Chapter 3 – Fluorescent Confidence
The overhead fluorescent lights made every movement in the ring look sharper. Trent enjoyed the attention. He joked with the spectators and made sure everyone understood how badly he expected to beat the farmer.
Eli answered almost nothing.
That silence irritated Trent more than an insult would have. He wanted fear. He wanted hesitation. Instead, Eli looked at him with an expression that was almost empty.
It was not emptiness.
It was concentration.
Eli had spent decades repairing machines that could kill a careless man. He knew that panic made mistakes, and mistakes were often more dangerous than the machine itself. A farmer learned to respect weight, momentum, timing, and balance.
The ring was no different.
Trent had youth.
Eli had patience.
The crowd did not yet understand the difference.