“So I have to lose. Right?” Erick asked, his tone calm but his eyes sharp as a blade.
Flynn sighed heavily, glancing at the closed locker room door as if to make sure no one was listening.
“Yes. That’s what they want. The payout is huge. The owner wants to keep them happy. If you fight back and win, you know what will happen.”
Erick finished wrapping his hands, then flexed his fingers, testing the tightness of the tape.
“Coach, when did we start selling fights like cheap street snacks?”
Flynn leaned in closer, voice low and rough. “Kid, listen to me. This is bigger than the usual back-alley fix. Those VIPs don’t just bet for fun. If you mess this up, you won’t just be banned from the ring. You’ll disappear. Do you understand?”
Erick tied off the wrap and looked at his reflection in the cracked mirror. The dim light caught the fresh bruises under his eyes — trophies from last night’s practice bout.
“Disappear?” He scoffed. “I’m already half invisible.”
Flynn grabbed his shoulder firmly. “Erick, I know you hate this, but take the fall tonight. We can fight another day. If you win against their man, you’ll make enemies you can’t punch your way out of.”
Erick didn’t answer. He shrugged off Flynn’s hand, stood up, and grabbed his gloves.
“Who’s the guy?”
Flynn hesitated. “He’s called Rex. They say he used to be a pro. Mean as a pitbull. They brought him in from another city.”
“Rex.” Erick rolled the name on his tongue like a bad taste. “Let them bet all they want.”
He opened his locker and pulled out his mouth guard.
Flynn grabbed him again, more desperate now. “Promise me, Erick. Promise you’ll lose clean. Take the hits, go down in the second round. Make it look real. Just do this one thing. You owe me that much.”
Erick paused. He remembered the day Flynn took him in — broke, hungry, hunted by loan sharks. He owed the old man more than he could repay.
He let out a breath, slow and controlled. “Second round. Got it.”
Flynn’s shoulders dropped in relief. “Good. Good. I’ll handle the payout. You just stay alive.”
Erick stepped past him and headed down the hallway that led to the roaring pit. The music was pounding now — heavy bass, drunken cheers, the smell of sweat and spilled beer.
Before he stepped out, he stopped by the chain-link gate. He closed his eyes for a second, breathing in the thick, charged air.
Lose. Go down in the second. Keep your head down. Live another day.
But deep in his gut, something twisted and burned.
Shadow Night doesn’t bow to anyone.
He stepped into the ring. The lights blinded him for a moment. On the other side, a mountain of muscle — Rex — flexed his arms and grinned like a wolf scenting blood. The VIP balcony above glittered with rich men’s laughter and clinking glasses.
The announcer’s voice boomed:
“Tonight’s main fight! The undefeated Shadow Night versus the Beast from the East — REX!”
Erick raised his fists. His heartbeat slowed. His grin matched Rex’s — sharp and hungry.
Second round, he reminded himself. But his fists itched. His blood roared.
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Updated 70 Episodes
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