“Hm, but she’s not wrong. If everyone hears she had to fight a trainer, they’ll agree it’s unfair.” Norman scratched his chin thoughtfully, making me wonder if he was mocking me or truly reconsidering.
“I know. How about this-” Maximus raised a finger as a new idea sparked in his mind. This time, he stepped back and walked until he was among the students who had been eagerly watching, waiting to find out what was going on.
“If Helanie here can land just one punch-just a single punch within a fifteen-minute match-she’s in!” he announced. Norman chuckled.
He walked back to join his brother and spread his arms wide. “He won’t even fight back. He’ll only defend himself.”
The pride on Norman’s face was unsettling.
Some of the students began to snicker, sensing how ridiculous it was. There was no way I could land a single hit on this beastly man.
“There’s no chance she’ll manage,” one of the students laughed, joined by a few others.
“Come on, Helanie. What happened to ‘I’ll do anything to be part of this academy’?” Maximus mocked, not caring that the other students were witnessing a teacher bullying a potential candidate.
At this point, I needed to stop calling myself a student. I wasn’t one yet, and with this final test, I likely never would be.
I lowered my head, remembering the faith Emmet had shown in me when he handed me that card. Even if I lost today, I’d stay in the ring for the full fifteen minutes and give it everything I had.
I raised my head and saw the brothers shrug. Norman slipped the card into his pocket, turning to the accepted students.
“You’re starting at the academy the day after tomorrow-” He was about to dismiss them, already assuming I wouldn’t fight, when I raised my voice, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I’ll do it.” As my words cut through the air, everyone turned to stare. Norman took a moment, probably unsure if he’d heard me right.
“What did you say?” he asked, while Maximus rolled his eyes at me.
“I said I’ll do it.” I put down my bag and walked toward them steadily.
Maximus stepped closer and whispered in my ear, “Don’t embarrass yourself. Just leave.”
“No!” I took a step back, unwilling to let him manipulate me.
“Even if I don’t succeed, I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got.” I adjusted my posture, and gradually, everyone started to step back, making space.
“Fine. Maximus, just do it. It’s only fifteen minutes,” Norman yawned, glancing at his watch. For them, it was just fifteen wasted minutes, but for me, it meant everything.
I couldn’t give up. Even though I knew the odds were stacked against me.
“Alright,” Maximus shrugged, and everyone cleared the field. Of course, he wouldn’t run around; he’d only need to stay within the white circle.
We faced each other, and the second Norman gave the signal, I lunged at Maximus with my weakest punch. It was laughably easy for him to dodge, and I ended up face-first in the mud. Laughter erupted as I lifted my head, mud streaked across my face. I quickly wiped it off with my sleeve and got back on my feet. Maximus didn’t even need to move fast; he just stood there, watching me struggle.
Each time I missed, the laughter grew louder.
I tried to mask my frustration, but my throat tightened, and my cheeks burned. I couldn’t land a single hit. Tears began to prick at my eyes, and I brushed them away with the back of my hand. Each passing minute reminded me of that night. This was my only chance to stand up to these Alphas. But now, it felt like I was losing it.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Maximus’s taunt jolted me back to the present. I was covered in mud.
My hand dropped for a second, my heart sinking. They were all having so much fun. They knew I couldn’t win and were just waiting for the fifteen minutes to be up. He was simply toying with me.
Just one punch, I told myself.
I threw my next jab a bit harder, hoping it might connect, but he sidestepped with a smug “Too slow!” that sent another wave of laughter through the crowd.
Frustrated, I charged at him, trying to land a punch or even an elbow to his face, but he moved aside so swiftly that I fell even harder, landing straight in the mud again.
This time, as I tried to get up, I felt my pendant brush against my lips. I didn’t know why, but it triggered a memory of how this pendant had once gotten me into trouble. Instead of focusing on the fight, I removed it right there in front of all the students and the two mocking brothers.
Helanie:
My heart raced as I felt Maximus step up right behind me, taunting me with a sneer. My grip tightened around my pendant. It was like a quick decision that I took it off. I am not even sure what I would get from it. My mind ordered and I did it.
“Come on, I’m right here! You can’t even hit me once?” His voice cracked slightly, and a frown appeared on my forehead. I slowly stood up, turning to meet his gaze.
I had just taken off my pendant, but he was way too close now. I bet he could sense the shift in my scent, the faint trace of pheromones. It would take some time before the others noticed, but I was exuding such intense anxiety that I wondered how long I could keep it hidden.
And that’s when I saw Maximus falter. He tried to keep smirking, but his confidence was clearly wavering. His attempt at mocking me was crumbling. At moments, he even narrowed his eyes at me, as if trying to understand what had changed. But it was too late for him.
I could feel it now-my courage.
I lunged at him.
This time, he dodged, but when I retreated and struck again, he wasn’t quick enough. My delicate, seemingly fragile knuckles connected with his strong jaw, drawing a gasp from the crowd. My punch barely moved him, but when I landed a second blow, the shock on his face was unmistakable. The crowd went silent.
Maximus was just as stunned as everyone else. I was amazed that I hit such a scary trainer.
His eyes were wide, and his mouth gaped as he stumbled back, pushing me away. I tripped over my own feet and landed squarely on my butt. But the test was over.
I have done it. I won!
“Maximus!” Norman stepped between us, shoving his brother back, murmuring something in his ear.
“You can’t just give her a chance to win by being easy on her and then act upset,” Norman said, managing the situation. The crowd nodded in agreement, as if convinced the only reason I landed a punch was because Maximus had gone easy on me.
But I could tell that beneath the surface, they were all a bit shocked, maybe even starting to believe that Maximus hadn’t expected me to hit him at all.
Maximus’s face flushed with anger at the humiliation. His fists clenched, and I saw a similar expression on Norman’s face, though he struggled to maintain control of both the situation and his wounded brother, whose pride had taken a serious hit.
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