Boxing Instructor's POV:
'Stepping into the ring for our sparring match, I put on the lightly padded boxing gloves our gym provides onto my taped up wrists. After watching that Kayle kid do work on the boxing bags, I can tell he isn't having the best day. Nine months in this gym and this kid hasn't said more than a few sentences to anyone. Trust me, a boxing gym with countless troubling teens coming here to vent out some anger, I've met plenty of men of few words, but this kid....he is different.'
Anyone could tell just by looking into his eyes. No one spends that kind of hours added up in this place unless they're training for a competition. However, according to Master Fe who had spoken to him most out of all of us, that apparently wasn't the case for Kayle. Truly what scenes has this child seen to bring forth a weight like that from his fists? 'I can't even imagine. Most kids after leaving this place are less angry when they came.....but not him.'
After several instances of some of the other trainees picking fights with Kayle after viewing his raw talent, we banned other members from sparring with him besides fellow instructors or Master Fe. Every student we had who fought with Kayle, including our star pupils who had won several regional tournaments, were just tossed around like rag dolls when entering the ring with him. Where did he learn how to fight like that? Although he didn't have great technique at first, every spar he's had with other trainees has ended in a complete knock out within a few rounds.
Looking towards the other corner, I saw him. Long blond hair that reached his shoulders with bright blue eyes...He really needed a haircut; it's grown a lot since he joined us. I guess he wasn't the type to care about his looks much, though he still kept his stoic and chiseled features. 'As I looked at him his eyes aren't even staring back at me. He just kept staring towards the floor in front of him with eyes half open.....what's on his mind I wonder?
*DING!*
'The match has started; I advance a few steps towards the center of the box with my hands up in the first basic stance to guard my face. With those same cold eyes he begins to take notice of me and also advances toward my direction. If I can remember correctly the kid's technique still needs some work so as long as I don't take too many of those famous heavy strikes of his I should be alright.
*HA! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
I jab with my right arm and followed up with a side hook with my left. Kayle narrowly dodges each and takes another step forward and within a fragment of a second, lands a blow into my unprotected ribs on my left side.
Guuaaah!
My body flails a few steps to the right as I continue to get my bearings after being hit.
"Ha....Ha....Geez kid, you've been practicing"
"........"
I let out a few short breaths and say that while he continues to remain silent. I can feel a throbbing sensation from the area he just kneaded...yah that's going to be bruised tomorrow. The other instructors weren't lying; this kid's arm strength is really something else. I don't have time to over think it as he dashed towards me at a much quicker speed than before and swings his right foot straight into my abdomen. Even though I didn't have enough time to evade his strike, I put up both my arms to block the hit.
Puaghhhhh!....Booom!
The kick that connected with my two arms sends me flying back several feet into one of the corner posts. 'Jesus!!!.....even blocking this kid's hits can cause so much damage. What the hell is this, really?' I'm beginning to get queasy after the shot I just took, it had a force that spread throughout my body and with the backlash of hitting the corner post, my body momentarily froze from the stun it had just took. 'Ok..... taking this kid's hits from here on out is out of the question, if he connects my head with one of those kicks, the next trip I'm taking is going to be the hospital. Seriously...Who is this kid?!'
'I'm an instructor under the world famous fighter, Zhen Fe, "The Emperor". I train with him daily and am someone who prides himself in lasting several rounds with him. Yet I'm getting tossed around by this kid's monstrous blows. Geez! I'm pathetic, I need to end this quickly or else I'll receive much more emotional scarring than I already have today.
As he began to approach me I decide to use a boxer's greatest weak point in the ring while giving him a feint like I was going in for kick. He went to brush off my strike, though it never came, I change my trajectory and stomp the floor abruptly and lower my stance. I deliver a powerful blow with my open palm right underneath his chin.
*BAM!!*
That did it...Kayle immediately dropped to the floor and begins groaning. I can see he knows exactly what mistake was made as well. Always....always protect the chin. In boxing it's widely known to always protect your chin as there is a major nerve there and if it is hit with just enough force and precision it doesn't matter how big, strong, or how well they've trained. Getting hit at this particular point will drop them immediately. Even if the individual isn't knocked out or has enough energy to continue.....he can't! For a short time his body won't respond to his movements due to the intense shock and will regardless force the end of a boxing match.
Looking down, I see Kayle as he convulses and shakes on the ground. He looks like he's trying to force his body to move, but he can't. He's starting to breathe kind of awkwardly now that I think about it. Almost sounds like the sounds of a bull ready to charge or a wild wolf preparing to maul its prey....Yah...he's pissed alright.
