Chapter 11 BLAST FROM THE PAST
The others looked at me in anticipation, but all I could do was stammer. Well, more like tried not to stammer.
“You went after their heir alone.” He continued. “You’ve never been reckless like that. You didn’t even let us know you were planning to strike them."
I opened my mouth, but I had no answer. I didn't know Sienna’s reasons.
"She has amnesia, K!" Jax snapped when the silence extended. "She doesn't know why she did it. And right now, it doesn't matter. She’s too weak to take on more attacks. She needs to recuperate."
"Weak?" Mina asked, leaning back in her chair. "Didn't you say she took down an assassin while she was still hooked up to an IV?"
They all looked at me with a new kind of intensity in their eyes.
"Show us," Kael said. "Do some basic stances. We need to see how much your body has retained."
I hesitated, then stepped forward, trying to remember the moves from the hospital.
I tried to set my feet and raise my arms, but my muscles felt stiff and uncooperative.
"Uhn, maybe try again," Kael urged.
I tried a punch, but it was slow and weak, making me feel like a child playing dress-up. I stumbled, nearly falling over.
"It was the adrenaline," Jax muttered, catching me by the elbow before I could fall. "At the hospital, her survival instinct took over. But her muscles have atrophied. She’ll need to relearn everything from scratch."
"I want to try a counter-move," I insisted.
Jax shook his head. "Si, you’re not ready."
"Just do it!" I snapped.
Jax sighed. He stepped forward and suddenly lunged for my throat.
My mind froze. I saw his hand coming, and I didn't know what to do. But then, a strange heat flooded my limbs, and my body moved before I could think.
I stepped inside his reach, caught his wrist with my left hand, then drove my right hand into his chest, redirecting his momentum.
In a heartbeat, I had Jax’s arm twisted behind his back. He was pinned against the side of the table.
I stared at my own hands, terrified. Without thinking, my body had just... known. It was a cold, mechanical efficiency that didn't belong to me.
"See?" Jax said, grunting as I released him. "The skills are in there, but your mind and your body are out of sync. Pushing it too fast will cause your brain to glitch. You’ll get memory flashes you aren't ready for."
"You need to remaster yourself, Boss," Mina added. "You've been in a place for months. You’re rusty."
Leo suddenly hissed, staring at his laptop screen. "We have a problem. A big one."
"What now?" Jax asked, tiredly.
"The people at the Pit have found out Si is awake," Leo said, his face grim. "They’re demanding her return. They say if she doesn't show up, they’re going to reclaim her turf and give it to the Cobras."
"The pit?" I asked.
"The Pit is the biggest underground fighting ring in the district," Jax explained. “You’ve been their champion for the past three years. You owe the promoter money, and the fans are hungry for blood."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "Fi… fight? I can't fight in an underground ring."
"They’re saying you should come defend your title," Leo muttered, shaking his head. He looked at them with wide, worried eyes. “The next fight is two weeks from now.”
"Two weeks?" I practically whined. "I can barely stand for ten minutes without getting dizzy! Shouldn't I have time to fully recuperate? This is insane!"
The room went silent again, and the crew exchanged surprised, worried looks.
I realized my mistake immediately. The real Sienna would probably never whine or grumble about a fight.
Sienna’s voice echoed in my head: “...It is kill or be killed now. No more princess life.”
I slumped into a chair and let out a long, weary groan. “Fuck my life.”
"You have no choice, Si," Jax said softly, stepping closer. "If you don't show up, people will think we are weak, and soon rival gangs would come for all of us. You don't have to win a championship match. It’s just a friendly match to show you’re alive. Everyone just wants to see you."
I looked at the floor. I was so trapped. "Fine," I whispered finally. "I'll do it."
"Good," Leo spoke up. "But there’s one more thing. The man they are saying she should fight... he isn't exactly 'friendly'."
"Who is it?" Jax asked.
He looked at me, then at Jax. "It’s a new guy. A heavy hitter who has been dominating the circuit since Siren had been laid up. He calls himself 'The Butcher'. And word is, he has announced that he would make sure you never take your spot back. The ring isn’t for women.”
Anger shot through me. “Oh fuck him,” I growled before I could stop myself. “I am taking him down.”
The room went silent.
"It won’t be that easy, Si," Jax said, his voice barely a whisper.
I frowned, looking at their pale faces. "Why? He is just a guy with a big mouth and a stupid name."
Leo looked away from my gaze. Mina gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles were white.
“He was at the place where you were attacked,” Mina said in a small voice. “We are not sure, but he may be one of the people who put you in the hospital.”
I froze.
“And rumors are flying around that he may be a Harbinger.”