The night passed quietly, giving way to the gentle warmth of the morning sun.
Ethan opened his eyes, stretching briefly before heading to the bathroom to freshen up. Stepping out onto his balcony, he began his morning physical routine—push-ups, sit-ups, and explosive jump squats, pushing his muscles to warm up for the day ahead.
After completing his set, he headed back inside to shower and change into a fresh outfit.
It's been a while since I actually did a proper morning workout, Ethan thought, as he walked into the living room.
His mother, was already up, carrying a fresh tray of breakfast over to his grandfather, who was sitting comfortably on the sofa.
Noticing Ethan, Selena offered a warm smile. "Good morning, Ethan! How are you feeling today?"
"Good," Ethan replied with a nod. "What about you, Mom? Did you sleep well?"
"I slept wonderfully," Selena nodded, her eyes twinkling fondly. "So, are you in the mood for breakfast first, or are you heading straight for a morning run?"
Ethan smiled. "Breakfast first, then the run."
"Take a seat then!" Selena chuckled, stepping into the kitchen.
Ethan sat down at the dining table, and within moments, Selena placed a steaming plate of fresh breakfast in front of him.
Ethan dug in, finishing the meal in no time flat. Standing up from the table, he offered a grateful smile. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom. It was amazing as usual."
Selena laughed softly, clearing the plate. "Look at you, becoming quite the smooth talker. Just like your father."
Ethan chuckled, walking toward the front door. "I'm heading out for that run now!"
"Have a good run!" Selena called out.
Ethan sprinted down the morning streets, the neighborhood still peaceful and empty in the early morning air. He pushed his pace, maintaining a steady, powerful stride for thirty minutes straight before coming to a stop at a quiet street corner to take a brief two-minute breather.
He unmapped his water bottle and took a long gulp. As he drank, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Glancing down with one eye, he saw a notification pop up on his screen.
It was a text from Jake.
Ethan set his water bottle down on a nearby bench and pulled out his phone to unlock it.
Jake: Ethan, are you free?
Ethan quickly typed back.
Ethan: I'm free until this evening.
Jake: That works.
Ethan: Was there something you needed my attention for?
Jake: Yes. Tomorrow evening.
Ethan: What about tomorrow evening?
Jake: Be ready. You can bring your friends along if you want.
Ethan stared at the screen, raising an eyebrow.
Ethan: What do you mean? Bring them where?
Jake: I'll contact you right before I pick you up.
Ethan rubbed his temples, staring blankly at the screen. Does this guy ever actually listen to questions?
Ethan: Why? What's going on tomorrow?
Jake: There's a festival.
A festival? Ethan thought, puzzled. Before he could even begin typing a response, another text flashed on screen.
Jake: Be ready. No more questions. You'll understand yourself.
Ethan: Okay.
Ethan slid the phone back into his pocket with a heavy sigh. Realizing his two-minute break had expired, he immediately launched back into a full sprint toward his house.
The moment he stepped through his front door, his phone vibrated again. This time, it was a message from Finn.
Finn: Ethan! Man, are you free to jump on a game with us?
Ethan: Sure, why not. What are we playing?
Finn sent over the title of an FPS shooting game.
Ethan sat down at his desk, booted up his PC, and installed the game.
Within minutes, he was in a lobby with Finn and two of their classmates—one going by the handle 'Error' and the other 'Elite'.
Meanwhile, over at the MMA Gym...
Benson was in the middle of instructing his morning class when the entrance doors swung open. Madison stepped inside, wearing her street clothes.
"Uncle Benson! I made it early like you asked," Madison said, walking over to him.
"Oh, hey kiddo! Thanks for coming in early," Benson greeted with a broad smile.
"So, your guest is arriving later this evening, right?" Madison asked, tilting her head.
Benson nodded. "Yup! That's exactly why I called you in early. Since you'll be giving him a full tour of the facility, I wanted to make sure we got your personal training session out of the way first."
"Understood!" Madison replied, heading off toward the women locker rooms.
A few minutes later, Madison returned wearing form-fitting athletic gear, her long hair tied back into a sleek, high ponytail.
As the other gym members continued their basic drills and light sparring on the mats, Benson sat on a bench, rubbing his chin intently with a deadly serious expression.
He looked less like a gym owner and more like a high general planning a military campaign.
"Uncle Benson...?" Madison called out softly, stepping closer.
Benson flinched slightly, jumping in his seat before quickly coughing to save face.
I definitely wasn't startled, he assured himself internally before looking up at her.
"Ah! Yes, Madison?"
"Is everything alright? You look really intense," Madison asked, raising an eyebrow.
Benson shook his head, standing up and dropping straight into a polished fighting stance.
"Everything's fine! Now, Madison, show me what you've learned so far," Benson instructed, his tone shifting into full teacher mode.
"ITF Taekwondo," Madison declared, shifting her weight effortlessly into a balanced stance.
Benson gave an approving nod. "Show me."
Without a second hint of hesitation, Madison launched forward, executing a lightning-fast kick aimed straight for Benson's guard—a strike packed with enough force to instantly knock out an average adult male.
BANG!
Benson raised his left forearm just in time to catch the strike. A subtle burst of friction and displaced air erupted from the point of impact.
Madison didn't pause for a microsecond. She unleashed a relentless barrage of destructive, high-speed kicks, aiming for different angles.
Benson stood his ground, blocking every single strike smoothly using only his left wrist and forearm.
Capitalizing on a split-second gap in her momentum, Benson stepped inside her range, driving a sharp right jab toward her shoulder.
Madison's reaction time was terrifying. She deflected his punch mid-air with a sweeping low kick, simultaneously using her momentum to spin and drive her opposite leg toward his ribs.
Benson blocked the second kick firmly, halting her momentum mid-air.
Madison stepped back onto the mat, panting lightly as she reset her breathing.
Benson nodding in genuine admiration. "Impressive, kiddo! Your form, balance, and weight transfer are way better than I expected."
Around the gym, every single student had stopped their own workouts, turning to stare in absolute awe at the high-speed sparring display Madison had just put on.
Meanwhile...
Ethan, Finn, Error, and Elite had lost total track of time, playing match after match deep into the afternoon.
As the orange glow of sunset began pouring through his bedroom window, Ethan glanced at the clock on his screen, suddenly snapping back to reality.
He quickly announced his departure to the guys on voice chat, logged off his PC, and grabbed his jacket.
Leaving the apartment, Ethan set off down the street, heading straight toward Benson's MMA Gym.