My name is Alex, and i want to become the strongest.

Why?

Because i hate being weak.

I hate the feeling of laying on the ground.

I hate not being able to fight back.

Not only did i hate these things, they also made me angry.

Why?

What happened to me that caused me to feel this way?

What caused me to pursue strength obsessively for almost 20 years?

I'll tell you what happened to me.

I was eight years old when it happened for the first time.

It was dark and raining.

I was laying on the ground, bleeding with broken bones.

My breathing was raspy and i couldn't stop my tears from falling.

Moving anything hurt too much.

I was the newest target of a notorious group of bullies.

They were far older than me, so why did they attack someone so young?

Was it for fun?

Probably, i never found the real reason why.

Of course, there were many others before me.

They ambushed me when i was on my way home, demanding i give them my phone and any money i had on me.

But i refused, so they decided to beat me to near-death.

When i was recovering at a hospital, a police officer came to visit me and asked me about them.

He told me that they were aware of the group, but had trouble identifying them.

I didn't know much, but they went to the same school as i did, so i told him their names.

After two years of rehabilitation, i returned to school, where they were waiting for me, to get their revenge.

So, once again i was laying on the ground, staring at the sky, just like two years earlier.

But this time, i wasn't crying.

Instead, i felt hatred and anger, mostly towards them, but also towards myself.

I hated my own weakness.

I hated my inability to fight back.

In my adrenaline fueled rage, i forced my broken hand to form a fist, and i vowed to become stronger and get my revenge.

It took another year of rehabilitation before i could return to school.

When i was away, the group had been finally caught and taken away.

A minor setback, i would find them again.

I began my training when i was around 12 years old, by searching the internet on how to become stronger.

I ran to improve my stamina and lifted weights to grow my muscles.

My training took most of my time and energy, which caused my grades to drop and barely advance in school.

Of course, it didn't take long for new bullies to emerge after the group was taken away.

And this time, i was able to fight back.

When i saw them on the ground, i was filled with a strange sense of satisfaction.

Seeing the results of my training, i couldn't help but to grin.

It was around the time i turned 16 that i found out the leader of the group got released and transferred to a new school in a different city.

I traveled there and tried to look for him by asking the students there if any of them knew where he was.

I found out that apparently he continued to hang around the wrong crowds and was found overdosed in his home.

Not that he didn't deserve it, but his death came as a shock.

I had worked so hard the past few years on becoming stronger, so i felt all that work was for nothing and i couldn't have my revenge.

I wandered the streets of the city until the sun went down, feeling lost and frustrated.

At some point, i came across a dark alleyway and decided to walk in to take a breather while leaning against a wall and drinking a soda i had bought.

The alleyway was already occupied by five younger adults, who were hanging out at the back of the alleyway, smoking and drinking, but i ignored them.

They noticed and walked up to me.

The toughest looking one, who i assumed to be the "leader" of the group, stood in front of me.

"Get the fuck out of here, this is our turf!"

He said with an aggressive tone, but i continued ignoring him and took another sip of my soda.

He gets visibly pissed, smacking the bottle off my hand and grabbing my collar.

"You wanna die bitch!?"

I formed a fist and chuckled to his face, is was a perfect opportunity to release my pent up frustration.

He became furious and struck my face.

I turned my head to look back at him and smiled with bloody teeth, after that all i saw was red.

When i came to, four of the five guys were laying on the ground, beaten and unconscious.

I held the leader by his collar, his face bloody and his eyes were pleading for mercy.

I struck his head a few more times, knocking him out.

Looking at my handiwork made me feel satisfied, proof that i had become stronger.

One more strike, and i could've ended his life for good.

I raised my fist into the air, ready for the final blow, but just as i was about to, someone stopped my hand.

I looked behind me and saw that it was a bald, middle-aged man with a gray beard, who looked to be in his 50s.

"That's enough kid, they got their punishment."

I shook my head and released my grip, letting the leader fall to the ground.

"You're strong kid, but this isn't the right way to use it."

He told me and i scoffed at him.

I was about to walk away but he stopped me again.

"Follow me, i know a place where you can use your strength more productively, and even get more stronger."

His offer did sound intriguing, so i decided to follow him.

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"Fine."

"Very good. This way, it's not far from here."

We walked past a few blocks and arrived to a gym.

The man took out his keys and we went inside.

He took off his jacket and set it down on a chair before turning on the lights, revealing a fighting ring, rows of punching bags and other equipment.

"This is a mixed martial arts gym, MMA for short and i'm the owner. You can call me Coach."

He offered me a handshake which i ignored.

"Alex."

I told him my name and walked around the gym.

"Um, well then, Alex, follow me."

He led me to the row of punching bags and stopped at the biggest one.

"This is a heavy bag. Give it a few taps to get a feel."

The worn surface of the heavy bag felt rough against my palm.

