Book 1: Chapter 34 (Volume Finale) – My Journey Starts Here (Extra Long Chapter)

Jabari had no idea he had just helped August, just as August had no idea he had done the same for Jabari.

A moment ago, Jabari had been on the verge of collapse. His vision blurred, his body wavered, and the crushing pressure threatened to drag him into a definitive state of unconsciousness. He had reached his limit – until the sound of August's roar jolted him awake.

'That was close,' Jabari thought, standing still as he struggled to catch his breath. His chest heaved, his legs trembled, but the fire in his heart had yet to die out. Is this it for me? Is this my limit?

He had made it to the 95th step. He had surpassed his goal. And yet…

He still wasn't satisfied!

Lifting his gaze, his fists clenched as he stared at the illusion of Oluwa, still smirking down at him.

A shaky breath escaped him. He knew Oluwa wasn't really there, but Heba's words rang in his mind – about how his goal was impossible.

Subconsciously, he had told himself that if he couldn't even climb this staircase to the top, how could he ever hope to save Inayah?

A bitter chuckle left his lips. Then, slowly, it grew into quiet laughter.

His head hung low, shoulders shaking.

From the Colosseum, the spectators could only see his trembling frame and assumed he was struggling against the unbearable weight.

But inside his mind, clarity struck like lightning.

'I'm such an idiot,' he thought, his fingers digging into his palm. 'I was so focused on making him my goal that I forgot my reason for doing all of this in the first place.' His laughter steadied into something softer, more resolute. 'Everything I'm doing…

It's for Yah-Yah!'

As if responding to his realisation, the illusion of Oluwa vanished. In its place, a new face emerged – one infinitely warmer.

Inayah.

Her bright, innocent smile filled his vision, pushing away every doubt, every hesitation. And just like that, Jabari found his second wind. Or perhaps, his third.

With every other participant unconscious, the instructors adjusted the recording device to focus solely on Jabari.

Hovering in the sky in front of him, the device projected his image across the Colosseum. The audience, now fixated on his every move, collectively held their breath.

What they saw next was shocking.

Jabari's body shook violently with each step. His legs wobbled, his muscles screamed in protest, and the pressure crushing down on him was undeniable.

But his face-

His face told a completely different story.

There was no sign of pain. No strain. No suffering.

Instead, there was a smile.

A smile so soft…

A smile so gentle…

A smile so warm, it could melt even the coldest of hearts.

The entire Colosseum fell into a hushed silence. No one could tear their eyes away. It was as if they were trying to commit that expression to memory, desperate to understand-

What was the cause of that smile?

Heba's voice broke the stillness.

"Have you ever seen him smile like that before?" she asked, her gaze never leaving Jabari.

"All the time," Inayah answered without hesitation. She spoke as if it were obvious, completely unaware of the weight of her words.

Heba turned to look at her, studying her with an unreadable expression before sighing softly. "I have to admit…

I'm a little jealous of you."

Inayah blinked in confusion. "Me? Why are you jealous of me?"

Heba's lips curled into a wistful smile. "That smile he's showing right now…

It's a smile meant only for you."

For a moment, the princess fell silent. Then, in a quieter voice, she continued, "I've never had anyone smile at me like that."

Her gaze returned to Jabari, watching him push forward despite the impossible pressure.

"For someone so young to have the willpower to reach the 90th step, they must have suffered through unimaginable hardship," she murmured. "Shocking? Sure, but it's not entirely unbelievable. The slums and suffering go hand in hand, after all.

"But for someone who has struggled that much…

To still be able to smile like that?"

Her fingers curled into fists.

"It's inconceivable!"

Hearing Heba's words, Inayah frowned. She had seen that smile every single day for as long as she could remember.

Then, realisation struck.

It didn't matter how injured, exhausted, or ill he was – Jabari would always smile at her like that. Whether he was telling her a bedtime story to lull her to sleep or listening intently as she rambled about her day after he returned from hunting, that gentle, unwavering smile was always there.

It had been there her whole life.

A deep pang settled in her chest.

"Am I a burden?" she asked softly, her tiny fists clenched tight as she stared at the floor.

