November 24th, 2018
By the time evening settles over London, the O2 Arena is already alive with excitement. Deep in the fighters' locker-room area, however, Malik Adebayo remains under a pressure unlike anything he has felt before.
After watching the recording of Ryoma's fight against Cabello, Malik had a miserable night. He was haunted by a demon through a long disorienting nightmare, where his own body refused to move properly whenever he tried to flee. No matter where he attempted to run, the demon was always there ahead of him, waiting.
It was not the kind of nightmare that ended with a sudden scare and sent him jolting awake. The fear lingered, stretched out over what felt like an exhausting eternity. And the mental exhaustion from that restless night still lingers with him now, following him into the locker room.
Meanwhile, Coach Darren keeps pacing in front of him, his expression growing more irritated and impatient with every turn.