I pushed it and was surprised by the amount of effort it took to move.

"Take a stance and punch it as hard as you can."

I took a stance and focused.

I punched the heavy bag as hard as i could and it moved a considerable distance.

Coach raised his eyebrow, he was impressed too.

I was also impressed as it was the first time i had punched a heavy bag.

"You sure got power kid, but your technique is shit. Here, let me teach the proper way to throw a punch."

He taught me how to do a proper stance and how to throw a right straight.

Using these, i stood in front of the heavy bag again.

I recalled what he taught me and focused.

I stepped in and struck the heavy bag with all my might.

With a loud sound, the heavy bag moved even farther, almost touching the ceiling and Coach was shocked with his mouth open.

The heavy bag fell back down and i looked at my slightly bloody fist in disbelief.

The skin around my knuckles had broken a little and hurt slightly.

To think i had such strength at that age.

It felt good and a grin had creeped on my face.

Coach calmed down from his shock and thought.

"This kid, he has potential. With that kind of power, he could become a world-class athlete, or even more if he learns the proper techniques."

He rubbed his beard and saw me marveling at my strength.

"He now knows what he is capable of, if i let him go, who knows what he'll do. He might even kill someone, he was about to cross that line had i not stopped him."

He approached me with a hesitant but determined look on his face.

"Alex, would you be interested in joining my gym?"

I turned to look at him and he continued.

"You want to become stronger right? I can make that happen."

I looked at my hands and the heavy bag, the idea did align with my goals.

"With more training, i can start getting you into matches."

"I'll be fighting other people?"

"Of course! That's how you become a champion. You look young, do you go to school?"

"Yes."

"How are your grades?"

"Bad."

He wasn't surprised by this and thought some more.

"Hmm, let's make a deal, if you can get your grades up to a decent level, i'll allow you to use my gym and equipment for free and i'll personally train you. What do you think?"

I considered his offer.

Up until now i had done all my training on my own.

The gym had proper equipment and i could use it for free.

It was too good to refuse.

"I accept, but don't get the wrong idea, i'm only doing this to get stronger."

"Excellent!"

He offered me a handshake again, and this time i returned it.

With that we left the gym, a new path towards greater strength had now opened.

After the deal, time passed and my routine consisted of going to school and to the gym.

I had grown quite tall and even somewhat attractive, since girls tried to approach me quite often, but i rejected them all.

To me, they were just distractions, trying to steer me away from my goals.

One day, i was more annoyed than usual and had lashed out at a girl who was trying to ask me out.

After that no more girls approached me and everyone at school began avoiding me.

Some people did try to use this against me to make fun of me, but they received my fist in their face as a response, so that stopped quickly.

But it wasn't that i wasn't attracted to girls, becoming stronger was my biggest priority.

And i had urges, quite strong in fact and i had to relieve myself out of necessity.

When i had urges during my training, i channeled them into it and it was surprisingly effective.

When i finally graduated, i began spending all of time in gym, only going home to sleep and eat.

Sometimes i would spend the night at the gym because i was too exhausted to go home, usually from punching the heavy bag for so long that i passed out.

When i finally became a pro, my first matches were a mix of wins and losses, mostly due to inexperience but soon i started racking up my wins and make a name for myself.

With those wins i also started to earn money, and i bought a cheap apartment near the gym.

Around the time i turned 24, i was the best in the country and began fighting internationally.

The fame that came along with it meant pretty much nothing to me, so i refused any and all interviews as i saw them as pointless.

Around this time, Coach's 19 year old niece, Alice, started working part-time in the gym to earn money while she wasn't in school.

We didn't interact much at first, i could sense her observing me.

At the time i guess she was intrigued by my unusual training regime.

Time went by and she began greeting me, which i ignored.

Next, she started bringing me water bottles and watched me train while we talked.

Because of her persistence, i started to tolerate her more.

Two years later we started dating and my international career started taking off.

She was my first girlfriend, and pretty much my first in everything.

Years passed and now i'm here.

The culmination of all of these events brought me.

I'm preparing in the locker room of the largest arena in the world called "The Colosseum", named after the Amphitheater in Rome.

The arena itself where the fights are held is large, it's floor made out of sand and the seats around it can hold up to 100,000 people.

My fight tonight is against the reigning champion of World Wide Elite fighter, WWEF for short, who has been undefeated for the past seven years.

If i beat him, i'll receive the title of the mightiest fighter on earth, the strongest.

All these years i spent training and fighting were for this moment, just thinking about it makes me shiver in excitement.

Coach opens the door and walks up to me.

"Alex, the fight will start in 15 minutes. Are you ready?"

"As ready as i'll ever be."

"Nervous?"

"Hmph, who wouldn't be. The title of the strongest is finally within my grasp."

"Yes and all you have to do get it, is to win."

He pats my back and leaves the room.

