RADIANT CHRONICLES: AWAKENING

Chapter 009

Author's Note: this chapter will be delivered through 3rd pov.
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Marco launched a swift punch at Alex, who barely managed to avoid it by tilting his body.

"HAHAHAHAHA THIS BITCH CAN FIGHT" Marco laughed hysterically as his fist grazed Alex's chin, the sound of his laughter echoing in the empty classroom.

Alex stumbled back, his vision blurring momentarily from the close call. He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath, still exhausted from the earlier fight with Marco's gang. His body ached from the relentless onslaught of punches and kicks he had endured.

He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple, mixing with the blood from a small cut near his hairline.

Marco lunged at him again, delivering a barrage of punches: left and right, up and down, jabs and hooks.

Each punch was delivered with a precision and brute force that spoke of years of practice and a love for inflicting pain. Marco's fists were relentless, a blur of motion that Alex struggled to follow.

He did his best to avoid the punches, but he couldn't evade them all. Marco's right hook connected with Alex's jaw, sending a jolt of pain through his skull.

He tasted blood as his lip split open. A left jab followed, striking Alex's temple and making his vision swim. He stumbled, feeling the impact reverberated through his entire body.

Marco's uppercut hit Alex's gut, and he doubled over in pain, gasping for breath. Marco's punches kept coming, pushing Alex back further and further.

Alex wanted to avoid the punches, but he was too tired from the last fight and struggled to recover his stamina. His legs felt like lead, and his arms were too slow to block or deflect the blows. He felt himself being driven back, step by step, towards the classroom wall.

Suddenly, Marco used a technique he had perfected over countless street fights. He feinted a punch to Alex's face, causing Alex to raise his guard, then swiftly brought his leg up and delivered a powerful kick to Alex's gut.

The impact lifted Alex off his feet and sent him crashing to the floor, where he lay gasping and writhing in pain. His vision dimmed, and he felt like he might pass out.

The world spun around him, and for a moment, he couldn't hear anything but the pounding of his own heartbeat.

Marco thought Alex had passed out and started walking towards him, a triumphant grin on his face.

He saw Alex's face resting and thought, "He's a tough one." He wondered if Alex had been working out.

Marco couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for the kid who had taken so much punishment and still managed to stay conscious.

"You awakeee?" he asked, but there was no response. An evil grin plastered on Marco's face as he planned something to confirm if Alex was faking it or not.

He wanted to make sure his victory was complete, to break Alex's spirit once and for all. "Wake up!" he shouted, aiming to stomp on Alex's gut, but Alex rolled and immediately stood up, surprising Marco with his sudden movement.

"Well, well, well, it seems like you're awake," Marco said, his voice dripping with mock surprise.

Alex remained silent, hoping to buy some time to rest, but he was wrong. This Marco bastard was a battle maniac. He seemed to thrive on the violence, to get a sick thrill out of watching others suffer.

"Hey, did you do some workout while being beaten up by us?" Marco asked, but Alex kept silent, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.

Marco wasn't entirely wrong. Even before meeting Marco, Alex had been working out, climbing trees, and doing parkour in the forest, which helped him develop his body.

But he wasn't about to tell Marco that. He knew it would only fuel his tormentor's sadistic delight. "You won't answer, huh?" Marco said, agitated. "Now die, bitch," he yelled, running towards Alex and delivering a kick.

Marco's kicks and punches came with a ferocity that was hard to match. He used a roundhouse kick, a spinning backfist, and a series of rapid punches that left Alex reeling.

Each blow landed with a bone-jarring impact, sending waves of pain through Alex's already battered body. Alex tried to dodge, but some hits landed.

Marco's kick connected with Alex's side, but Alex caught it and punched Marco in the face, but he easily dodged by rotating himself, using his upper body to spin his lower body and break free from Alex's grip.

Just then, Marco's phone rang. He answered it with a frustrated expression. "Yeah, what is it? ... Fine, I'll be there," he responded curtly.

He glanced back at Alex, a look of irritation on his face. When the call ended, Marco looked at Alex.

"It was fun, but I've got to go home. I'd love to beat you more, but there are more important things to do," he said, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

Marco woke up his friends, who were limping as they headed outside. They looked at Alex with a mixture of fear and anger, unable to believe that he had managed to fight back.

Before disappearing, Marco looked back at Alex, who was panting and beaten up. He signaled that the fight wasn't over and that Alex should be ready next time.

"This isn't over, loser. Get ready for more next time," Marco sneered, his voice full of menace.

A loud thud echoed from the door closing. Alex's strength gave out, and he slumped to the ground. He couldn't believe he had fought back.

He couldn't believe he had stood up to Marco. But a bigger problem loomed: Marco was bigger and more muscular.

The thought of facing him again filled Alex with dread. He didn't know if he could survive another encounter.

His thoughts raced as he tried to process what had just happened. He had fought back.

He had actually managed to land a few blows, to make Marco and his gang feel some of the pain they had inflicted on him.

But at what cost? His body felt like it had been through a meat grinder, every muscle screaming in agony.

He didn't know how he was going to face them again, how he was going to survive another day in this hellhole of a school.

"I guess I just have to do my best," Alex thought, his determination igniting despite his exhaustion. He couldn't let them break him.

He had to find a way to survive, to endure, to keep going no matter what.
He didn't know what the future held, but he knew one thing for sure:

He wasn't going to give up. Not now, not ever.