the titan

The wind didn't whisper—it screamed. Dry and sharp, like it was peeling layers off the desert.

Atlas stood at the edge of the bluff, quiet. The purple hue of dawn barely touched his face. His chest rose slow, like he was learning how to breathe again.

Lucien walked up behind him, arms crossed. "You good?"

Atlas didn't turn. "You ever carry something for so long you forget what it felt like to walk without it?"

Lucien didn't answer.

He kept going. "I used to be… more. Stronger. I've broken warlords with my bare hands. Knocked stars from the sky with one punch."

Jonas, from behind: "Damn, alright Goku."

Atlas cracked a half-smile. "And then… I met him. Vaelen. The first person who didn't try to kill me right away—he just took what made me dangerous."

Krane stepped forward. "What'd he take?"

Atlas opened his palm, and for a moment, the wind shifted. A soft purple glow bloomed around him. Not flashy. Just… heavy. Like gravity remembered it owed him something.

"My core. My aura. Most of it, anyway. Purple Flame—burns through matter, memory, even time when it's fully awake. At my peak, I could change pressure, slow space, trap enemies in their own momentum."

Dave blinked. "You saying you control… weight?"

Atlas turned, serious now. "I don't control anything. I manipulate perception. I make your own body betray you. Pressure points. Breathing rhythm. Center of gravity. You step wrong once, you're on the ground. You hesitate once… you're done."

Mira squinted. "So why haven't you used it yet?"

He shrugged. "Because I'm running on scraps. Vaelen took 80% of what made me… me."

Lucien stepped closer. "Then we help you get it back."

Atlas looked at her like she just said something both obvious and impossible. "You don't just get power back from someone like Vaelen. You gotta earn it. Dig it outta your own bones."

He reached behind him, pulling out a thin, jagged blade that looked like it had seen war—and lost.

"This is what's left of me. But it responds to energy. Real energy. From people who want to fight. Who mean it."

Jonas raised an eyebrow. "So what, you need an emotional slap in the face or something?"

Atlas smirked. "Close. I need a beatdown."

He stepped back, feet firm in the sand.

"I'm not asking for mercy. I'm asking for fire. Hit me. Knock the rust out. Push me so damn hard I remember what it felt like to be feared."

Mira tilted her head. "You serious right now?"

He nodded. "Dead serious."

Lucien sighed. "You're outta your mind."

"Probably," Atlas said. "But I'd rather go out swinging with a scarred soul than sit here praying for miracles."

Jonas cracked his knuckles. "You had me at beatdown."

Krane rolled his shoulders. "You sure you can take us all?"

Atlas smirked again—this time, something in his aura flickered stronger.

"Let's find out."

And just like that, the circle formed. No flashy speeches. No fancy moves.

Just fists.

And a man trying to remember who he used to be.

The morning wasn't loud. Just quiet footsteps, dust in the air, and the smell of whatever breakfast Jonas managed to almost burn again.

Atlas stood off to the side, arms crossed, gaze somewhere far past the campfire. He'd barely slept. None of them had, really. Too much on their minds. Too much left unsaid.

Then Dave spoke up—outta nowhere.

"We need a better plan."

Everyone blinked.

Jonas leaned back like he just witnessed a miracle. "No way. Did Dave just speak strategy?"

Dave shot him a look. "Shut up, I'm serious."

Lucien raised a brow. "Alright. Hit us."

Dave took a breath. "There's this underground fight happening soon. Big one. Real deal. No magic, no relics—just fists. One-on-one. Fighters from all over. They say if you can survive the pit, you can survive anything."

Krane tilted his head. "You talkin' about The Underdog Fights?"

"That's the one," Dave said.

Jonas snorted. "Oh yeah, I've heard of that. Bunch of angry men punching each other to prove their exes were wrong."

"No," Dave said. "It's more than that. It's where legends are built. And Atlas? He needs that pressure. That crowd. That real push. You don't get that from us throwing rocks at him out here."

Mira looked at Atlas. "He's still missing pieces. That kind of fight… could wake it up."

Atlas finally turned toward them. "You want me to go toe-to-toe with some bloodthirsty psychos in a canyon cage match?"

Jonas clapped once. "Welcome to the family."

Lucien chuckled. "How soon?"

"Tomorrow night," Dave said. "First round starts then. If we leave today, we can make it."

"And how do we get in?" Krane asked.

Dave smirked. "I know a guy. He owes me."

Jonas leaned forward. "Please tell me it's not that one guy who sells fake potions in alleyways."

"Shut up, Jonas."

Atlas cracked a grin. "Alright… I'm in."

Jonas stood, stretching his arms. "Hell yeah. I get to place bets again."

Krane tossed a rock at him. "Bet against us and you're walking to the next realm."

Atlas walked up, looking at each of them. "Thanks for the push… But just so you know, I don't plan on holding back."

Jonas threw an arm over his shoulder. "You better not. 'Cause if you lose, I'm telling everyone you got knocked out by a farmer from the outskirts."

Atlas shook his head, chuckling. "You got issues."

Lucien looked around. "Let's move out. Time's ticking."

Mira stepped into the light. "Time to find out if the underdogs still got teeth."