He felt his confidence return, that sense of power that had once been a natural part of him, a feeling Jamal had stripped away from him over the past few days. This time no one could save him. No one could help him escape this trap.
But then, as he and his crew stepped into the yard, he saw Jamal standing there waiting. He wasn't sitting, wasn't leaning against a wall, didn't look like someone who was cornered. He stood tall, hands in his pockets, his gaze calm as if this was just another normal afternoon.
No fear. No hesitation. Only a calmness that made Blake feel uncomfortable to his core.
He tried not to let the confusion show on his face, but deep down he knew Jamal had known this was going to happen, and he still showed up. No allies, no weapons, no reason to believe he could win—but he still showed up.
And for a brief moment, Blake felt something he never thought he would feel before Jamal: worry.
But he quickly pushed it away, focusing on what was about to happen. He smirked, took a step forward, and looked Jamal straight in the eye.
"This time there's no escape."
Jamal just shrugged, as if Blake had said something utterly ridiculous.
"Do you really think I need an escape?"
The words hit Blake's mind like a knife, because they weren't an empty challenge, not a statement to sound tough. It was the truth. Jamal had no reason to run. He had no reason to be scared. And that made Blake feel more uneasy than ever.
But now wasn't the time to doubt. He had come here to finish everything, and he would do it no matter what. He looked at Jason, giving a slow nod. No words, no complicated plans. Jason understood right away.
Without waiting another second, Jason lunged forward, delivering a powerful opening strike.
Jamal didn't move right away. He just stood there observing, as if evaluating the situation, as if knowing the real fight hadn't even begun. And when Jason's punch was almost upon him, Jamal moved—quick as a wind, precise as a machine, and then everything changed instantly.
Jason charged forward, a towering figure like a predator, his fist swinging with all his might, aiming straight at Jamal with the intent to end the fight with a single blow. He was not like Blake or Ryan, who thrived on taunting and threatening words. Jason was a fighter. He didn't talk much. He simply believed no one could stand against him in a one-on-one fight.
But there was one thing he didn't know: Jamal never fought one-on-one.
As Jason's punch came toward him, Jamal didn't back down. He stepped forward. The moment happened so fast that the onlookers couldn't even tell what had just occurred. As Jason thought his fist was about to hit Jamal's face, Jamal had already disappeared from his original position, crouched low and smoothly twisted his body to the side.
By the time Jason realized what had happened, it was too late. Jamal spun, sweeping his leg straight into Jason's knee. Jason collapsed instantly, feeling a sharp pain shoot up his leg. But Jamal didn't stop there. In the same motion, he grabbed Jason's arm, yanked it forward, and used his own weight to throw him to the ground.
A loud thud rang out as Jason's heavy body slammed against the concrete. He lay motionless for a few seconds, eyes wide, unable to believe what had just happened.
Jamal never slowed down. The moment Jason hit the ground, Connor lunged in, trying to take advantage of the brief moment Jamal was still dealing with another opponent. He swung a punch, but Jamal had already anticipated it.
Jamal didn't wait for the punch to come close. He stepped forward forcefully, swiping Connor's wrist aside, then rammed his shoulder straight into Connor's chest. Connor was knocked back, stumbling off balance, and just before he could regain his footing, Jamal delivered a spinning kick to his side, making him bend over and collapse to the ground groaning in pain.
Ryan and Derek witnessed the entire scene, and at that moment both of them understood that this was not a fight they could win.
Derek, known for his hot temper and aggression, stood frozen, his eyes locked on Jamal. Ryan didn't need to think twice. He turned and fled. Seeing this, Derek also lost the courage to continue. The two remaining men ran out of the backyard, leaving Blake standing alone.
Jamal slowly turned his head, his gaze now no longer cold or angry. It was simply calm, as if what had just happened was the most natural thing in the world. He stepped forward, one step at a time, the sound of his shoes echoing loudly on the quiet concrete.
Blake swallowed hard. He had always been the one in control. He had always been the one on top, the one setting the rules, the one deciding who was allowed to exist in the small world of Brookside High. But now as he looked at Jamal, he no longer felt in control of anything.
Everything he had once believed in—power, the fear he instilled in others, his ability to manipulate people into submission—had been completely shattered in one afternoon.
Jamal stood before him without saying a word. Blake felt his heart pounding in his chest, each breath heavy as if the air around him was squeezing him tighter. He could try to attack, but after what he had just witnessed, he knew it would be pointless.
Jamal had won, not just because he was stronger, but because Jamal had never feared him from the beginning.
In that moment, for the first time in his life, Blake truly felt small.
Jamal tilted his head, looking at him as if waiting to see what he would do next. But Blake did nothing. He no longer had the strength to resist, no more pride to keep fighting. He had lost, and this time there was no hiding it.
Blake stood there, his chest heaving with each heavy breath. He had no choice left. Jamal had taken down each one of them, not only with strength but with absolute calmness, a level of control Blake had never seen before. He clenched his fists, cold sweat running down his spine, every cell in his body screamed that he had to do something, anything to regain his power. But he knew he had been completely defeated.
Jamal stood there, his eyes on Blake with no pity, no contempt, and no sign of enjoying the victory. He just looked at him as if finally seeing the true person behind the facade—not a ruler, not the strong one, but just an arrogant kid who had just realized that he no longer held the power he once believed he had.
Jamal didn't need to fight. He didn't need to end this with a punch or a kick, because Blake had already fallen on his own.
Jamal just looked at him for a moment, then turned and walked away, saying nothing.
In that moment, everything froze. No sound, no words, nothing but the heavy silence that Blake could feel in every fiber of his being.