"Cough!"
The sound of Nick Nickleson's cough was the only thing that cut through the heavy silence.
The entire arena had gone still, the weight of what they had just witnessed hanging thick in the air.
Nick was sprawled in the middle of the arena, half-sitting, half-collapsed, one hand pressed to his chest as he gasped for breath.
His face was pale, his lips bloodied. He looked like he had no idea how he had gotten there, or how Rhian had torn through him so easily.
Rhian stood a few paces away, his breathing calm and measured, his shoulders loose and his expression unreadable.
He had walked into the fight with an edge that none of them had seen before. Not against the other students. Not even in the intense matches he'd had so far.
Rhian didn't say a word. He didn't look at the crowd, didn't acknowledge the whispers that were already starting to stir.
His gaze was locked on Nick, watching the boy struggle to stand, to find his footing again.