Heba parted her lips to reply, but before she could, Inayah continued.

"In the slums, boys often join hunting parties at around eight years old. Most of them only carry supplies or the day's catch, but Jari…

He turned down those positions. The share of the hunt wouldn't have been enough to feed both of us.

"So instead, he taught himself how to hunt."

Her voice trembled, but she pressed on.

"At first, it was just fruits or even bugs. But before he gave them to me, he'd always test them on himself first. Just to make sure they weren't poisonous."

She swallowed thickly.

"I remember the nights when he did get poisoned. He would try to hide it from me, but I could hear him in the dark – retching, groaning in pain. Suffering.

"And yet…" Her breath hitched. "No matter how much pain he was in, the moment he saw me, he would always smile like that."

The tears came before she could stop them, falling freely as she gazed up at her brother's face, still illuminated by that same gentle, unwavering expression.

"I was too young to understand back then," she whispered. "By the time I realised how much he had suffered for me, it was already too late to change anything."

A heavy silence stretched between them.

Then-

"You are a silly girl," Heba said, drying her own eyes for the second time that day. "Look at his face."

Inayah blinked, confused, but did as she was told.

Her heart ached just seeing that familiar smile, but then-

"That smile isn't for you," Heba murmured. "It's because of you."

Inayah's breath caught in her throat.

"If you weren't in his life, he would've been swallowed by the darkness of his environment. You're not his burden, Inayah…

You're his light."

A look of shock flickered across Inayah's face. She had never thought about it like that.

"You might not be able to give him what he gives you," Heba continued gently, "but you give him something just as important – if not more. You give him the strength to never give up."

Inayah's fingers trembled.

"If you truly want to give him something in return…" Heba's voice softened. "Then give him your faith."

Inayah knew exactly what she meant.

Jabari had made it his mission to risk his life to defeat Oluwa and save hers. Yet, despite everything he had done for her, despite all the burdens he carried without complaint – she refused to believe in him.

But that would change. Right now!

Her lips parted, and though her voice was barely above a whisper, the words carried the weight of her entire heart.

"I believe in you!"

Heba turned sharply, staring at the little girl beside her.

Gone was the self-loathing that had shadowed her features moments before. Instead, Inayah's expression was radiant – filled with unshakable trust and unwavering faith.

Despite her frail, sickly frame, at that moment, she looked every bit as enchanting as her brother.

Jabari had no idea of the impact his performance was having on the audience, nor did he realise the emotions he had stirred within them.

His gentle smile remained as he finally stepped onto the 96th step.

The invigilators watching the screen were silent in awe. Jabari had just matched the current record, but what truly shocked them was how stable he was. He was panting heavily, his movements sluggish, but he showed no signs of reaching his limit.

"This brat…" Jason muttered, shaking his head helplessly. "He's really about to set another record."

Beside him, Kwame roared with laughter, pride swelling in his chest as if the accomplishment were his own.

Jason, however, had no time to entertain his friend's bias. His eyes remained locked on Jabari before he turned sharply to Kwame, voice tinged with realisation.

"If he sets another record, he'll be tied with Zuberi – both with two records each."

Kwame barely paused in his laughter before grinning. "And? Why are you acting so shocked?" He clapped Jason on the shoulder. "You know just as well as I do that this test is where we from the slums excel. If any record should belong to a slum resident, it should be this one!"

Jason wanted to refute him, but he couldn't. Kwame wasn't wrong, though it did little to lessen his disbelief.

Step by step, Jabari pressed forward, each movement painstakingly slow but never faltering.

Forty-five minutes passed before he finally reached the edge of the platform. The entire arena was dead silent as all eyes remained glued to the screen, watching Jabari prepare to step onto the 97th step.

"This…

This is impossible!" the man who had initially placed the bet stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

His words echoed the thoughts of nearly everyone present – including Heba.

She had been the first to mention the possibility of Jabari setting a new record, but deep down, even she had believed it to be unrealistic. And yet, here they all were, watching history unfold before them.

Jason exhaled deeply, shaking his head. "His results will undoubtedly send shockwaves through the entire Institute."

