The Fight (1)

Chapter 10

Kai walked alongside Lucas toward the fighting club, his face clouded with worry.

Lucas noticed immediately and stared at him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Kai chuckled softly. "If it's obvious to you, I must really be worrying too much."

Both had already changed out of their school uniforms, now dressed in matching black outfits with white stripes—the gang uniform Kai had designed.

He'd wanted to give one to Elijah, but knowing him, Elijah would've refused.

Lately, Elijah had been questioning whether joining the gang was the right choice.

Kai didn't want to pressure him into a decision; he knew his friend too well.

"Elijah wasn't always like this," Kai began, his tone thoughtful.

"When he was around ten or thirteen, he didn't avoid trouble—he sought it out. Back then, I was the cautious one.

Elijah loved challenges, whether they were physical or not.

He'd pick fights, push limits, and drag me into his whirlwind of chaos. But it was fun.

Even when I was eleven—just a year older—he stood up for me against bullies.

He was fearless.

He even tried to shield me from teachers when I got into trouble and stood up to my parents on my behalf before they passed.

Watching him, I wanted to be like that—to have his courage. It's shaped who I am today."

Kai paused before continuing, his expression darkening.

"But four years ago, everything changed. Elijah was eleven, and I was twelve.

We saw a little girl about to be kidnapped by some gang members.

As always, Elijah charged in without a second thought.

I tried to stop him, but it was pointless.

He managed to save the girl—I don't remember her exact age, but she was younger than him at the time.

However, the gang members didn't take kindly to it.

They beat us senseless—so badly we almost died. What happened next is blurry.

The police later told me they found me being carried by Elijah.

The three men who attacked us were dead."

Lucas frowned. "Wait. Are you saying an eleven-year-old Elijah killed three armed men?"

Kai chuckled bitterly. "Not exactly. What I remember is this: while they were beating me, I caught a glimpse of a man—then I blacked out.

But the police report mentioned something odd.

One of the men's throats was bitten clean through... by small teeth.

Elijah has never talked about that day. It's the one thing he keeps from me.

I spent three months recovering in the hospital, but Elijah was back on his feet in just one month—even though his injuries were worse than mine.

Today, he's perfectly fine. Meanwhile, I still have vision problems in my left eye, and most of my injuries only fully healed two years ago."

Lucas listened, struggling to believe the story, as they reached the small building.

This time, the door was unlocked.

Kai stopped and exchanged a look with Lucas before they stepped inside.

Lucas headed upstairs while Kai went to another room.

Opening the door, Kai found Elijah sitting in a chair, staring blankly out the window.

He sighed and called out, "It's just Elijah!"

"Alright!" Lucas shouted back from upstairs.

Kai turned to Elijah. "What's with the blank expression?"

Elijah glanced at Kai, then toward the doorway where Lucas had been. "That must be Lucas."

"Yeah, and you must be Elijah," Lucas said, entering. His first words carried a challenge.

"Just so you know, I don't follow leaders weaker than me."

Kai nearly slapped his forehead. This idiot.

Elijah smiled faintly. "As long as you help the gang, I don't care." Then, turning to Kai, he asked,

"When does the fight start?"

"Soon—maybe a few hours, depending on when people show up," Kai replied, noticing something unusual in Elijah's eyes.

They weren't the eyes of someone afraid but of someone who felt compelled to fight as if his very survival depended on it.

Inside Elijah's Mind

Elijah sat in the same position but in a vast white space, staring at himself.

"Can I do this?" he asked.

"Who knows?" replied his alter ego.

"What if I lose?"

"Who knows?"

"Then how am I supposed to figure it out?"

"Go and find out."

Back Outside

Lucas observed Elijah, who seemed lost in thought. "What snapped him out of that mindset before?" he asked Kai.

Kai, busy moving a box away from the window, answered without looking up.

"After that day with the gang, Elijah avoided anything that might bring harm to himself or others.

He'd rather let people beat him to death than fight back.

He'd rather be burned alive than let anyone he cared about get hurt.

He swore never to lift a finger against anyone—strong or weak.

"But recently, he's started going against those rules he set for himself. I thought he was going back to being the guy I once knew. Who knows, though?"

Lucas scoffed. "Is that why you made him the leader?"

"No," Kai replied, leaving it at that.