The crowd roared like thunder.

I stood in the center of the ring, blood dripping from my split lip, my opponent unconscious at my feet. The referee grabbed my arm and raised it high.

“Winner! SERA

The noise crashed over me. Cheering, Screaming. Money changing hands. But I felt nothing.

Just the burn in my lungs. The ache in my ribs. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

Good. Pain was good. Pain meant I wasn’t thinking.

“Jesus Christ, Sera.” Rico appeared beside me, pressing a towel against my bleeding eyebrow. “You trying to kill yourself out there?”

“I won, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but barely.” He guided me toward my corner, his grip tight on my arm. “You took way too many hits. What the hell were you

thinking?”

I wasn’t. That was the point.

The medic appeared with his kit, dabbing at the cut above my eye. I flinched but didn’t pull away.

“This needs stitches,” the medic said.

“Later.” I grabbed the towel from Rico, wiping blood from my face. “When’s my next fight?”


Rico stared at me. “Your next–Sera, you just finished a fight. A brutal one. You need rest.”

“I don’t need rest. I need another match.”

“Tomorrow night. But seriously, you should–”

“Good. Sign me up.”

He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. His eyes scanned my face, seeing too much.

“You’re going to burn out at this rate,” he said quietly.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You’ve fought six times in two weeks. That’s insane even for you.” Rico crossed his arms. “What’s going on?”

going on. I

leaned closer. “Talk to

37.60

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189 Chapter 189


to talk about.” I stood up, ignoring the way my legs

sighed. “Nine PM. But Sera? You need to be

“I’ll be fine.”

body screaming in protest. Every muscle ached. My head throbbed. My knuckles were raw and bloody beneath the

Perfect.

when I got there. I stripped off my gloves

bruises blooming across my cheekbone. Split lip. Cut eyebrow still bleeding

exactly

Broken.

it. Don’t

shower as hot as it would go and stepped under the spray. The water burned against my cuts and bruises,

welcomed it.

Focus on the pain. Nothing


wouldn’t cooperate. It kept drifting back to that street. To

pressed my forehead against the shower tiles, letting

Of course he moved on. What did you

soap stung when I scrubbed at

I pulled on clean clothes with mechanical

bruises.

was waiting

with me,” he

It wasn’t a request.

silence, past other fighters

sweat

news,” Rico said

“What kind of news?”

He glanced at me. “There’s been

17:06

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189 Chapter 189

frowned. “What kind

fighters this circuit has ever

talk? It attracts attention.”

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