"Listen kid, you've really improved and we're all proud of ya, but don't force yourse.....What the hell?"
As I tried to talk Kayle down, his body continues trembling and he moves his head towards me and as if for the first time in this fight, stares right into my eyes. They were the eyes of someone who was truly enraged. However, that is not what shocked me. His eyes....they...are pitch black?! No longer holding the bright blue hue they once had, they didn't even have any pupils, just blackness. He looks like a monster. 'What.....What's happening right now?'
Kayle starts to slowly lift his body while continually shaking and looking up at me. His stance is now gone and is now standing at the center ring. How is this possible? How is he getting up? What is up with his eyes?? Did he burst a blood vessel somewhere.....yah he must have a concussion or something. I look around and everyone in the gym is speechless from Kayle's indomitable will as he got back up. 'Ok, he obviously has a concussion right now and I need to put him down quick or this could become disastrous for this boy.' I get my guard up and aim a shot to the side of his face; his senses must have dulled after what I did to him. Its ok, I can do this....he's not a monster.
"Woh what...where'd he guahhh?
*Thwackkkk!*
As I swung my arm, it felt like he left an after image of himself and I lost sight of him somehow. Before I have a chance to think what's happening, a powerful strike is delivered to my right ribs from the back. The force from the blow shoots me back towards the same corner post. I taste blood. My God did his kicks get stronger. 'Ughhh wha....what's happening.' Things are becoming blurry. I see him coming closer and I stumbled forward losing my balance. I throw a pathetic punch his way which is then blocked, and then he countered.... A blow that felt like an atom bomb going off at close range is connected to my chest with his fist in a strike I couldn't even see thrown. My body is then blasted through the corner post behind me sending me outside of the ring onto the floor beside everyone. It felt like my heart had stopped for a second from that hit. And with that, my vision went out like a light.
Kayle's Pov:
I got asked by another trainer to spar. Apparently I'm not allowed to spar with other trainees anymore due to Zhen Fe's rules. The fight went well, but I could tell I need to practice my techniques much more. Instructors as well as Zhen Fe are far better than the trainees I've fought in the past. The instructor I'm facing I believe was a golden glove boxer back in the day, apparently he was some kind of prodigy too. The fight continued with me having the initial advantage. I could see the look of shock when he received each of my punches and kicks. He clearly didn't expect that from someone my age. Even with blocking my strikes, I could tell they were causing him some pain.
Sadly though he delivered a fatal counter to my bottom jaw and dropped me.
"Ughhhhhhh ugh nnn
"
Damn it!!! I can't move. It's what he did to me. I should have never fallen for that feint and left my chin wide open. This instructor's strikes are dangerously fast. My vision blurs and the internal shock I received from the blow sent several images from the past through my brain....I look up towards my instructor and his face begins to turn into a familiar face. A muscular thick armed man with protruding horns out of his forward. I began to hear an eerily familiar laugh in my thoughts, something I couldn't forget even if I wanted to. From there, everything went dark.....
.
------------------
"Impossible, he manages to get past the flames I set. Absurd!" One of the unknown figures standing in my siblings' room stated.
"...Do not worry Lord Asmodeous, allow me to incinerate him with my hellfire for you!"
I couldn't believe what's happening in front of me. I can clearly see the charred remains of what's left of my little brother Hayden lying on the floor. He's not even recognizable anymore, but just by the parts of skin that are still distinguishable, I know it's my brother. He's missing an arm and I can see it several feet away from where his body lies. I can't think as my mind is in shock, but all I know right now is that I absolutely have to kill these bastards standing in front of me.
I absolutely can't forgive them for what I'm seeing in front of me.
Without thinking any further, I rushed forward and I am met with a large black flame that shot out of the less muscular horned figure from before. 'It's hot.....it burns....honestly it burns worse than anything I've ever felt up until now, but compared to the emotions that are tearing my heart to shreds at the moment, this fire is nothing. How fucking dare you! Why would you come here and do this?!
"I'll KILL YOUUUUU!!!!"
I burst through the dark flames, blinded by my rage, and plant my fist into the horned man's face. His body doesn't even move or give an inch. He's less muscular than the one next to him but he's still around a foot taller than me. I had to leap to land the blow, but it looked like it didn't faze him at all. "Wah, Ho..How did he get past it!!!!? Impossible!!!"