I'm about to leave also when the door opens again.

Five men walk in, four of them look tough and are wearing black suits and sunglasses.

The fifth one, a short and overweight man smoking a cigar, who i assume is their boss, stands in front of them.

"Hello, Alex. Time is short so i'll get to the point. Lose the fight intentionally, and i will pay you 10,000,000 dollars."

One of the four men presents me a briefcase and opens it, revealing the money, but i know what's more important to me.

"Take your money and fuck off."

The boss rolls his eyes.

"You'll regret this Alex, mark my words."

They leave just as fast as they came in.

I get out of the locker room and head towards the arena.

The pressure i'm currently feeling is immense.

Once i come into view, i'm bombarded by the cheering of 100,000 fans.

"Full house, huh?"

Coach states and rubs his beard.

"Me and Alice will be spectating from our seats, go get him kid."

"Right."

I walk through the entrance and step into the rough sand.

In the distance i can see the referee and my opponent, the current champion.

"TAKE YOUR STANCE!"

The referee shouts and i do.

I close my eyes and tune out the cheering crowd, the bright lights, focusing only on me, my opponent and the ground i'm standing on.

Then the referee shouts again.

"FIGHT!"

"He has done it! At 29 years old, Alex has defeated the reigning champion and has taken the title of the mightiest fighter on earth for himself!"

The announcer shouts into his microphone.

I raise my bloody fist into the air, covered in blood and looking at the ground while breathing heavily.

My opponent lays motionless in front me.

I've done it.

I vowed to become the strongest and now i have achieved it.

I walk back to the entrance, where the interviewers are already waiting for me, but i push past them and head straight to the locker room.

I'm packing my gear when the door opens and the boss and his men enter.

The boss takes a puff from his cigar.

"You should've taken the deal, Alex."

I'm not in the mood to deal with this man again.

"Fuck you."

The boss scoffs and snaps his fingers.

The four men take pistols with silencers on them from their jackets and aim at me.

Before i could react, they aim at my torso and shoot me down, emptying their magazines into me.

The force throws me against the back wall, painting it red.

"Come on, let's get out of here before someone comes looking for him."

The boss and his men hide their weapons and walk out of the locker room.

Each breath is harder than the last.

I can't feel my limbs and the pain is excruciating.

But all of these mean nothing to me.

All i can feel is anger and hate.

After everything i've done.

After everything i've sacrificed.

Is this how it's going to end!?

I finally became the strongest, and now it's taken away from me!

The door opens again and Coach walks in, struggling to close the door as interviewers try to get in.

"Damn these reporters and their questions!"

He manages to close the door and turns around.

His eyes widen in horror as he sees me bleeding against wall.

He drops everything he was holding and slams the door open.

"Call an ambulance! Alex has been shot!"

He rushes to my side, panicking and reporters flood the room to take pictures.

"Oh, my god! There's so much blood!"

He takes my hand and places his other hand on my shoulder.

I can see him trying to speak to me, but i can't hear him and my vision begins blur.

With my last breath, i grab his collar and look at him with a face of pure rage.

"I'll fucking kill them all!"

Then everything turns black.

I'm floating in darkness.

I can't see nor hear anything.

I also can't move.

I try to breath but there's nothing to fill my lungs with.

Is this death?

"Becoming the strongest, only to die right after. Sigh, a waste if you ask me."

An echoey voice speaks.

A feminine tone?

I don't know, it's too hard to think and i feel tired.

"I have been watching you for a while, so i guess you will have to do. I have great plans for both of us, so do not disappoint me."

After she finishes speaking, a flash of blinding light surrounds me.

I hear noise and slowly open my eyes.

I see a wooden ceiling lit by candles.

A man with a joyous expression enters my vision.

"It's a boy, Anna!"

I can't understand him, is he speaking a foreign language?

He brings me closer to his face.

Fair-skin with dark hair, thick eyebrows, a stubble and large scar across his right eye.

"Bring him to me, Eric. I want to see him."

A female voice and the man hands me over to her.

A young woman, exhausted but smiling.

Fair-skin, blonde hair, blue eyes and are those... cat ears?

"He's beautiful, our sweet baby boy."

A baby?

I move my right arm and look at my hand.

It's small and wrinkly.

I feel confused and disoriented, i have no idea what's going on.

Suddenly, the couple's celebration is cut short and they turn their attention towards something.

A simple black shortsword materializes into the air, surrounded by an ominous aura.

It has a red gem on the base of the blade, which glows brightly.

From its ring pommel, a chain extends towards me.

A black metal bracelet manifests around my right wrist and it connects to it.

The bracelet and the chain turn invisible.

then the sword stops glowing and drops on the floor and gets stuck.

So much is happening around me.

One moment i was shot in a locker room and now i'm in this strange place.

Frustration, rage and confusion overwhelm me and i scream.