The school felt calm on the surface. Mikey and Jin were sitting at the top now, the so-called "guardians" of the students. Bullies thought twice before making moves, and rival schools had backed off after the last wars.
But Jin noticed something.The whispers. The glances. The rumors.Kael's work was spreading like poison.
The Trap is Sprung
One afternoon, Mikey walked home alone after training. The streets were quiet… too quiet.
From the shadows, Kael's enforcer stepped out—a counter-boxer known as Silas, the "Mirror Fist."Every punch Mikey threw, Silas parried, reflecting his rhythm back at him like a perfect copy.
Mikey fought with all the fire in his heart, but every strike felt like it belonged to someone else. Silas knew his timing, his habits, his weaknesses.
Then Kael appeared, standing on a nearby rooftop. His calm voice drifted down:"Do you see it now? You're predictable. You're nothing but an open book to me."
The Breaking Point
Mikey roared, pushing harder, trying to land something—anything. For a moment, he thought he had Silas cornered. He threw his strongest hook——but Silas stepped in perfectly, caught it, and twisted.
CRACK.
Mikey's arm snapped. He collapsed, screaming, clutching his broken limb.
Kael's voice was soft, mocking:"You'll never raise that fist the same way again. A boxer without both hands… is nothing."
Silas stepped back, leaving Mikey writhing on the ground. Kael never touched him—he didn't need to.
Before leaving, Kael whispered:"Jin will find you. And when he does, he'll see how fragile his 'brother in arms' really is."
Aftermath
Jin found Mikey later, carried him to the hospital, fury boiling in his chest.But when Mikey woke up, tears in his eyes, it wasn't anger—it was despair.
"Jin… I can't fight like this anymore. He… he broke me."
Jin clenched his fists, vowing:"No, Mikey. He hasn't broken you. He's only started a war."