Apparently the shock of me not being incinerated by the dark, ungodly hot flames did more damage to him than my fist. 'What do I do? Who are these people.....no...these demons. What else could I call these things before me and took my siblings away.....siblings. Wait, where's Kaylan?!' After receiving multiple shocks at once with my brother's state, I forgot to see where Kaylan is. In the corner of the room on top of her bed I can see a small lump with the covers pulled over it. It's shaking....No, Kaylan, it's ok....don't be scared I'll protect you just hang on.
'
While I'm trying to figure out a plan, the muscular one flicks his wrist in my direction and my body begins to move on its own. It's lift up from the ground and I can feel my body hovering freely over the ground. As I stare back at the demon in front of me shaking with rage, I finally know where that stench from earlier came from. It wasn't my skin melting off, but these two. What is that....it smells like sulphur. It's almost enough to make me gag.
As he looks at me with interest, he pulls me towards him as I float in his direction. As he looks at me with disdain I spit in his face while mocking him. I have to keep his attention away from Kaylan.
"I swear.....I'm going to kill you, you monster."
"Ha? Someone as weak as you? Hahahaha! Never!" His voice vibrated the surroundings and had a slight echo to it. After saying this he sends me flying through the bedroom wall and into the adjoining kitchen area of the apartment.
"Guah....cough cough." Wow what is this thing. How, How can I get them away from Kaylan? My heart is racing and I can feel that my body took some massive damage from going through a wall just now.
Then a bright light coming from the cross around my neck began to glow strangely. The small white crystal imbedded into the middle began to shine like a star for a brief moment and I can feel energy returning to me. This cross is the last keep sake from our mother. I always kept it with me in remembrance. But what is this? I rip off the necklace to get a better look at it and the glow begins to fade back into the crystal. What's going on? I'm not given any more time to think about it as I hear the voices from before talking again.
"Go ahead and torch the girl and we'll finish off the boy too just in case. His ability to handle your flames is clearly abnormal."
"Bro Brotherrrr!!!! Help meeee!"
I grip the cross between my fingers, I remembered the gang members I've fought with until now would use keys like this. It really did make fighting those punks difficult. But I have to conceal it. If it glows like that again, I may not be able to get close to them.
"Heyyy... That all you got? Such puny fire I thought someone was hitting me with a blow dryer"
Ok I don't know what I'm doing but these two bastards with their talks of weakness and looks of pity makes me think they're very prideful. Calling them weak might invoke them to come back after me. I entered into the room as I stumbled past the debris from the fallen wall.
"What did you say?!!! I'll have you know my cursed flames are enough to melt this whole stupid world to the ground you filth!!!!"
Yah...that worked. I only have one shot at this. Hopefully he throws those flames at me again then I can somehow manage to get through and manage some diversion for Kaylan to escape. I have to do this, there's no other way. I'm sorry Kaylan.....
"Prepare for the pain of a thousand lifetimes, you worm!!!!!"
"Bring it Onnnn!!!!!"
I dash forward towards the the two and the same demon from before shoots another black flame my way, however this time the heat is definitely stronger now that his pride was hurt. But i can endure. Just a little longer is all you need come on! Just a little further... I burst through the dark flames with an intense pain coursing through my veins down to my bones but I don't have time to focus on that right now. I continue forward only this time my aim is the bulkier demon. The smaller one called him Lord or something. Meaning if I were to hurt him somehow maybe I can cause some diversion but alas....things aren't always so easy.
He caught me within seconds before reason with his weird telekinetic ability and froze me in mid air.
"Hahahahaha were you trying to save the little girl over here child? How pitiful, here feel what true heartache is! Faylon!"
"Yes, my lord!"
The smaller demon turned his hands towards the bed Kaylan was hiding at........no.
Flames erupted from his hands and onto the bed. Immediately I hear the screams of my darling little sister. The cries turn my heart into a flurry anguish. I can't bear this sound anymore.
She rolls off of the bed in a panic as the fire started to spread over the covers that were on top of her while I could do nothing but watch. 'No...No...No no nononono no nonononono!!!!! MOVE damn you pleaseeeeeee! MOVEEEEEE!!'
My body started to violently shake in the air which caused the two demons to turn back and look at me with a concerned look. After struggling, the muscular one started to show a confident smile. It was at that moment the cross between my fingers started to flow again and I could even feel strength returning to my right arm. I don't miss this opportunity and sink the long end of the cross into the large demons eye and what happened next must have caused the demon severe harm.
