Chapter 8: The Aftermath
Julian collapsed face-first onto the canvas, coughing violently and clutching his
stomach. The entire gym was frozen. The sycophants were silent. The heavy bags were
still. The only sound was Julian’s ragged breathing.
Arthur stood up, his expression unchanged. He hadn't broken a sweat. He looked
down at the crumpled heir to the Apex striking throne. Slowly, Arthur turned and walked
out of the cage door. He walked back to where his blue shirt lay on a bench.
He picked it up, shaking off a speck of dust, and pulled it over his scarred torso,
buttoning it up meticulously. The monster was put back in its cage. He was the invisible
man once more. He walked over to his mop, gripped the handle, and resumed cleaning
the very spot where Julian had interrupted him.
Nobody spoke. Nobody moved to help Julian right away. They were all staring at the
janitor, their paradigms shattered. The man they had ignored, the man they had mocked,
had just dismantled their best fighter in less than forty-five seconds without breaking a
sweat.
Chapter 9: Whispers of the Past
By the next morning, the story had spread like wildfire. A grainy video taken by