The fog in Arnold's mind finally lifted. The blurred images sharpened, and the static in his head turned into words. The memory returned, hitting him with the force of a physical blow.
Flashback
Arnold stood alone in a desolate space. In front of him was a man whose presence felt heavier than the world itself. He was calm, his expression masked in a terrifying sort of seriousness.
"There is going to be chaos," the man said. His voice was low, vibrating in Arnold's chest. "Something big is coming."
He paused, letting the silence settle between them like a threat. "Your family will be in the middle of it. They will be in danger."
Arnold frowned, his fists tightening at his sides. He wanted to laugh, to call the man a liar, but the air felt too thick for jokes. "I don't believe you."
The man didn't argue. He didn't try to persuade Arnold with more words. He simply raised his hand.
In an instant, the world bled away. Arnold didn't just see a vision; he felt it. He saw the sky turning the color of bruised blood. He saw fire consuming the streets and heard the bone-chilling screams of thousands. Then, he saw them. Ayelen. Miyara. They were falling, their eyes wide with a terror he couldn't stop. He watched them die, over and over, in a loop of absolute despair.
Arnold's eyes snapped open in the real world. His heart was hammering against his ribs, and his breath had completely stopped.
"What... what was that?" Arnold whispered, his voice trembling.
"A possibility," the man replied, his gaze unwavering. "Join me." He let the offer hang in the air. "Or lose everything."
Arnold stepped back, his legs feeling like lead. He was shaken to his very core. "I... I need time."
The man nodded slowly, his shadow stretching long across the ground. "I'll wait."
Back to the Present
The stranger who had just saved Arnold and handed him the device suddenly staggered. A sickening, wet sound echoed through the sterile hospital hallway. A jagged blade had erupted through the center of the man's chest, coated in dark, hot blood.
Arnold froze. His pulse spiked with a new kind of fear.
Behind the dying man stood a Nylomite. At first glance, it looked human, but everything about it was wrong. Its face was a twisted mask of skin, its eyes were hollow pits of nothingness, and its body moved with an unnatural, jerky twitch.
Arnold rushed forward, his hand outstretched. "Wait!"
The man coughed, a spray of blood hitting the floor. He looked at Arnold one last time, his strength fading fast. "Accept... Flauge's offer..."
His body went limp and hit the floor with a dull thud. Still. Lifeless.
Arnold's mind reeled. The pieces of the puzzle finally slammed into place. The flashback, the match, that unmistakable face in the crowd. "That man... the guest... he was Flauge."
Before he could even process the realization, a cold, powerful hand clamped around his throat. The Nylomite had moved with impossible speed. Arnold struggled, kicking and clawing at the creature's arm, but it was like trying to break iron.
The creature didn't just hold him; it dragged him. It hauled him down the corridor toward the ICU where Ayelen lay unconscious. Arnold felt a sharp, white-hot flash of agony in his back. The Nylomite had stabbed him, the blade sinking deep into his muscle.
Arnold gasped, the strength draining out of his limbs. He collapsed, his body refusing to respond to his commands. Through the haze of pain, he saw the ICU door just feet away. Ayelen was right there. Vulnerable.
The Nylomite stepped over him, raising its blade for the kill.
"Stop..." Arnold wheezed, but his voice was a pathetic whimper.
Then, a sudden, explosive force cleared the air. Flauge appeared as if he had stepped out of the shadows themselves. In one fluid motion, he shattered the Nylomite's grip and sent the creature sprawling. With another casual movement, a wave of warmth washed over Arnold. His wounds closed, the pain vanishing as if it had been a dream.
Arnold looked up, gasping for air, his eyes locking onto the man from his past. "...I'll do it." He took a jagged breath. "I accept."
Flauge looked down at him. He was terrifyingly calm. "This is your second test, Arnold."
Arnold's brow furrowed. "Test?"
Flauge didn't explain. He simply raised his hand and spoke two words that changed reality. "Shen Kao."
The hospital walls dissolved. The floor vanished. The world was wiped clean, replaced by a vast, empty dimension of grey mist and silence. Arnold stood alone in the center of this strange space. Across from him, the Nylomite hissed, its body coiling like a snake.
Flauge's voice echoed through the void, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. "This space removes all supernatural powers. No energy. No tricks." There was a cold finality in his tone. "Only strength. Speed. Skill. And there is only one rule. Kill your opponent to escape."
Outside the dimension, back in the hospital, Flauge stood like a sentinel in front of Ayelen's door, watching the invisible battle unfolding in his palm.
Inside the void, Arnold looked around, his heart thudding. He was confused, his body feeling heavy without his usual power. But then, he saw Ayelen's pale face in his mind. He remembered the vision of Miyara dying in the fire.
That was all he needed. His expression went cold. The fear left his eyes, replaced by a sharp, murderous focus. "Fine."
The fight exploded into motion. The Nylomite rushed him, a blur of grey limbs. Arnold shifted, his instincts taking over. He dodged a wild swing and threw a punch, but the creature blocked it with ease. It grabbed Arnold's arm and used his own momentum to slam him into the hard ground.
Arnold groaned, the impact vibrating through his teeth. Before he could roll away, a heavy kick slammed into his ribs. He tumbled across the misty floor, coughing. He forced himself up, spitting blood.
He rushed forward again, throwing a kick that the creature narrowly dodged. He followed up with a lightning-fast uppercut. Thud. It connected, snapping the creature's head back.
Arnold stepped back, gasping. But the Nylomite didn't feel pain the way humans did. It surged forward, unleashing a barrage of blows. Six strikes. Seven. Arnold's defense crumbled under the sheer physical pressure. He dropped to his knees, his vision blurring.
The Nylomite paused, looking toward the edge of the dimension as if it could see Flauge standing outside. "I'm coming... for you next..."
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. A presence, heavy and dark, filled the space. For a second, Arnold felt something watching him—something far worse than the creature he was fighting.
Flauge's voice echoed again, cutting through Arnold's fading consciousness. "Arnold. If you fail this... there is another Nylomite in the hospital." He paused, his voice turning into a whisper of ice. "And Miyara is still there. Alone."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Something snapped inside Arnold. The weight on his shoulders didn't crush him this time; it fueled him. He slowly stood up, his legs steady. His entire posture changed. He wasn't just a fighter anymore; he was a protector.
He took a new stance. It was low, controlled, and looked nothing like the MMA style he had used before. It was something older. Something uniquely his.
"Unomone," he whispered.
The Nylomite shrieked and attacked. Arnold didn't just move; he flowed. Every dodge was perfect. Every block was a setup. His timing was flawless, as if he could see the creature's movements before they happened.
He lunged, catching the Nylomite's leg in mid-air. He pulled with a burst of raw, concentrated strength, sending the creature crashing down. Arnold didn't give it a chance to breathe. He stepped in, his hands moving like a blur. He delivered a sharp, crushing strike to the creature's neck.
As the Nylomite staggered, Arnold stepped in close. He grabbed its jaw with both hands, his eyes burning with a terrifying light, and tore the creature apart.
The dimension shattered like glass.
The grey mist evaporated, and Arnold found himself back in the quiet, dim hallway of the hospital. He didn't wait for a compliment from Flauge. He didn't even look back at Ayelen's room. He turned and ran, his feet pounding against the linoleum. He had to get to Miyara.
But suddenly, he skidded to a halt. His eyes went wide as he stared down the long, empty corridor.
• CHAPTER 8 ENDS •