He bellowed a scream that shook the very foundation of the building. His skin next to his eye was starting to deteriorate and was burning off quickly. Within seconds, a fourth of his face and skin had already been singed off. My body drops to the floor and the great demon begins panicking as him and the other demon tries to get the cross away from his eye socket. But the pain seems to be too overwhelming for him.
I crawled over to where my sister is lying and pull her close to my chest. Her entire left side has been scored and damaged leaving her skin and face ruined. Her hair has been completely burnt off and the beautiful girl I once knew who was always smiling back at me was now hardly recognizable. She won't open her eyes. I drew her close and then could hear a faint breathing. Oh thank God.....
"Lord Asmodeous! I've never seen this before we have to leave and cure you immediately. Please we must hurry back."
" Ughhhh!!! Aghhhhh!!!!!!.UGH I'll come back for you boyyyy AHHHH!!!"
A small circular structure with demonic designs appeared underneath the two and a bright light appeared, within a second the two had vanished.
I look down at my beloved sister and hold her tightly against my chest. My eyes begin to water but I don't have time. I carefully pick her up in a princess carry and run out of the room to get immediate medical treatment, however, not before taking one last look at my little brother's lifeless body. He probably died protection Kaylan....Good job little bro, I won't waste your efforts in vain. As I turned my head, the scene of leaving my brother there will forever haunt my memories.
My vision begins to distort and become blurry as I notice I'm not where I think I am. I'm standing over a person whose face is swollen like it had been stung by a bunch of bees. Shaking my head to bring myself back to reality, I feel arms and hands pulling me off of the individual while I hear faint sounds of yelling directed towards me.
'Oh my, what.....did I do this?' Blood was splattered on the floor and around my gloves, but not a lot. What I'm looking at is the trainer I was fighting. Around his solar plexus is a very large bruise, colored in blue and purple, and covers the entirety of his chest. It looks like a wound someone would have while wearing a bullet proof vest but still taking a shotgun blast at point blank range....I did this?
After that I left the gym rather quickly, or well I was strictly told to leave by Zhen Fe. He said I'm not allowed to return until I get a handle on my rage problem and he thinks I need to go receive help from a doctor....Yah, that didn't work either. Apparently after landing a shot to the instructor's chest and breaking the corner post, I had leaped out of the box and got in a few more shots on his face before several instructors had pulled me off. The look of horror in everyone's eyes told me what I had done was wrong. I've never blacked out like this before.....I guess all that lack of sleep topped with my decreasing sanity probably isn't helping. Well, who would be alright in the head after seeing such sights really?
I guess I should go grab a bite to eat since I'm hungry. Strange even after having that freak out I'm surprisingly calm right now and my breathing is back to normal.....hmmm. Something tells me that's not ok but not much I can do about that.
After leaving the boxing gym I go grab a bite to eat at a diner I worked at part time as a cook. I've worked multiple jobs over the years but this was the one job I liked the most. I always enjoyed cooking in the kitchen, I guess because I always enjoyed getting to bring it home and see my two sibling's faces as they would try out my new dishes.
I didn't stay long even though the owner and staff had asked me to stay a little longer. Eating meals is usually a quick process for me now when I'm always eating alone. I continue walking down the streets of my old neighborhood I haven't been in a long time. 'Come to think of it, when was the last time I just took a walk? Damn.....it's been a while.'
"Hey, where are you going, handsome? " Some girl I walked by tried to talk to me, but I just walked past her without acknowledging her. I could hear her make a grumbling sound like she didn't expect me to ignore her completely. I started to take a detour and head for a local park my mom use to take us three when we were little. It's been so long since I've been here.
As I walk through the park, I continue to go through the memories of what happened that awful night. I rushed Kaylan out of the building and begged the paramedics to rush to the hospital. They allowed me to stay in the EMT van as we drove to the hospital quickly. Her pulse kept dropping, but the EMT's managed to somehow bring her back from the dead and kept her breathing stabilized somehow. I grabbed her hand that wasn't burned and pulled it close to my cheek. I kissed it to let her know I wasn't going to leave her. I prayed. I begged. I pleaded with God, to someone, to let my little sister live. "Let her stay with me, please." If she left this world.....then I would truly be alone.
Kaylan's breathing remained steady until we reached the hospital. She stayed conscious just long enough to see me shedding tears down my face. In a faint voice that only I could hear, she said
"...Don't....cry.."
She looked me in my eyes and gave me that same beautiful smile she always had just before leaving this world for good.
