Synopsis

The clash of steel echoed in his ears, a stark counterpoint to the tremor in his heart. He fought with a practiced grace, yet each parry and thrust brought a fresh wave of apprehension. Victory felt hollow, the cheers of the crowd distant and meaningless. All he could see was the inevitable moment when his body would betray him, the jarring ride in the ambulance, the sterile white walls of the hospital – a future he desperately tried to ignore. The thrill of the joust was overshadowed by the chi