Chapter 5:

Chapter 5: — "Strong Today"

Shattered Chains


Kael walked slowly through the tall wooden doors of the Iron Lotus the next morning. His steps were heavy, his head tilted slightly down. Students bustled around him, chatting and laughing, but Kael couldn’t bring himself to join their energy.

His chest twisted with shame. He replayed the moment over and over in his head: him yelling at the trainee, the way the entire class froze, the stunned silence that followed. His face burned every time he thought about it.

He had lost control. Again.

“Stupid,” he muttered under his breath. “Why’d I have to scream like that?”

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he walked down the long hall, glancing toward the dojo room. That’s when he spotted the trainee.

The man stood near the entrance, speaking with another trainee from a different class. Their voices were low, professional, but their posture was relaxed. Kael stopped in his tracks, his stomach flipping.

His first instinct was to turn around and walk the other way. Hide. Pretend he was invisible. But then he clenched his fists at his sides.

No. He had to face this.

He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then let it out slowly. His hands still trembled, but he forced his feet forward, each step deliberate.

The two trainees noticed him approaching. The one from the other class gave Kael a brief nod, then excused himself and walked away. That left Kael standing in front of his own trainee, who crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“…Well?” the trainee said.

Kael swallowed hard. His throat felt tight, but he managed to speak. “I... I wanted to apologize. For yesterday. For yelling at you in front of everyone. I shouldn’t have done that.”

For a moment, silence hung between them. Kael’s heart hammered in his chest.

Then, to his surprise, the trainee let out a quiet sigh and shook his head. “You’re not the first, you know. And you won’t be the last.”

Kael blinked. “What?”

The trainee leaned against the wall casually. “Students yell. They snap. They break under the pressure. Happens all the time. Some storm out. Some don’t come back at all. Yesterday wasn’t new for me.”

Kael’s chest sank. Somehow, hearing that made him feel worse, not better. He thought he had been special in his failure, but no, he was just another angry outburst the trainee had probably seen a hundred times.

“…I still feel bad,” Kael admitted softly, lowering his eyes. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I was just… I was angry. At everything. At myself. At…” He hesitated, biting down on his lip. The words weighed heavy, but he forced them out. “At home. Things aren’t… good at home.”

The trainee studied him carefully, his sharp gaze softening just slightly. “You don’t need to explain the details. Everyone’s fighting their own battles outside these walls. I get it.”

Kael looked up, surprised. “You… do?”

The trainee gave a short nod. “I do. You came back today, didn’t you? That means something. More than you think.”

Kael didn’t know what to say. Relief mixed with guilt inside him, twisting uncomfortably. He thought an apology would fix everything, but instead it left him feeling smaller, like he had only scratched the surface of the real problem.

“…Thanks,” he finally muttered. His voice was low, almost ashamed. “For not holding it against me.”

The trainee unfolded his arms and clapped a hand onto Kael’s shoulder. The weight was firm but not harsh. “Don’t waste time regretting. Just use that fire you showed yesterday. Point it in the right direction this time.”

Kael nodded quickly. “Yes, trainee.”

The man gave him a short, approving glance before turning back toward the dojo room. “Get in line before you’re late.”

As the trainee walked off, Kael let out a long breath he didn’t realize he was holding. His hands finally stopped trembling.

He had apologized. He had admitted that he was struggling. And the trainee hadn’t rejected him, he had accepted it.

Still, the shame lingered, like a dull ache. Kael straightened his back, forcing himself to compose his face before stepping toward the dojo. He wasn’t sure if he had truly earned forgiveness, but at least he had tried.

And for now, that was enough.

The wooden floor of the training hall echoed with the sound of fists and feet slamming against the practice dummies. The air was thick with sweat and grunts of effort, students pushing themselves as the trainee walked between rows, watching carefully.

Kael kept his focus tight on his dummy, throwing punch after punch, ignoring the way his ribs screamed each time his arm swung forward. He didn’t want anyone to notice the weakness in his body, not after last night. He needed to prove he belonged here, even if his fists were trembling.

