Chapter 8: No Escape

March 25, 2024

I coughed, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth as I forced myself onto my hands and knees. Every breath felt like knives cutting into my ribs, but I couldn't stay down. Not with Zane and the Ascendant leader still standing before me, their presence looming over me like a death sentence.

I pushed myself up slowly, staggering as I rose to my feet. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, and my vision blurred from the pain.

My legs wobbled, but I steadied myself, planting my feet firmly on the cold concrete floor. There was no retreat. The exits were blocked, sealed off by the Ascendant guards, leaving me trapped in this warehouse.

The Ascendant leader's eyes gleamed with cold amusement as he stood with his arms crossed, watching the unfolding scene with cruel satisfaction. Zane, the massive figure who had nearly crushed me with a single blow, stood beside him, his fists still clenched, ready to finish me off.

I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand, breathing heavily. My body was beaten, but I couldn't afford to give in. I had no choice but to fight, even if my body wasn't ready for it.

"I got overconfident." I muttered under my breath, trying to shake off the pain. My body screamed for rest, but my mind was sharpening, forcing the dizziness to subside. I had underestimated the ascendants.

And now I had to correct that mistake.

Zane's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his boots thudding heavily against the floor. Each of his movements was deliberate, like a predator sizing up its prey. He didn't bother with taunts, just action. With a growl, he lunged at me, his massive fist cutting through the air like a battering ram aimed directly for my skull.

I managed to dodge to the side, just in time to avoid a killing blow. The force of his fist sent a shockwave through the ground, cracking the concrete where I had just been standing.

I barely had a second to react before his other fist came swinging in, a blur of power aimed at my ribs. I twisted, but not fast enough. His fist slammed into my side.

The impact lifted me off the ground, pain shooting through my entire body as the breath was knocked out of my lungs. I hit the ground hard, gasping for air as agony surged through my chest. It felt like my ribs had shattered.

But I couldn't stop. Not now.

I forced myself back to my feet, staggering slightly. My vision blurred, but I steadied myself, my instincts kicking in. Zane was coming again, this time faster. I ducked beneath his punch, narrowly avoiding his massive fist as it whistled past my head. He was relentless, throwing strike after strike with terrifying speed and power.

I dodged left, then right, my movements becoming sharper as I anticipated his attacks. But even as I dodged, I could feel my body slowing. I couldn't keep this up forever. My muscles were aching, and my injuries were catching up to me.

The leader watched from the side, his face a mask of cold indifference. Then, without warning, he joined the fight, lunging at me with a sudden burst of speed. His fist slammed into my jaw, sending me stumbling backward. Before I could recover, Zane was on me again, his fist colliding with my shoulder, nearly dislocating it.

They were overwhelming me, attacking in sync, their strikes faster than I could handle. I blocked what I could, but they were pummeling me, one blow after another. My body was taking hit after hit, each punch driving deeper into my already broken form.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to give in. My mind raced, analyzing their movements. They were faster, stronger, but they weren't invincible.

I could see the openings, the small moments when they left themselves exposed. But my body wasn't responding the way I needed it to. Every time I tried to counter, my muscles screamed in protest, my body too broken to keep up.

Zane's fist came crashing down again, aimed at my head, but this time I ducked under it and countered with a punch to his ribs. The impact landed, but it didn't faze him. He grunted and swung again, forcing me to backpedal.

The leader followed up with a swift kick to my side, catching me off guard. Pain exploded through my body as I stumbled, struggling to keep my footing. They weren't giving me a chance to breathe.

But I wasn't done yet.

Gritting my teeth, I ducked under another punch from Zane and drove my elbow into his midsection. This time, I hit harder, the force of the blow making him stagger. I followed up with a sharp kick to his knee, and for the first time, I saw him flinch.

But it wasn't enough.

The leader lunged at me, his fist aimed at my gut. I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding his strike, and countered with a punch to his jaw. The impact made him snarl, but before I could press the advantage, Zane grabbed me from behind, his massive hand gripping my shoulder like a vice.

He swung me around, slamming me into the ground with a bone-rattling crash. Pain shot through my entire body, but I forced myself to roll to the side as his fist came down again, cracking the floor where my head had been.

I was fighting to stay conscious, my body barely holding together under the onslaught. But something inside me refused to give up. I could feel it, the urge to keep pushing, to keep fighting. My fists clenched, and I forced myself to stand again, every muscle screaming in protest.

Zane and the leader exchanged a glance, both of them visibly frustrated that I was still standing. They came at me again, faster this time. The leader struck first, his fist aimed at my face. I ducked and drove my knee into his gut, but before I could follow up, Zane's fist crashed into my side, lifting me off the ground again.

I hit the wall hard, gasping for air as blood filled my mouth. My ribs were screaming, my vision blurred. But I staggered back to my feet, my legs shaking beneath me.

Zane's eyes narrowed as he saw me stand again. He let out a low growl and rushed at me, his massive fist cutting through the air like a hammer. I dodged left, but I was too slow. His other fist slammed into my abdomen.

The impact was brutal. My body curled inward from the force of the blow, and I felt the air leave my lungs as a shockwave of pain shot through me. My vision went white, and I could feel the blood gushing from my mouth, splattering onto the cold concrete floor.

My knees buckled, and the last thing I saw before everything went dark was the twisted look of satisfaction on Zane's face, his fists still clenched, ready for more.

Everything went black.