"…Try me."
For a second, Mal just stared at me.
Then he smiled.
Not a nice smile.
A cruel one.
"Alright," he said softly. "You asked for it."
He moved first.
Fast.
Too fast.
I barely saw it—
THUD.
Pain exploded in my stomach.
My body folded. Air left my lungs instantly.
I dropped to my knees, gasping.
"…Still weak," Mal said.
I clenched my teeth.
No.
Not again.
I pushed myself up.
Step forward.
Punch—
He caught it.
Like it was nothing.
"…Pathetic."
CRACK.
Something slammed into my face.
The world spun.
I hit the ground hard.
Dust filled my mouth.
My ears rang.
I tried to move—
My body didn't listen.
"Stay down," Mal said, walking closer.
Around us, a few clan members watched… silent… uninterested.
Like this was normal.
I shook.
Not from fear.
From anger.
Why…
Why is it always like this…
I forced my arms under me.
Pushed.
Stood.
Barely.
Mal sighed.
"You don't learn, do you?"
He kicked me.
Hard.
My body slid across the ground.
Pain shot through everything.
My vision blurred.
But I didn't stop.
I couldn't.
I stood up again.
"…I'm not done."
My voice was weak.
But it didn't break.
For a moment…
Mal stopped.
"…Why do you keep getting up?"
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
I just looked at him.
Breathing.
Standing.
Refusing to fall.
The air around me trembled slightly…
Faint.
Unstable.
Like something was about to break.
And somewhere deep inside me…
Something was cracking.