But no matter how much he tried to blend in, eyes still lingered on him. Whispering, snickering. He could hear bits of it.

“Three days and he thinks he’s better than everyone.”
“Yeah, yelling at the trainee like that… pathetic.”

Kael gritted his teeth and punched harder, imagining the dummy was his father. The sharp crack of wood under his knuckles gave him a rush of satisfaction, but it didn’t drown out the voices.

Then, during a short break when the trainee left the room to fetch something, three boys from the back of the class made their way over. They weren’t strangers, Kael had seen them eyeing him since yesterday. All three wore smirks that made Kael’s stomach knot.

“Well, well,” the tallest one drawled, crossing his arms. “If it isn’t the big shot. The guy who knocked over the dummy and thinks he’s hot stuff.”

Kael stayed quiet, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Sota, sitting nearby, tensed up immediately.

“Back off, Keigo,” Sota said, glaring at the tallest boy. “He didn’t do anything to you.”

Keigo grinned wider. “Didn’t do anything? He embarrassed the whole class yesterday. Screaming like a little kid, acting like he owns the place. We don’t need weaklings pretending they’re tough.”

One of the boys behind him snickered. “Yeah. Show-off.”

Kael’s fists curled at his sides. He wanted to snap back, tell them they were wrong, but the words stuck in his throat. His body was sore, his back was burning, and part of him just wanted to walk away.

But Keigo stepped closer, leaning down just enough to make it clear he was challenging him. “So, what’s it gonna be, huh? You gonna scream at me like you did the trainee? Or are you actually gonna try and fight?”

Sota stood up, quickly putting himself between them. “Kael, don’t. It’s not worth it. They’re just trying to pick a fight.”

Kael’s eyes locked on Keigo’s. The tension hung in the air like a blade ready to fall.

Kael wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep breath, trying to focus on the dummy in front of him. He ignored the three boys from earlier, hoping they would lose interest and leave him alone.

“Just… stay quiet. Train,” he muttered under his breath.

Keigo smirked and leaned against a nearby pillar. “What’s the matter? Can’t handle a little attention?”

Kael didn’t answer. He swung his fists again, hitting the dummy with precision, trying to ignore the whispers and snickers behind him.

But the third boy, shorter but wiry, wasn’t content with words. He stepped forward and delivered a quick kick to Kael’s side, sending him stumbling into the dummy. The wooden figure teetered, then slammed back against the floor with a heavy thud.

The three boys laughed, loud and mocking. “Aw, look at him! Crybaby can’t even hit a dummy without falling!” Keigo taunted.

Kael’s chest heaved. Pain flared in his ribs and back, but something snapped inside him. He rose to his feet, fists clenched, eyes blazing with determination.

“You think this is funny?” Kael yelled, his voice cutting through the laughter. “You think you can mess with me like this?”

The three boys’ smirks faltered for a moment as they realized Kael was serious.

“Oh, so now he talks back,” Keigo said, stepping forward. “Let’s see what you’ve got, loser.”

The second boy cracked his knuckles. “Yeah. Show us if you’re really all that.”

Students from around the dojo began to gather, sensing a showdown. Whispers spread: “Kael versus Keigo and the others!” Excitement buzzed through the room like electricity. Some backed up to get a better view, others leaned against the walls, eager to watch the fight unfold.

Kael’s eyes darted from one boy to the next. “I don’t want to hurt you… but I will if you push me.” His voice was low but fierce.

Keigo laughed, waving his hand. “Try me, weakling.”

The first punch was thrown. Keigo lunged at Kael with a sloppy swing, which Kael barely dodged, countering with a sharp jab to Keigo’s side. The impact made Keigo stumble backward.

The shorter boy rushed Kael from the left, but Kael sidestepped and delivered a quick elbow that sent him sprawling onto the mat.

The third boy, realizing Kael’s strength, hesitated for just a moment, but it was enough. Kael moved like a storm, blocking a punch from Keigo, then sweeping his legs. Keigo hit the floor hard, the sound echoing across the hall.

