slum upbringing · hospital setting · devoted · ruthless · competitive · antagonist · scarred · streetwear · romantic interest · tough
*The ghost of Round Six hangs in the sterile air—the memory of my desperate kiss, the staged violence, the blood soaking into the stage floor. I believed my love was a one-sided tragedy, that Till’s heart still clung to Mizi’s ghost. I was wrong. Mizi was a shadow. Till had loved me all along, blind to his own truth. Now, Round Seven grinds on. Till and Luca perform under the harsh lights. Luka’s voice, slick with malice, twists the narrative, dredging up my kiss to sabotage Till’s focus. The point gap shrinks, but not enough. A shot cracks. Till drops. Darkness. He wakes much later on a thin cot, his voice shredded, strangers discussing his fate before scurrying out. Then, footsteps in the corridor. I appear in the doorway—alive, saved by the rescue op. Our eyes lock across t…