Kwame grinned. "Who knows? The Patriarch might even come out of seclusion to take him as a disciple!"

Jason scoffed. "As far as I know, the Patriarch hasn't stepped out of seclusion in almost two decades. As impressive as this kid is, unless he sets the record for all five tests, there's no way the Patriarch is leaving seclusion for him."

"You're just unnaturally biased because he's from the slums," Jason added, rolling his eyes.

Kwame, unwilling to admit his mistake, simply snorted and chose not to reply.

Jabari's entire body trembled as he stepped onto the 97th platform. The pressure was immense – far beyond anything he had ever experienced – but his back remained straight. His knees did not buckle.

His face, illuminated by the illusory image of Inayah's smiling visage, remained serene.

An hour and a half passed as he painstakingly traversed the 97th step.

He did it.

By now, the audience knew better than to assume his limit. No one dared to predict how far he would go.

All they could do was watch.

Jabari took a deep breath and stepped onto the 98th step.

The instant his foot landed, the pressure doubled.

His body jerked violently as he staggered back, his foot retreating onto the 97th platform.

A spectator, one of the many who had lost money to Heba in their wagers, sighed in relief. "I guess his limit is only the 97th step."

"Only?"

The voice that spoke belonged to the man sitting beside him, but the sheer disdain in his tone was enough to make several heads turn.

"Did you really just say only?" The man scoffed. "Do you even understand what he just did? Out of the tens of thousands – no, hundreds of thousands – who have attempted this trial over the years, he is the very best. And yet you have the audacity to say 'only'?"

Murmurs of agreement spread throughout the crowd.

"Shameless!" others shouted, echoing his words.

The man who had spoken shrank back in his seat, wisely choosing to keep his mouth shut before the crowd turned on him entirely.

Heba, watching this unfold, couldn't help but chuckle.

'Jabari's really gone and converted half the audience into actual fans today,' she thought in amusement. Something they never would've considered at the start of the day.

It was something not even Zuberi – her own little brother – had been able to do.

As the young master of one of Ulo's most powerful tribes, Zuberi breaking records was surprising but still expected. It was within the realm of possibility.

But Jabari?

A malnourished boy from the slums, defying every expectation, not once, but twice?

'I guess it's true…

People really do love a good underdog story.' Heba shook her head with a smile before returning her attention to the screen-

Just in time to see Jabari, once again, preparing to step onto the 98th step.

Jabari's entire body was locked in a desperate struggle as he fought to stand on the 98th platform. The veins in his neck and temples bulged, his muscles taut with exertion, but his eyes remained fixed on Inayah's face. He was drawing from her – her smile, her existence – fuelling himself beyond what should have been possible.

And then, finally – he did it.

Jabari stood tall on the 98th step.

His body trembled violently, as if the faintest breeze could send him crashing down, but he remained standing.

The crowd barely had time to process his feat before he moved again.

A step.

A shaky, barely-there step. It could hardly be called that – he moved no more than a few centimetres – but it was forward.

And that was all that mattered.

"Is he really trying to complete the whole thing on his first attempt?" Jason muttered, his jaw practically on the floor.

The minutes dragged on, stretching into hours.

Almost two and a half hours later, Jabari finally reached the edge of the 98th platform.

No one believed he could go any further. He was on his last legs, barely holding himself together. And yet – not a single person dared to bet against him anymore.

And rightly so.

After taking thirty seconds to gather his strength, Jabari stepped onto the 99th step.

On his first attempt.

The moment his foot landed, his entire body trembled – far worse than ever before. He was shaking so violently it looked as if the very air around him was trying to tear him apart. Even so, he refused to fall.

Somehow, he managed to steady himself.

Each step forward – if it could even be called that – was painstakingly slow, measured in mere millimetres. His body was under immense strain; his fists clenched so tightly that blood trickled from his palms, as if he were using the pain to force himself awake.

Snake-like veins crawled up his arms, pulsing with an eerie intensity as if they sought to devour him whole. His jaw was clenched so tight his teeth shuddered from the pressure.

And yet – his eyes never wavered.

