Change doesn't mean change

Noah dodged again, narrowly avoiding a punch. His reflexes were sharp, his instincts honed. He twisted his body just enough to let the attack sail past him—a clean escape.

Or so he thought.

A heartbeat later, pain erupted in the exact same spot he had just defended. His ribs burned as if the punch had landed after all.

His eyes widened. What?

Then came another impact. His jaw snapped sideways, not from a punch he saw, but from one that had already missed him earlier.

Then his gut. Then his shoulder. Then his thigh.

Hits that should have never connected were suddenly crashing into him, one after another, like delayed echoes of a fight he thought he was winning.

[Health Points: 210/320]

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Noah barely heard them over the pounding in his ears.

"Did he really think he stood a chance?"

"1A was right—he's done for."

But Noah had no time to focus on them.