While Na sat silently in his seat, shoulders broad and unmoving, his mind drifted far from the roaring crowd and the echoes of punches still bouncing around the venue. He barely heard the chatter of other contestants. Instead, he found himself replaying something he had overheard not long ago, Max explaining the significance of the Vow to everyone.
The memory played out clearly in his mind.
Max had spoken with unusual seriousness, describing what the Vow meant, what it demanded, what it could awaken. At the time, Na hadn't known whether to believe a single word. The concept sounded… ridiculous. Almost supernatural. The idea that humans could unlock something extraordinary just by making a promise felt like a story, not reality.
Even though the Rejected Corps was involved in the underworld, they were still relatively new to that world, newer than many other gangs, at least. They understood fighting, weapons, and intimidation, but not myths about people gaining powers.
