SUICIDE OUTBREAK: Round Two

Cure #6: The Soul of Realization

Cure #6: The Soul of Realization

The hunger of defeat to whoever will lose the brawl licked Malcovich's soul and somehow, the excitement and expectation of the audience motivated him to win. The taste of victory was almost at the tip of his tongue.

The wind pressure of the opponent's kick immediately activated Malcovich's instinct to dodge by stepping backwards and it made the opponent's foot to bury on the muddy ground. Malcovich immediately took the advantage to punch his opponent straight on the nose and before the latter could recover, he pulled his foot up from the thick muddy ground and swung it on the man's lower jaw. His opponent immediately stumbled backwards and landed on the muddy ground.

The audience cheered and shouted his name in awe while throwing their fist into the air. The adrenaline and the cheers of the people around him coursed through his veins and pumped his heart erratically. He took a deep breath and looked at the man who lay on the muddy ground, unconscious.

"Malcovich, remember the rule! Break a part of his bone!" A man's voice caught his attention and he looked at the crowd.

He looked again at his opponent. Malcovich took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs before he raised his right foot and stepped on the man's back with full force. He heard an audible cracking sound and cracking sound and at that moment, the crowd gone wild and shouted his name in awe.

"Congratulations, messere! You won two hundred ducats for your victory against the agile guard!" Janus, the host of the brawl walked towards him and handed him the brown leather pouch that contained of money. Malcovich accepted it with his muddy hands and squeezed the pouch.

He won again.

The roaring sound of laughter echoed on the roads of Florence. The cold air of night seeped in through Malcovich's skin and goose bumps started to appear. He guided the mouth of the bottle on his lips to drink the rhum in it and he did so in large gulps. Malcovich coughed when the alcohol beverage burned his throat and then, he started to laugh again for no apparent reason. The alcohol was starting to seep through his senses but he was still aware of what's happening around him.

He raised his bottle. "Is this what you can offer?!" He shouted and looked at the heavens even he doesn't know who he is talking to. He gave a gurgly chuckle and guided the bottle's mouth into his lips to drink again but then he found out that it was empty. Anger surged through him and he threw the bottle on the floor. The sound created a disturbing noise and the broken shards scattered everywhere around his foot.

"Are you happy that I'm in this state, huh?!" He shouted again but this time, a sob escaped his lips and tears began to fall from his eyes. His sobs were followed by a whimper of pain.

He remembered it again.

"Annalisa..." he choked his tears and sniffed. The pain was too much for him to take.

"Where is my money, Malcovich?!" His loan shark, Bernardo glared at him and Malcovich could taste the danger. He's not afraid for his life but for his daughter.

"B-Bernardo, I'll pay you as soon as I get my salary at the end of month." Malcovich felt his lips trembled when he said those words. He knew he cannot pay Bernardo fully for his daughter Annalisa has heart failure and he needed a lot of florins to get her the best doctor.

Malcovich saw Bernardo smiled cynically showing his black and crooked teeth. "You've been saying that for the past few months," then Bernardo's eyes glittered in anger. "And never once, I accepted a single florin from you!"