The silence weighed heavily over the schoolyard. The students present held their breath, their eyes flickering between Yapo and Désiré. The wind lightly stirred the dust beneath their feet. Everything felt frozen.
Désiré (smirking):
So, Yapo? Already hesitating? I thought you wanted to protect her.
Yapo clenched his fists. Every fiber of his being screamed to act. But deep inside, another voice fought against the rising anger. He didn't want this moment to be just a provocation. He knew that meeting rage with rage would lead nowhere. But could he really back down now?
Sarah (voice trembling):
Stop...
She stepped forward, her eyes pleading with Yapo not to fall into the trap. But Désiré burst out laughing.
Désiré:
Look at that! Even she feels sorry for you. You really are pathetic.
Yapo felt his heart pounding violently in his chest. He knew this fight wasn't his. Not now. Not here.
Yapo (calmly, with steady gaze):
This fight makes no sense. You're just trying to impress everyone, but I'm not your toy.
Désiré raised an eyebrow, surprised by the response. He expected Yapo to charge headfirst. He wanted to humiliate him in front of Sarah, make him look like a coward. But this reply… it irritated him even more.
Désiré (sighing):
Tss... Pathetic.
He stepped back slightly but not without throwing one last icy glare at Yapo.
Désiré:
But believe me, Yapo. This is just the beginning. Next time, you won't be able to run.
He turned on his heel, leaving a heavy silence behind. Sarah, still frozen, finally looked at Yapo.
Sarah:
Why… didn't you answer his provocation?
Yapo (hesitant):
Because... fighting now wouldn't prove anything. I don't want to be like him.
Claver stepped forward, patting his shoulder with a relieved smile.
Claver:
Well done, man. You showed you're not some fool who reacts to every provocation. But I feel Désiré won't stop here…
Yapo nodded. He knew that too. This was only the beginning. Désiré didn't get what he wanted today. But he'd be back. Stronger. More vicious.
And Yapo knew he had to be ready.
---
The alley behind the school was dark, silent, like a closing trap. Yapo walked alone, unaware that tonight, he was about to push his limits.
Désiré (emerging from the shadows):
I warned you, didn't I? Now let's see if you're still as brave when you're alone.
Behind him, four burly guys stepped forward. Yapo froze. He'd been in fights before... but this was different. An ambush. He had no chance.
Yapo:
Are you scared to face me one-on-one?
Désiré (cruel smile):
No. I just want to make sure you stay down.
The first blow was a direct hit to the cheek. Yapo staggered. Another hit to the stomach. Then a third to the head. He tried to defend himself, but punches rained down from everywhere. A knee in the back. A fist in the ribs. He dropped to his knees.
Cold ground. Blood taste in his mouth. Laughter above him. Despair rising…
Désiré:
Look at you. The so-called protector. Even Sarah must be laughing at you.
A flash of pain—but not physical: Sarah's name. Yapo gritted his teeth. Then… a voice. Inside. Ancient. Warm.
Grandfather (in his mind, calm):
When everything seems lost... find the silence within. Breathe. Feel your heart. Let the Resonance guide you.
Yapo closed his eyes briefly. His breath slowed. His battered body started to heat up from within. His heartbeat quickened… until perfect alignment.
Resonance activated.
He opened his eyes. They were sharp, bright, almost inhuman. His body, though wounded, seemed stronger, faster, more alive. He had reached Resonance.
A guy lunged at him... Yapo caught him mid-air and threw him against the wall effortlessly.
The second swung at his face: Yapo dodged at the last moment, spun, and landed a sharp, precise, devastating hook to the jaw.
The third screamed and charged, but Yapo slid aside and landed a three-hit combo in less than a second. Knockout.
Steam seemed to rise from his body, as if his pores were burning. He gasped, but his gaze stayed fixed on Désiré.
Yapo (voice deeper, more steady):
Is this what you wanted to see?
Désiré stepped back. He had never seen such a look. He had never felt fear… until now.
Désiré (trembling):
You're... you're not normal...
Yapo (approaching slowly):
You wanted to wake a demon. You got one. Now you better pray he falls asleep again.
Désiré tried to run... but slipped backward, his eyes fixed on this Yapo he no longer recognized. The Resonance still pulsed, but weakened. Time was running out.
Yapo raised his fist... but stopped just inches from Désiré's face.
Yapo (sighing, becoming himself again):
I'm not beating you to break you… I'm beating you so you understand I will always get back up.
He turned his back, limping, as the Resonance faded. He had won. Not just physically. He had broken the fear. And Désiré knew it: from now on, Yapo was no longer a target. He was a wall.
Humiliated by Yapo, whom he had called a lackey, Désiré could do nothing, though he considered himself lucky to have come to such an isolated place.
---
Yapo slowly walked away from the alley, breath still short, heart pounding hard. His clothes were dirty, his arms scratched, his ribs aching… but he was smiling.
A real smile. Rare. Genuine.
He stopped in the middle of the empty street, looked up at the starry sky, then clenched his fists.
Yapo (shouting, laughing):
I smashed them all! Wooooh!!
He jumped, spun like a kid, arms raised, forgetting the pain for a moment. He felt alive. More alive than ever.
Yapo (breathing out, eyes shining):
Grandpa... you see that? I didn't give up. I held on. I'm strong now… I'm ready.
Then he resumed walking, light on his feet, a little tune in his head, that smile stuck on his face like an invisible medal—as if he was heading home to announce his victory over Désiré and his gang to his grandfather...