Chapter 10: Backlash
Leo stood in the middle of the dim corridor, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath.
His gaze lingered on the spot where his opponents had stood just moments ago, the empty space a stark reminder of what had just happened, as slowly, the reality of his victory began to sink in.
Leo tightened his grip on the daggers, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. The fight had been... strange.
Every movement, every attack, had felt slow, almost deliberate, as if the world around him had been moving at half-speed. It wasn't normal. It couldn't be normal.
He closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the dull ache in his muscles, the fatigue settling into his limbs. Whatever clarity he'd felt during the battle was gone now, replaced by an exhaustion that made his legs tremble.
'What was that?' he wondered, his jaw tightening. 'How did I do that?'
It was as if his body had taken over completely, moving with precision and instinct he couldn't explain. Yet now, standing there in the aftermath, he felt utterly drained, like every ounce of energy had been wrung out of him and every muscle in his body was sore.
"My body feels wrecked... like I've just woken up after running a marathon the day before, and now every muscle is screaming at me," Leo muttered under his breath while rolling his shoulders, hoping to ease some of the tension, but the added movement only made things worse.
The attempt at moving sent a sharp jolt of fatigue through him, as his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
'What's happening to me?' The thought clawed at his mind, panic rising in his chest.
'What was that ability I just used?' He wondered, as without knowing what ability he used or what were the consequences on his body for using it, Leo felt clueless on how to deal with the aftershocks.
His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his trembling hands. Desperation took hold as he interlocked his fingers, squeezing tightly in a futile attempt to steady them. But the tremors refused to stop, his body betraying him even as his mind raced for answers.
'Whatever this ability is, my current body is clearly not strong enough to use it for long. 20-30 seconds, that's my limit as of now, but if I push beyond it, I'm probably going to end up in a coma–' Leo realized, as he convoluted on the floor, every muscle in his body spasming and sending waves of pain rolling through his body.
For a full minute, he trembled on the floor as if he was undergoing an epileptic shock, a truly painful and pitiful sight to watch.
And it wasn't until a full minute passed, that the spasms started to weaken in intensity.
Eventually, three minutes after the last spasm subsided, Leo finally recovered enough to get back to his feet, but the experience left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Whatever pride he previously felt at being able to fight well and hold his ground amongst these stone-cold killers, was replaced by a strong desire to never lift a dagger again, as the aftermath of using his powers was anything but enjoyable.
'Where the hell is Felix?' Leo wondered once his mobility was restored, as the fatty had not shown himself, or offered to help long after the fight was over.
"It's calm..."
A faint voice mumbled from behind the pillar where Leo had last seen Felix, and just as he anticipated, the fatty seemed to still be perched behind that same column, having not moved a single inch since the fight began.
"Too calm. Does this mean... Leo's dead? He must be. He had no skills." Felix mumbled, hugging the gourd in his hand tighter, his body shaking with each shallow breath.
He hadn't dared look at the fight, hadn't even glanced to see what was happening. In his mind, the outcome was already clear: there was no way Leo could have survived.
"Why did I partner with him?" Felix groaned softly, rocking slightly as he spoke to himself. "I should've teamed up with someone stronger. Someone reliable. Someone who doesn't just... die."
Felix sniffled, glancing toward the corridor's edge but still too scared to move. "Well, at least I'll get a good story out of this. 'Felix the Betrayed,' left to fend for himself by a useless partner—"
A sharp kick to his leg jolted him from his thoughts.
"Shut up," Leo's voice cut through the air, sharp and firm.
Felix yelped, nearly dropping his gourd as he scrambled to his feet. His wide eyes darted to Leo, his mouth falling open in shock. "You're... alive?"
Leo raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Obviously."
Felix's gaze flicked past him, scanning the corridor. The two opponents were gone, leaving no sign of their presence other than the faint cracks in the wall where the mace had struck.
"You... took them out?" Felix stammered, his voice a mix of disbelief and awe.
Leo didn't respond immediately. He sheathed one dagger, resting the other lightly against his thigh as he turned to look at Felix. "They're gone."
Felix's shock quickly turned to excitement, his face lighting up as he stepped closer. "But how?! You said you didn't remember how to fight! How did you... you know, not die?"
Leo sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know."
Felix grinned, his mood shifting entirely. "Oh, I knew it! You're not useless after all! You've got skills—hidden skills! You're probably some kind of secret badass who forgot how awesome he is!"
Leo rolled his eyes, brushing past Felix. "Calm down."
But Felix wasn't listening. "This is amazing! We're going to crush this test! With my genius and your..." he gestured vaguely, "...whatever that was, we're unstoppable!"
Leo didn't reply. He felt a silent rage bubbling within him, which forced him to contemplate whether or not he should skin Felix alive where he stood, but he decided against it eventually.
'I need him to survive this test...' Leo concluded, as with a deep sigh, he let the matter of Felix's cowardice slide.
"Drink up... the next fight won't be so easy" Leo said, as slumping against his column, he sat back down in his original hiding spot.