“First off—congrats. Won’t be long before you’re called up to the big league,” Naomi said once they were inside the dressing room. “Secondly—what the hell was that? Why were they jumping you like that?”

  “No clue,” Markus shrugged. “All it did was make me look good. I did see y’all getting ready to hop the barrier though. Respect.”

  “They’re lucky I’m pregnant,” Aisha snapped. “Or I would’ve been in that ring. I told you not to trust them the second you said they wanted to add dark magic to their character. We don’t play with that woo-doo nonsense.”

  The room laughed.

  Dramaine didn’t.

  His eyes stayed on Markus.

  On what he had seen.

  The flame hadn’t been random.

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  It responded.

  When Markus wanted to leap higher.

  When Isiah wanted to strike harder.

  When survival mattered.

  In the ring, Markus had been losing.

  Then the flame decided otherwise.

  “Markus,” Dramaine said suddenly. “Punch me.”

  The room went still.

  “Why would I punch you?”

  “I need to see something.”

  Markus blinked. “Uh… okay?”

  Dramaine raised his guard. Focused.

  The first punch came.

  Normal.

  Solid, but normal.

  “Again,” Dramaine said quickly. “This time for real. Don’t hold back.”

  “Yo,” Markus laughed nervously. “Naomi, is this some new thing y’all into?”

  Dramaine stepped closer.

  “Hit me.”

  Something in his tone changed the room.

  Markus sighed. “Alright. You asked for it.”

  He drew his fist back—

  And Dramaine felt it.

  The flame.

  It stirred before the punch even moved. Coiling. Gathering. Pulling toward Markus’s knuckles like it had somewhere to be.

  Then the strike landed.

  The impact was sharp. Heavy. Fast.

  It knocked the air from Dramaine’s lungs and forced him back a full step.

  That wasn’t normal.

  And Markus was still holding back.

  The flame faded slowly.

  “You good?” Markus asked, concern replacing humor.

  Dramaine straightened, chest aching.

  “Oh yeah,” he said quietly. “I’m great.”

  He looked at each of them.

  “And there’s something I need to tell y’all.”