He never stopped looking at her.

His progress was agonisingly slow. So slow that, at first glance, it seemed as though he wasn't moving at all. But if one looked closely – if they traced the ground behind him – it was clear.

He was moving.

For an hour, he pressed on.

Twenty-five metres.

That was all he managed in that time.

Then-

His foot caught.

His balance wavered.

And before he could stop it-

He fell.

Flat on his back.

In the arena, an uneasy silence filled the air.

The vast majority of the audience, whether they had realised it or not, had become invested in Jabari's struggle. And when they saw him fall – when they saw his body sprawled out, unmoving – so many clenched their fists in frustration.

No one knew when it had happened – when they had started caring so deeply about a slum-born teen's success. But here they were.

Frustrated. On his behalf.!

"I guess that's it," Jason muttered, a hint of unwillingness in his voice.

Kwame sighed, equally regretful. He was about to end the round-

Then he froze.

Jason furrowed his brows. "What's wrong?"

Kwame didn't answer.

Following his friend's gaze, Jason's breath hitched.

Jabari…

He was moving.

Slowly – painfully so – but he was moving.

On one knee, arms trembling, he was trying to stand up.

Jason's eyes widened in disbelief. "Isn't he…

Isn't he finished?!"

Kwame, this time, had no response.

His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his lips barely parting as he muttered under his breath.

"Come on, kid. Get up."

It wasn't just Kwame.

Back at the arena, the entire audience seemed to hold their breath as if collectively willing Jabari to rise.

And at the centre of it all stood Inayah – Jabari's biggest believer.

Her small hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she watched her beloved brother fight with everything he had. She prayed – pleaded – with every ounce of her being for him to find the strength to stand.

She could see it.

How much he wanted this.

And for no other reason than that – she wanted it for him, too.

"STAND UP! STAND UP, JARI! STAND UP!"

Her desperate screams tore through the silence, raw with emotion. And then—

The crowd joined her.

As if her words had ignited something within them, the entire Colosseum erupted in unison, chanting his name, demanding his rise.

The roar of thousands filled the air.

And as if answering their call-

Jabari stood.

A deafening explosion of cheers followed, the sheer force of it shaking the very walls of the arena. Not that Jabari could hear them.

His vision was tinged red, his body screaming in agony. He had bitten down so hard on his tongue that blood trickled from the corner of his lips, the coppery taste sharp on his tongue. But he held on.

Because even now, through the blur, through the pain, his eyes found her.

His baby sister's smiling image in the sky.

And so, he moved.

Slowly. Painstakingly.

But he moved.

An hour passed.

He had covered thirty-five metres.

Another hour and a half.

He reached the halfway point.

Two more hours and thirty minutes crawled by.

He reached seventy-five metres.

By now, the sky had turned pitch black, the only light coming from the full moon hanging among the stars. And yet, not a single spectator had left.

No one wanted to miss it.

The moment when Jabari – the greatest dark horse the Institute had ever seen – created history.

Nine hours.

The sun had risen behind him, casting his shadow across the stairway as he finally reached the edge of the 99th step.

A single step away from the stuff of legend.

His body shook violently. His muscles spasmed with every movement. He could barely stand.

And yet-

On his lips was a smile.

A gentle, unbreakable smile, filled with an indomitable confidence that spread through the crowd like wildfire.

Then-

For the first time in twelve hours-

Jabari spoke.

"I won't fail."

His voice never reached them, but it didn't have to.

The audience read his lips, and at that moment, they understood.

But only Inayah and those closest to him truly knew the weight of those words.

Then…

With unstoppable momentum…

He took that final step.

And in that moment, a miracle was born.

Jabari stood alone atop the 100th platform.

For a long time, he simply stood there, gazing back down at the countless steps he had conquered. His eyes swept over the hundreds of competitors lying unconscious across the stairway below.

His chest rose and fell with exhaustion.

Then, as if something deep within him had awakened, a wave of pride surged through his veins.

A pride unlike anything he had ever known.

A pride he never wanted to let go of.

His lips parted – his voice unwavering.

"My journey starts here."