45|A Chance

~Benny~

The first break of sunlight in the mountain range blinded me.

I pinched my eyes, barely blocking Markus’ right front kick with my palm. Leaning my body backward, I evaded Markus’ jab. His one-two combination was a hoax, a trick he does before he throws a sidekick.

Sidestepping, I smirked and circled Markus. Today was hand-to-hand combat defense training, but I badly wanted to retaliate.

Maybe old age was catching up with him. His movements were slower, or I could be getting faster. Whatever it was, I could read his movements better than the first day of training.

We circled each other, counting our breaths, eyes watching one another. Markus feigned a push kick and aimed for the kill with a right spinning kick. I blocked both, wincing at the power of his attack.

‘Damn. The old man is getting serious.’

Following the momentum of his spin, he aimed at my face with a jab. I caught his knuckles, smirking.

“You’re in a good mood,” he commented, as if he was expecting me to be