Chapter 17: Decay and Rebirth

Joe felt a sense of nothingness after Markus' death. The tragedy that followed the victory showed him how dangerous and destructive boxing was. Every training session, every fight reminded him of his anger and guilt. Markus' last image kept circling in his head. Getting out of bed, going to training, and continuing with life had become torture. The boxing ring now seemed like a death field to him.

The emptiness inside him was growing bigger every day. Going to training, trying to find his old excitement was futile. Sometimes, even when he threw a punch, he felt hatred for himself. He now blamed himself, feeling more like a murderer than a fighter. This was Joe's dark period. Every passing day, he felt like a hopelessly lost man.

One morning, Joe met Gus in his office and noticed this deep emptiness in his eyes. Gus had a hard time seeing the destruction inside Joe. "Joe, I told you, it's not your fault," Gus said. "Everybody's here to win, but sometimes… sometimes these things happen. You have to digest it, but don't hurt yourself."

Joe just kept quiet, his eyes on the floor. His mind was filled with the last image of Markus and how much boxing had damaged him. Gus's words were still flowing through his ears, but something wasn't adding up.

A few weeks later, Joe's life began to get harder after his loss. Pessimism, indecision, and depression had taken hold. His biggest fear was that he felt like he was losing all his power in the ring. He couldn't stop boxing, but he was also getting worse with each fight. He thought he could only fill the void inside him with victory, but he didn't realize how wrong that thought was.

Joe's next big fight was against Victor "The Storm" Vega, another young talent on the rise to the top of the boxing world. Vega was known for his speed, agility, and powerful punches. However, Joe's inner emptiness and depression were reflected in his preparations. He was neglecting his training, and he was going into the fights in a state of collapse not only physically but also mentally.

When the match started, Joe's eyes were empty. His speed was not the same as before, his blows were hard but empty. Victor took advantage of Joe's weakness and quickly attacked. Joe tried to recover after each blow, but he was not ready for the next blow. Victor broke Joe's resistance and cornered him with a right hook.

In an instant, Victor quickly sent another series of blows. Joe fell to the ground from the force of the punches. The referee started counting. Joe was forced to collapse to the ground, his eyes blurring. He slowly tried to recover, but the darkness in his mind would not let him.

One… two…

Joe forced himself to his feet. But he was falling with every step. His eyes were filled with despair. He got to his feet again, but with the next blow he lost his balance and fell to the ground. This time the referee ended the count and decided that Joe lost.

"The match is a victory for Victor Vega," the referee said. "Joe has been devastated tonight."

Joe knelt in the ring, clutching his head in his hands. It all happened so fast, but at that moment, the weight of loss and the feeling of helplessness had settled over him. This wasn't just a match. It was the reflection of an inner collapse.