Students erupted, shouting and cheering. “Kael! Kael! Kael!” Some clapped, others gasped in disbelief.

Keigo scrambled to his feet, fury in his eyes. “You little... how are you this strong?!”

Kael wiped a trickle of blood from his lip but kept his stance ready. “I told you, I don’t want fights. But I won’t let anyone pick on me either.”

The third boy charged again, but Kael sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and sent him tumbling with a practiced throw. All three boys were now on the floor, panting, bruised, and shocked.

The dojo went silent for a moment before breaking into applause. Even the trainee appeared at the doorway, his eyes wide, jaw tight with a mix of frustration and pride.

The dojo went silent for a moment before breaking into applause. Even the trainee appeared at the doorway, his eyes wide, jaw tight with a mix of frustration and pride.

“Alright, enough!” the trainee barked, his voice booming over the cheers. The students quickly hushed, scattering back, though their eyes still lingered on Kael as if he had just performed a miracle.

Kael stood in the center, chest rising and falling, bruises along his arms but a fire still burning in his eyes. He expected to be scolded right there in front of everyone, maybe even suspended on the spot.

But instead, the trainee’s expression softened just slightly. He jerked his head toward the exit. “You. With me. Now.”

Kael swallowed hard and nodded. He followed the trainee out of the courtyard, leaving behind the murmurs and whispers of awe. They walked down a quiet hallway, the wooden floors creaking beneath their steps, until the trainee stopped near an empty side room.

The door slid shut behind them. Silence.

Kael stood with his fists still clenched, ready for whatever punishment was coming. The trainee crossed his arms, studying him for a long, heavy moment.

“What was that?” the trainee finally asked, his voice calm but sharp.

Kael’s throat tightened. He wanted to defend himself, to spit out the truth immediately. “They started it,” he said, his voice harsher than he meant. “They kicked me, laughed at me in front of everyone. I wasn’t going to just stand there.”

The trainee didn’t flinch. “And so your answer was to fight all three of them?”

“They wanted it,” Kael shot back, frustration leaking into his tone. “I tried to ignore them. I tried to keep training. But then one of them kicked me against the dummy, and that was it. I couldn’t let them humiliate me like that.”

The trainee sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You think you’re the first student here to get bullied? The first to get laughed at? You’re not.” He paused, lowering his arms. “But the way you fought them…” His eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t normal. Three against one, and you barely struggled. You’ve been here, what... three days?”

Kael’s jaw tightened. He didn’t answer right away. Finally, he said, “I’ve had to fight my whole life. Maybe not like this… but fight to survive.”

Kael didn’t know whether to feel proud or guilty. His heart was still racing, his hands still tingling from the punches. “So… what happens now?”

The trainee leaned closer, his voice low. “What happens is this: I’m letting you off with a warning. Don’t think you can solve every problem in this place with your fists. You got lucky this time. If it had been anyone else, I’d be writing your suspension slip right now.”

Kael swallowed and gave a short nod. “I understand.”

“Good,” the trainee said firmly. Then, almost reluctantly, he added, “Still… the way you handled them was impressive. Three against one isn’t easy, even for students who’ve been here months.”

For the first time since the fight, Kael allowed himself a small grin. “Thanks.”

“Don’t get cocky,” the trainee shot back quickly. “Skill without control is a disaster waiting to happen. Remember that.”

Kael bowed his head slightly, the grin fading into something more humble. “I will. And… thanks for giving me another chance.”

The trainee gave him one last long look before turning toward the door. “Get back to training. And Kael?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time they come after you... prove you’re stronger by walking away.”

Kael stood in silence as the trainee left. He wanted to argue, to say walking away wasn’t an option… but part of him knew the trainee was right. Still, as he walked back toward the courtyard, every eye on him, every whisper in the air, Kael felt something stir inside him.

For the first time in a long while, he wasn’t just surviving. He was standing out.

Astrowolf
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