Chapter 25. Fight Begins
The classroom was bleak, its walls drained of color, drowning in black and white. Leonhardt slumped at his desk, alone in a sea of empty seats, his crimson eyes hollow, lifeless.
He stared at the desk—bastard, weakling, freak, worm—the words carved deep into the wood, each letter a fresh wound. He didn't move, didn't blink, his face frozen in numb resignation.
The scene shifted, dragging him into Garrik's hideout—a pit of shadows and grime.
Leonhardt was on his hands and knees, crawling through filth, his body bruised and battered. The world was a gray nightmare in his vision, except for the red of his blood dripping from a busted lip onto the cracked floor. His arms trembled as he tried to rise.
Garrik towered above him, a hulking figure of menace, his voice low and mocking. "What'd I tell you? Kiss my boots every morning."
Leonhardt's lips quivered, a faint "S-sorry" slipping out as he clawed at the ground. Tears mixed with blood on his chin as his head hung low.
Mori sauntered over, his grin sharp and cruel. He dropped to one knee beside Leonhardt, his tone mockingly gentle. "Hey, boss, go easy on the kid. He's fragile." He draped an arm around Leonhardt's neck, then squeezed, his grip tightening.
Leonhardt gasped, choking on a sob. "See? We're buddies, right, Leo?" Mori hissed, his voice venomous as he crushed harder. Leonhardt writhed, his broken pleas spilling out in whimpers. The room erupted in laughter, Garrik's pack jeering.
The memory dissolved, and the present Reo sat on a stone bench in the arena's preparation area. His duel with Garrik was minutes away.
He leaned back, eyes closed, a slow sigh escaping his lips as he rolled his shoulders, loosening the tension. In his hand, he clutched a silver chain, a ring swaying gently from it, an wedding ring he kept asChloe's memory. He opened his eyes, staring at it.
Leonhardt, he thought, his mind sinking into the memories of that broken boy. You weren't perfect—hell, you were a mess. But the vultures around you? They picked you apart 'til there was nothing left. His grip tightened on the chain, the metal digging into his palm until it stung.