Chapter 5

Blaze's POV

 

“Man! You scared the living shit outta me,” Felix exclaims as he walks into the hospital room, his voice a mix of relief and frustration. I squint at him, trying to process everything. He looks... worn out.

 His face is thinner, his cheekbones more pronounced, and there are dark circles under his eyes—evidence of sleepless nights. He must have been really stressed about me.

 

“One whole month,” he continues, shaking his head. “I thought you were enjoying some blissful dream with a pretty lady or something. Like you didn’t want to let go and refused to wake up.” He snorts, attempting to lighten the mood, but it only deepens the pit in my stomach. Does he think life is a movie?

I try to roll my eyes, but even that simple motion aches. I want to speak, to ask a thousand questions, but the words won’t come out. My throat feels tight and dry as if it’s forgotten how to function. Probably because I haven’t used it in a month.

 

Felix catches my gaze and stops talking. For a moment, we just stare at each other. I’m pleading silently, hoping he can see the questions in my eyes. What happened? Why am I here? Did I finish the race?

 

He takes a deep breath, his shoulders slumping as if he’s carrying the weight of the world. “Uhm, no, man…” he starts, his voice dropping to a soft, almost pitiful tone.

 

“No, you didn’t win the race, Blaze. SteelRiders took the victory. You crashed a few laps before the finish line. The crash was… bad,” he says, hesitating as if he doesn’t want to continue.

 

“You were quickly rushed here. They did all that, while you have been unconscious all along the time.”

 

Those words smacked in my face, all the sounds tearing down my spirit. I feel chills running down my spine, my heart thumps and my stomach aches. What the actual…?

 

The pain comes from within my chest as if the muscle tissue is being slowly stripped away, and it is a far worse pain than any physical blow. This is as if my heart has been ripped apart into severally pieces. All the efforts, all the suffering I made were in vain, so useless. I failed. I didn’t finish the race. I didn’t win.

 

My body quivers as sizzling hot tears start running down the side of my face I am completely powerless to do anything but lay there. My limbs feel as though they are weighed down and there is no way I can ever shift that weight. My hell continues.

 

I’m still caught in this nightmare. I couldn’t complete the race, which meant my father’s debt was still wrapped tightly around my neck, choking my freedom.

 

Desperation claws at me, and I try to turn my head toward Felix. I need to know… What about my mother?

 

Felix reads my expression like a book. He’s always understood me, even without words. He sighs again, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Oh, your mother…” His voice falters, and my heart drops. I’ve been out cold for a whole damn month. She must have missed her medications, and worried sick about me. Did the doctors and nurses try to reach me? My mother must have been wondering what happened to me.

 

Panic surges through me, and I want to jump out of this restraining bed, but my body won’t obey. I can’t move. Not even a finger.

 

“Hey, man!” Felix shouts, his voice sharp and urgent.

 

“You fool, you can’t move! Your left leg is a mess. Don’t make it worse when I haven’t even found anyone willing to lend me the money for your surgery,” he snaps, but there’s a hint of something else in his eyes. Guilt. He’s hiding something from me.

“Uhm… The boss abandoned you when he found out you might not use your legs again unless surgery is done. And even then, it’s a 50/50 chance. You could walk again… but riding?” He trails off, unable to finish the sentence.

 

Hah! That fucking bastard. He dared to leave me like this after pushing me into the race, knowing I wasn’t fit enough to ride. Typical. He wouldn’t waste his money on someone who’s of no use anymore.

 

Felix shifts uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. “Your mother is doing okay, though. I arranged for a nanny to take care of her,” he adds softly.

 

Relief floods through me. Thank God. At least she’s being taken care of. Felix is the only person who’s always been by my side. We were brought to the Night Hawks Club at the same time when we were fifteen. Since then, we’ve dominated the club’s championship for seven years. We’ve always been there for each other.

 

But my mind drifts back to what he just said—my leg is a mess. Surgery is my only option, and even then, it’s a 50/50 chance. What if I can never ride again? How the hell am I supposed to live like that? Riding isn’t just my life; it’s my identity.

 

The rage and despair swirl together, creating a dark storm inside me. I know what’s coming. That old man won’t leave me in peace. He’ll come for the money my father owes him. He’ll come for me. He’ll make me pay, even for the amount he lost because I didn’t finish the race.

 

I clench my jaw, the tears still streaming down my face. It’s unfair. Damn it, it’s so unfair!