THE WEIGHT OF EXPECTATIONS

Daniel woke up to the dull ache of bruises covering his body.

His ribs protested as he sat up, his muscles stiff from the previous night's war. The morning sun streamed through the blinds of his small apartment, illuminating the crumpled fight shorts he had tossed on the floor.

For a brief moment, he allowed himself to feel it—satisfaction.

He had won.

The biggest fight of his career so far, and he had won.

But before he could savor it, his phone buzzed on the nightstand.

He reached for it, expecting a message from Emily or Harris.

Instead, it was an unknown number.

Unknown: Congratulations, champ. The world's watching now. Don't mess it up.

Daniel frowned. He didn't recognize the number, but the message hit him harder than he expected.

Because it was true.

The world was watching now.

And the pressure was already creeping in.

The Next Step

Later that day, he met Harris at the gym.

The place was quieter than usual—most of the fighters trained in the evenings—but Harris was already there, leaning against the ring, watching him.

"You rest?" Harris asked.

Daniel shrugged. "A little."

Harris scoffed. "You don't know how to rest, do you?"

Daniel smirked but didn't argue.

Harris studied him for a moment. "Calloway reached out yet?"

Daniel hesitated. "Yeah. Left a card."

"And?"

Daniel exhaled. "I don't know. It's all moving fast. Feels like yesterday I was fighting in underground gyms, and now people are talking like I'm the next big thing."

Harris nodded. "That's the game, kid. One minute, you're nobody. The next, they can't get enough of you. But the second you slip? They move on."

Daniel looked away, his hands tightening into fists.

He wasn't afraid of fighting.

But he was afraid of what came with it.

A Familiar Face

As they spoke, the gym door creaked open.

Daniel turned—and his breath caught for half a second.

Ryan Calloway.

Daniel hadn't seen him since their brutal fight months ago. A fight that had changed everything.

Ryan's eye still carried the faintest trace of a scar—one Daniel had put there. But instead of resentment, Ryan gave a small nod as he walked in.

Daniel nodded back.

Harris smirked. "Well, look who's back."

Ryan walked up, hands in his pockets. "Figured I'd swing by, see how the next big thing is doing."

Daniel chuckled. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Ryan shrugged. "A little. But seriously, congrats. That was one hell of a fight."

Daniel appreciated the words, but he could sense something else behind them.

Ryan sighed. "Listen, I know Tom Calloway's been in your ear. Just be careful. He's got connections, sure, but he doesn't care about you. He cares about business."

Daniel nodded slowly. "Yeah. I figured."

Ryan stepped closer. "I made a mistake when I signed with him. Thought it would open doors, but it just put me in fights I wasn't ready for. He's gonna push you fast, Daniel. Maybe too fast."

Daniel met Ryan's eyes. "And what do you suggest?"

Ryan smirked. "Simple. Make sure you're the one making the choices."

With that, he patted Daniel's shoulder and walked off, leaving him with more to think about.

Emily's Warning

That night, Emily showed up at his apartment, takeout bags in hand.

"Figured you wouldn't eat unless someone forced you," she said, setting the food down.

Daniel chuckled. "You know me too well."

As they ate, she watched him closely. "You've been quiet."

Daniel sighed. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"Calloway. The next steps. What comes after this."

Emily leaned forward. "What do you want, Daniel?"

He hesitated. "I don't know. I mean, yeah, I want the big fights, the titles. But… I don't want to get lost in it, you know?"

Emily nodded. "Then don't."

Daniel looked at her. "It's not that easy."

She gave him a small smile. "It's exactly that easy. You have control. You just have to take it."

Her words echoed Ryan's.

And suddenly, Daniel knew what he had to do.

A Decision

The next morning, he called Tom Calloway.

Tom answered on the second ring. "Daniel! I was just about to call you. You ready to talk business?"

Daniel took a breath. "Yeah. But on my terms."

Silence.

Then, a chuckle. "I like that. Let's see what you've got."

Daniel didn't hesitate. "I'll fight. I'll take the next step. But I choose who and when. I'm not some pawn you can throw into the deep end for a quick payday."

Tom was quiet for a moment. Then: "You've got guts, Carter. I respect that. Alright—we'll do it your way. For now."

Daniel knew what that meant.

Tom would push back eventually.

But that was a fight for another day.

For now, he had won this battle.

And that was enough.