Date: May 4th, 2024
Location: Shadow Arena, Secret Tournament Grounds
The first thing Kyle noticed when he woke up was the silence. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of blood and sweat. He winced as pain shot through his body, reminding him of the brutal fight with Axel. Every muscle ached, and his head throbbed with the memory of defeat. But as he slowly pushed himself up, one thing became clear—Axel was gone.
Kyle scanned the dimly lit room. The Shadow Arena's once-thrumming energy had faded, leaving behind an eerie calm. The battlefield, now empty, seemed like a distant memory. Kyle's heart sank as he remembered the final moments of the fight—Axel's merciless strikes, the overwhelming power that had left him utterly defeated.
But something caught his eye. There, on a small table beside him, was a note. The edges were slightly frayed, as if it had been hastily torn from something larger. His heart raced as he reached for it, half-expecting it to be some taunt, some cruel reminder of his failure.
With trembling hands, Kyle unfolded the note. The message was simple, written in Axel's unmistakable handwriting:
"I didn't kill Dr. Bart. It was himself."
Kyle stared at the words, his mind struggling to process their meaning. Dr. Bart—his father, the man whose death had haunted Kyle for years. The memory of that day was burned into his soul: the sight of his father's lifeless body, the overwhelming grief, and the burning desire for revenge. He had spent years believing that Axel was responsible, that his betrayal had led to his father's death. But this note… it changed everything.
Flashback:
The day Dr. Bart died was one of the darkest in Kyle's life. He had returned home to find the house eerily quiet. The usual hum of his father's experiments, the soft clatter of tools, the occasional muttered curse—all were absent. And then he found him.
Dr. Bart was slumped over his workbench, his hand clutching a small vial. The scene was so still, so final. Kyle had rushed to him, shaking him, calling his name, but it was too late. His father was gone, and the vial slipped from his grasp, shattering on the floor.
In the days that followed, Kyle had pieced together what he thought was the truth. Axel had been working with his father on a top-secret project—a project that had the potential to change everything. But something had gone wrong. Axel had betrayed them, and in the chaos that ensued, Dr. Bart had been killed. That's what Kyle had believed. That's what had fueled his quest for vengeance.
But now… now, he wasn't so sure.
Present:
Kyle crumpled the note in his fist, anger and confusion swirling inside him. If Axel hadn't killed his father, then what had happened? What did Axel mean by saying it was himself?
Kyle's mind raced with possibilities. Could his father have taken his own life? But why? What had driven him to such a desperate act? And why had Axel waited until now to reveal this? Why, after all these years, did he choose this moment to tell Kyle the truth?
The questions piled up, each one heavier than the last. The defeat at Axel's hands was bad enough, but this… this was a different kind of blow. It struck at the very core of who Kyle was, forcing him to confront the possibility that his entire understanding of his father's death had been wrong.
Kyle struggled to his feet, every movement a reminder of his recent defeat. The physical pain was nothing compared to the turmoil raging inside him. He needed answers. He needed to understand what had really happened all those years ago.
But Axel was gone, and with him, the chance for a direct confrontation. Kyle's only clue was the note, and the truth it hinted at—a truth that could change everything.
As he limped toward the exit of the Shadow Arena, one thought consumed him: I have to find out what really happened to my father. Axel had left him a trail to follow, and though Kyle's path was now darker and more uncertain than ever, he knew he couldn't turn back. Not now. Not after this.
The game had changed, and the stakes were higher than ever. Kyle was no longer just fighting for survival. He was fighting for the truth—no matter where it led him.