It showed two young men standing in front of an old training hall. One was Arthur. The other was Daniel Cross, smiling with an arm around his friend's shoulder.
"Who is this?" Marcus asked.
"Daniel."
"He looks happy."
"He was."
"He believed that the best thing we could teach another person was not how to win. It was how to keep learning after the result was decided."
"I think I'm beginning to understand."
"Then go show yourself."
And for the first time, he was not trying to imagine himself as the kind of person who could never be beaten.
He was ready to discover what he could do as the person he already was.
The arena was nearly full when Marcus and Gabriel stepped onto the mat.
The announcer introduced both competitors, listing their recent victories and tournament records. Gabriel received a warm round of applause. Marcus received a louder response than he had expected, perhaps because the audience had watched his progress throughout the day.
Marcus heard the noise but kept his attention on the man standing opposite him.
The referee reviewed the rules, checked that both competitors were ready, and gave the signal.
He circled Marcus, studying his stance and testing the distance between them. Marcus adjusted his position, remembering Arthur's advice about active patience.
Gabriel initiated a controlled movement, forcing Marcus to defend. Marcus responded with a counter, but Gabriel had already adjusted his position. The exchange ended without a decisive result.
But he recognized the urge for what it was: the same impatience that had nearly cost him his match against Victor Hale.
Gabriel's weight shifted slightly before he changed direction. His hands remained relaxed, but his feet adjusted whenever Marcus threatened to enter his preferred distance.
He moved forward, then withdrew. He changed his angle and waited to see whether Gabriel would follow. When Gabriel adjusted, Marcus used the movement to create a narrow scoring opportunity.
Gabriel nodded slightly, as though acknowledging a useful piece of information.
His experience showed in the way he controlled the space between them. He did not chase Marcus, but he steadily reduced the areas where Marcus could move comfortably.
Gabriel forced Marcus backward, and Marcus responded with a quick change of direction. For a moment, they moved almost simultaneously, each attempting to anticipate the other's response.
Marcus gained a slight advantage but failed to maintain his balance through the final movement.
And then he had made the same kind of mistake he had spent weeks trying to eliminate.
For the first time, the older competitor's expression showed a hint of curiosity.
Marcus no longer tried to force his preferred rhythm. He adjusted to Gabriel's pressure, defended carefully, and looked for opportunities that emerged naturally from the movement.
When the first round ended, Marcus returned to his corner with the score close enough that either man could still win.
"What are you feeling?" Arthur asked.
"Frustrated."
"Why?"
"Because I keep seeing openings and missing them."
"Then stop trying to punish yourself for missing them."
"You're treating every mistake as if you need to pay for it. You don't. You need to understand it and move forward."
"I know."
"Then show me."
For the first time that day, he felt no need to prove that he belonged in the final.
He had studied Marcus's reactions during the first round and recognized that Marcus sometimes hesitated when an opening appeared unexpectedly.
He imagined the moment afterward: the referee raising Gabriel's hand, the audience applauding, and Marcus standing at the edge of the mat trying to explain to himself why he had come so close without winning.
He imagined Arthur telling him that he had done good work.
He imagined feeling grateful for the experience while secretly wishing the result had been different.
"Marcus!"
"Look at him!"
"Not the score. Not the crowd. Him!"
Gabriel was breathing heavily now. His movements remained controlled, but his pace had increased. He was trying to protect his lead by maintaining pressure.
He was a skilled competitor making decisions under pressure, just as Marcus was.
Marcus defended, moved out of the pressure, and changed the angle. For the first time in several exchanges, he did not rush to capitalize on the opening. He allowed the movement to develop until the opportunity became clear.
Gabriel tried to regain control, but Marcus anticipated the movement and responded with a clean counter. The score tightened again.
Marcus heard the noise as a distant roar, but it no longer controlled his attention.