As I continued to walk through the old park, my eyes started to water remembering this.....No....No. I haven't cried since that day....and I won't. I took a deep sigh and then started to notice in the distance was a large gathering of people. It was a group of neighborhood kids and some parents watching some.....Wait, is that a clown? I walked up closer to see that in the center of the circle stood a clown, or I say that but his looks are different than that of a modern day clown. He wore one of those large, checkered jester hats and had his face painted half-black and half-white with a few strange markings drawn in. He stood on a large beach-sized ball and was juggling bowling pins, knives, and hoola-hoops. I'm not gonna lie, this clown was good. He seemed to be enjoying himself too from hearing his joyful laugh while being surrounding by the kids who sat there in amazement.
"Oh hahahahaha! Now, now....who here would like to see.....a magic trickkkkK!!!!!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and the clown threw his hands into the air with a huge smile on his face.
"Well then, I need a volunteer....Hmmmmm who shall I pick?"
While surveying the audience, the clown in odd clothing pointed at me and laughed again.
"Ohohohoho you sir, would you mind helping me out?"
"..."
'Wait, is this goofy character talking to me?'
"Uhhh no thanks I'm just passing through"
"Oh....and where else do you have to be on this fateful day good sir? You wandered through this park today and somehow found your way here. So I think that it's a rather good thing as you seem to need some cheering up! Don't you agree kids?!!!!"
"...Umm...are you a pedophile?"
"......" The jester and everyone in the surrounding area were speechless.
"Wah....N..No of course not where would you get that from?"
"Umm, I don't really see any birthday balloons or anything around and yet you're standing here in a park, in a clown costume, surrounded by young children."
"........" The clown man looked back at me seemingly annoyed at my statement. But oddly enough didn't try to argue with my logic.
As the clown took out a deck of cards he threw the deck at the table he was standing beside. The cards cascaded evenly over the table and were perfectly aligned face down across the entire table. At that moment I felt an immense gaze staring at me. It made me flinch as I looked up to see where this gaze was coming from. There I saw a few feet standing away from the clown were yet another figure that didn't match this scene. It is a gorgeous, exotic looking woman wearing a casual business suit and short skirt. Her hair is dirty-blonde with an almost purple tint to it. She has a large curvy chest that showed a little cleavage through her business suit. It was hard not to continue staring at her as I turned back to the jester in front of me. As I reached for the cards, his face immediately brightened as if totally forgotten what I said before about him being a pedophile.
The card I pulled...a joker? Eh, what are the odds, huh?
"Now then, the card an individual pulls from my deck always shows a little bit about the person who picks it. I believe that this deck does not lie!"
As he turned over the other cards showing several numbers and face cards, he kept staring at me with his same smile which almost looked hand-drawn. Now that I'm looking at him he actually has quite a nicely toned face. Had he not dressed like a clown, I'm sure he actually wouldn't have much trouble with the ladies. As he collects the card and picks up the deck with his left, he instantaneously lights a match with his other hand and within a second the deck had burned and turned to ash as if it was never even there. 'Heh...Clever trick. But is that all?'
"Now then the card you picked as I said says a lot about you."
"Hmm....that so? Then I guess it's saying I'm a dud then." As I said that I showed him the card I had pulled.
"Oh?"
"Yah see I pulled a joker card. Isn't that like a joke card anyways and is never even used in games. Thinking to myself the joker was always a card no one ever played with. In reality, it's a useless card and in some games it would mean you lost if you drew it.
"Oh..... On the contrary, I believe your card suits you quite well. Though many may think of the joker as a non-playable card or usually meaning a bust in some games, while in other games a joker can be considered as a hidden trump card, thusly, winning the game all together. But I guess it depends on the game now doesn't it?....it's all how you look at it yes?"
"Hmmm....that so."
"I choose to think so." as the clown said that he snapped his fingers and playing cards began to rain down from the sky like a firework had just gone off. Hundreds.....no thousands of playing cards rained down on everyone. On the face of each card....A joker.
As the crowd surrounding us leapt with joy at seeing something so incredible the joker and I continued staring into each other's eyes as if trying to get a read on the other.
"Well nice trick.....but I guess I should get going now. Don't pull any kids into your creepy van later ok...." As I turn around to walk home, I can feel his gaze on my back and hear the faintness of his unique laugh all the way until I left the park.
"Tch...Such arrogance in this one." Said the beautiful women in a business suit.
"Pay it no mind, Hlökk. Wuahhahaha! Now kids who wants to see.....some more magic trickkkkksssss!!!!
"
" " " YAYYYYY !!!!" " "
The sounds of the children's cheers and laughter passed through the entirety of the old park.