Matteo stood in the center of the room, his face expressionless as he pushed a woman inside. She was about Isla's age, with short black hair and piercing eyes that radiated alertness. Her hands were bound in front of him, but her body remained upright.
"Who is she?" Isla asked Matteo.
"Her name is Jessica. She is your opponent." Matteo looked at Isla with a cold stare.
"So this is your new student?" Jessica's voice was low, but full of mockery. "Do you think she can kill me?"
Matteo did not answer. He simply took a knife from his pocket and cut the rope on the woman's wrists. Isla immediately set up a stance.
"Is this a test?" Isla asked, her voice calm.
"It's not a test. It's a battle of life and death. In this room, there is only one rule: the one who survives is the winner." Matteo put his hands in the pockets of his black coat. "Only one of you will walk out of this room alive."
Jessica cracked her neck, relaxed her muscles, and looked at Isla with a sly smile. Isla did not answer. She had no choice but to fight. And so the fight began. In an instant, Jessica darted forward. Fast, aggressive, and without hesitation.
Isla barely had time to dodge as her opponent's fist was about to hit her in the face, but she ducked, trying to launch a kick at her opponent's stomach. However, Jessica jumped back with sharp reflexes, as if she could read Isla's every move.
They circled each other looking for an opening to advance. Matteo just stood in the corner, watching them patiently.
"No weapons?" Isla asked, her eyes remaining focused on her opponent.
"You decide who gets it first." Matteo pulled out a knife and threw it into the center of the room.
Without thinking, Isla and Jessica made their move. Both ran toward the knife on the floor. Isla jumped first, but the woman kicked her hard, sending her tumbling to the side. As Isla tried to get up, Jessica had already grabbed the knife. She only had a split second to dodge as Jessica swung the knife towards her neck.
Quickly, Isla deflected it with her arm, receiving a cut on her skin. As her opponent prepared for her next attack, Isla kicked Jessica hard in the knee. Jessica lost her balance. That's when she managed to snatch the knife from the woman's hand.
Instead of retreating or protecting herself, Jessica lunged at Isla, using the momentum to hit her with a shoulder and push her backward with full force. She almost lost her balance and the knife slipped from her grasp.
One hard punch slammed into Isla's jaw. It was like being hit by a steel hammer-her teeth were chattering, her vision a little blurry. Jessica didn't stop punching her again. Isla could only raise her arm to parry, but the attack was too strong. Her body was pushed back, her back hitting the wall hard.
"Is that all you got?" Jessica smiled dismissively at Isla.
Jessica moved quickly. Her first fist shot toward Isla, but this time she was better prepared. She ducked, avoiding the punch by a fraction of a second. However, Jessica spun around and threw a sidekick. Jessica's foot slammed into Isla's stomach, knocking her backward. The air was forced out of her lungs.
Jessica stared at Isla, her breathing ragged. Isla knew that Jessica was as tired as she was. However, they both knew this fight couldn't just end.
"Now you must die," Jessica said.
Jessica's hands went straight for Isla's neck. However, she used her head as a weapon. She slammed her forehead into Jessica's face. The woman gasped and blood flowed from her nose. Just then, Isla pushed her aside and turned the tables.
Without thinking, Isla moved to the side to grab the knife that had fallen. However, Jessica saw it too. They ran towards the same knife. Two hands gripped the handle of the knife simultaneously. A tug of war ensued.
They fought over the weapon that would determine who lived and who died. Their hands were both covered in blood, blood from the wounds they had sustained during this brutal fight.
Jessica growled, trying to pull the knife towards her. Isla felt her opponent's muscles tighten, trying to take control of the weapon with all her might.
The woman kicked Isla hard in the knee. That's when Jessica managed to snatch the knife from Isla's hand.
"At the end of this game, you're going to die," Jessica said as she swung the knife at Isla.
If she didn't act now, she would die in this room. Quickly, Isla twisted her body to the side, avoiding the deadly attack. Isla jumped back, but the tip of the knife still managed to cut her skin. An immediate sting ran down the side of her stomach.
"You're getting slower." Jessica smiled with a grin.
"I'd rather suffer a small wound than die here!" Isla didn't want to give up so easily.
With a quick movement, Isla held Jessica's hands with both of hers, then used her knees to smash her opponent's stomach. The knife immediately fell to the floor. Wasting no time, she picked it up and thrust it right into Jessica's heart.
Jessica gasped. Her angry black eyes were now wide with shock. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say the last word. Isla's hand was still gripping the hilt of the knife embedded in Jessica's chest. The hand that had been gripping Isla fell slowly. Jessica was no longer breathing.
She had never imagined what it would be like to take someone's life with her own hands. The knife fell to the ground after taking Jessica's life. Her eyes were glued to her bloodied hands. She was still in shock. Meanwhile, Matteo walked over and stared at the corpse that was now lying lifeless.
"You did it. You have proven yourself," Matteo said with a tone of satisfaction.
Matteo reached out and grabbed Isla's still trembling wrist. Once again, she stared at Jessica's bloodied corpse on the floor.
"You can cry all you want, Isla. But you are alive and she-" Matteo turned to Jessica's cooling body, "-is not."