi stood there, panting, staring into the scorched ground. His limbs trembled. His heart pounded.
And his spirit… began to crack.
(What's even the point?)
(Look at her power… this isn't a fight. It's a death sentence.)
(I've already done more than anyone expected. I've lasted this long. I'm not even bleeding... yet. I should take the loss with pride and walk away before I get really hurt.)
Maxi lowered his head.
(Know when to fight… and when to walk away. Wasn't that the quote? Something like that.)
He clenched his fists.
He was just about to give in.
Until he heard it—
A voice. Her voice.
His mother's voice, tearing through the air like a divine thunderclap. Her tone was fierce, but cracked with emotion. Desperation. Love.
"Maxi!!! My sweet angel! Get up! Wipe that look off your face right now!" "That look does NOT belong to my son!" "Where is my little boy who used to cheer when the hero of his book got up at the last second? Where is the boy who stayed up reading stories about warriors that never backed down and kept struggling, even when death was staring them
in the eye?"
"Get UP, Maxi! Not for your name. Not for your brothers. Not even for the gods. Get up because YOU are the kind of boy who LOVES the impossible WHO loves THE STRUGGLE!"
"You always said you liked characters who broke their limits by struggling till the bitter end. Well, now it's your turn! So write your story, son! Struggle, crawl, claw-DO NOT let them write your ending for you!"
Maxi froze, the words piercing him deeper than fire ever could.
His breathing trembled.
His mind stagnant
"I raised you to fight with your mind, your heart, and your soul!" "Even if the world thinks you're done, you're not! You don't stop until your spirit is burned into the stars!"
"That means when the world says fall, you stand."
"When your legs give out, you fight with your fists. When your fists bleed, you fight with your brain. And when your mind says it's over-
You scream back, 'NO."
"NEVER give up! Never! Even if you know you'll lose—make them EARN it. Make them SWEAT for every step they take toward beating you. You are NOT just a Bloodheart…
YOU ARE MY SON!"
Maxi's head slowly lifted.
His eyes, once dull with hopelessness, were now trembling—flooding with something else. Something warm.
Joy. Hope. Love.
He turned toward the voice. He couldn't see her through the crowd or smoke… but he didn't need to.
He felt her.
His lips quivered, and then—finally—a smile broke across his face. Not the crooked, broken one he wore in fear. But a wide, open, radiant grin that beamed with truth.
"Promise me no matter what happens no matter what situation or challenge you will never ever give up and declare defeat, promise me Maxi promise me."
"Come on now," she said again, gentler this time. "Promise me that."
He closed his eyes, breathed in her strength, and said through the smile:
"Okay, Mom. I promise."
He stood tall.
He finally understood it.
(So this… this is how you felt, Techxin. When your mom yelled at you during your fight. It's hard to admit, I know… but it must have meant the world. I feel it now. I do. You were lucky… and so am I.)
He turned to Hana.
She was watching him, devilish grin on her face, her stance playful but ready. Like a cat waiting to pounce.
Maxi's smile didn't fade. In fact, it grew.
"Sorry, Hana," he called out, his voice clear and loud. "I was really about to give up… but my mom just made me promise not to. So I guess that's off the table."
He stepped forward.
No longer shaking.
No longer running.
Just… smiling.
"So come on! Bring whatever you've got, sis! I'm ready!"
He raised his hand and gave her a taunting "come here" gesture, fingers curling with confidence and joy.
The crowd stirred.
Colen raised an eyebrow.
And Hana?
She laughed. Not mockingly. Not wickedly.
But with pure delight.