Minh arrived at the backside of the school knowing exactly what waited for him.
He came alone.
No Lâm.No ghost.No one.
The concrete lot behind the gym was silent except for the low laughter of the Marie Curie boys. Five of them. Leaning on the wall like they owned the place.
Their leader stepped forward, cracking his neck.
"You actually showed up alone. Brave… or stupid."
Minh said nothing.
He clenched his fists behind his back to stop them from shaking.
The boys circled him instantly.
"Thought you could hide?""Thought your friend would save you?""Let's see how tough you are without backup."
The first punch hit his stomach so hard he doubled over.
Another blow struck his jaw.A kick to his ribs sent him rolling on the ground.
They didn't wait. They didn't talk.They pounced.
A chaotic storm of fists and feet.
Minh covered up the best he could, but every movement was sloppy, weak, terrified.The ghost didn't appear.The whisper didn't come.
It was just Minh — small, outnumbered, and painfully human.
A boot slammed into his back.
"Get up!"
Minh spat blood and pushed off the ground.
And for the first time in his life…
…he swung back.
He threw a punch, wild and desperate.It landed cleanly on the ringleader's face.
CRACK.
The boy flew back, hands clutching his mouth.
Two front teeth scattered across the concrete.
The gang froze.
Minh stared at his own trembling fist, shocked he had even connected.
For a heartbeat, he felt something unfamiliar:
Not fear.
Defiance.
Then the leader roared.
"You little bastard!"
They tackled Minh as one.
Blows rained down like a downpour — chest, stomach, face, legs.His vision flickered.His knees buckled.
Still, Minh refused to beg.
He refused to scream.
He refused to crawl.
His silence enraged them more than any insult.
A final kick cracked against his cheek.
His body collapsed to the concrete, unmoving.
The boys stood over him, breathing hard.
"Shit… we went too far.""Dude, we knocked him out.""Let's go. This isn't over."
They fled.
The lot fell silent.
A shadow stepped out from behind the gym.
The man in the leather jacket.
He had been there the entire time —leaning against the wall, arms folded, watching without expression.
He did not look impressed.
Nor did he look concerned.
He simply crouched beside Minh's unconscious body.
Blood streaked Minh's jaw. His breath was shallow and uneven. His hands were still curled into fists, even in unconsciousness.
The man studied him with unreadable eyes.
"So that's your choice," he murmured."You're willing to get broken rather than bow."
For the first time, something like respect flickered across his face.
He reached into his jacket, pulled out a small folded slip of paper, and tucked it into Minh's motionless hand.
"Come find me when you decide you're done being prey."
He stood, glanced once more at the boy lying alone on the cold ground, then walked away without looking back.
The wind rustled the paper in Minh's hand.
On it was a short message.
A location.A time.Nothing more.
Darkness swallowed Minh whole.
His body lay unconscious behind the school, but his mind floated in a heavy, suffocating void.
First came a voice — sharp, controlled, disappointed.
The ghost.
"You ignored everything I taught you."
His words cut through the dark like a blade.
"You fought without stance. Without breath. Without caution. How many times must I warn you?"
Minh didn't speak. He couldn't. His real mouth wasn't moving.
"You are reckless. You are stubborn. You threw yourself into danger without preparation. AGAIN."
The ghost's voice grew colder.
"Do you think that makes you brave? No. It makes you a fool. And a dead one, sooner or later."
Minh clenched his hands in the void.
"I only—"
"You only rushed in," the ghost snapped."You only ignored training.""You only let yourself get beaten senseless."
His tone softened for a moment.
"…and you think this protects the people you care about?"
Minh swallowed hard.
He wanted to yell back — but before he could gather the words—
Another voice slithered in from the other side of his mind.
Gomboc.
"Oh, Minh… you look terrible."
Minh froze.
The ghost kept speaking as if nothing had changed.Gomboc also spoke freely — overlapping, clashing, drowning each other out.
They could not perceive each other.Only Minh heard both.
Ghost: "You must train, control your breath—"
Gomboc: "Or you could just let me loose."
Ghost: "Power without discipline is suicide."
Gomboc: "But look how pathetic discipline made you."
Ghost: "Stop charging headfirst like an amateur—"
Gomboc: "Use me and they'll never dare touch you again."
Ghost: "Your emotions clouded your footing—"
Gomboc: "Your emotions make you strong."
Their voices collided in Minh's skull like metal scraping metal.
He clutched his head.
"Stop… stop…"
But they continued, unaware of the other.
Ghost: "I warned you this would happen."Gomboc: "I told you you'd lose without me."Ghost: "You can't rely on brute force."Gomboc: "You SHOULD rely on brute force."Ghost: "You need structure and discipline."Gomboc: "Forget that boring old voice. I can break ANYONE for you."
The dual flood of noise, criticism, temptation — all at once — tore through Minh's already fragile mind.
His breath shook.
The void warped.
He wanted to scream.
He wanted silence.
He wanted to be alone.
"SHUT UP!"
Both voices instantly paused.
A rare silence fell — heavy and ringing.
Minh's chest heaved.
In that brief quiet, he realized:Neither the ghost nor Gomboc understood each other existed.Both were trying to control him.Both wanted him to follow their path.Both were dragging him in opposite directions.
And he was caught in the middle, nearly tearing apart.
A sharp gasp dragged him back into the real world.
His eyes snapped open.
Pain roared through every bone in his body.The concrete felt cold beneath him.Blood ran down his cheek.
The voices faded — not gone, just… waiting.
He pushed himself upright, trembling.
Something crinkled in his hand.
The note.
Left by the man in the leather jacket.
A place.A time.A challenge.
"When you choose strength, come."
Minh stared at it until his vision steadied.
The ghost's voice murmured faintly:
"You must train."
Gomboc's whisper coiled around the words:
"Or stop pretending and unleash me."
Both voices pulled at him again.
Minh clenched the note in his fist.
Through gritted teeth, through pain and irritation and exhaustion, he growled:
"…I'll choose my own way."
For the first time,both voices fell silent.
Minh staggered toward the school gate — bruised, battered, but with something new sparking inside him:
His own will.