Next.

[Serenity Holmes]

A wise woman once told me there's a difference between "if" and "when." A person in their "if" stage will always beg the question of uncertainty, while a person in their "when" stage will garner the countdown to their specific strike. I've been in this company for a long time, and the one championship that eluded me is on the horizon. After becoming Invictus Champion, no one can stop me, and I welcome the odds in my favor. However, I've finally understood what it means to sacrifice. It's a sad case, but it has to be resolved. This is my chance to prove I am ready.

---

EPIPHANY.

You have one message.

Serenity. How long are you going to ignore me? I will continue to knock on your door and tear down your walls until you accept what I've been teaching you. Just hear me out. I want to help you.

Help? Is that what she called it? To help Serenity? Where was the help when she was alive? Hmm? Even in death, she continues to torment the girl's head at every opportunity that presents itself. Serenity's die-hard attitude to fight was encompassed by the abuse she faced, but at this moment in her career, she's shown her strength to overcome it. However, as time moved on, a difference in Serenity took hold.

The life of the young champion was evolving on a different path. Serenity's confidence, skill, and mindset were unmatched regardless of her opponents for Survival of the Fittest. Another thing was brewing in the air and directed towards the company's top woman or the top championship. However, time was not on her side. Although the odds were in her favor, she knew she was the final puzzle to this match. After all, she had won the right to be the last entrant in the gauntlet, proving to be the winning man, but something didn't feel right.

She was missing something, and it was eating away at her.

You are now 30 minutes away from your destination.

Back in Texas again, Dallas was a town near her place of birth, Houston. She loved the city; it was similar to Houston, but if you know about the local scene, you know enough. The constant differentiation of the towns in their cultures made them stand out, and Serenity's prominent representation of the Texan banner helped fuel her drive to make sure she would win. Retaining the Invictus Championship matter and the drive downtown to her hotel was smooth; the legion provided her with an executive suite level rental car, a Porsche GT in full black, paying tribute to the Blackbird.

Serenity was in the driver's seat, both hands on the steering wheel, right boot on the gas pedal, and leaned back in the seat strapped in. Although it was almost midnight, her speed was fast to the point a police officer could pull her over, but the cops of Texas were either invested in drugs or minding their damn business. She appreciated the solitude away from the law temporarily, and her eyes focused ahead on the road to enjoy a night's end of prolific driving that eased one's mind.

Serenity.

No. Not now. She was driving. There was no liquid courage in her this time. Her mind was sloshing with clarity and calm. However, a slight chill was down her spine, and she felt heavy. The air was thickening, and one hand was removed from the steering wheel to place on her chest. The lights were becoming blurry and solid and robust. She shook her head to snap back into reality. It was just the wind; perhaps she was tired and needed sleep. She had a big match ahead of her. She couldn't afford to endure some hardship within herself.

Pull over.

"No!" she yelled and slammed her fist on the steering wheel. With her fingers behind the transmission switches, she programmed the car into full performance mode to extract every power out of the engine. The thermometer rose, the engine's roar got louder, and Serenity's grip on the steering wheel tightened. She slammed her foot down on the pedal, trying to get out of her head, but her voice became louder.

Pull over!!

"SHUT UP!!!" Serenity yelled, and in that brief moment of distraction, the car's traction was out of control; she quickly pressed the brakes, causing the rear tires to come to a screeching halt. In what was the last resort, she threw the car off the road, which collapsed into the dirt near the separated area of the woods. The car stopped with the front end covered in mud, and the engine hummed, still in good shape. Serenity slammed her hands on the steering wheel, yelling in pure rage. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

She stormed out of the car and slammed the door shut. Serenity walked around, dragging her feet on the grass, and kicked the vehicle's front bumper. What was it?! Why wouldn't she escape her?! What was the feeling?!

She had everything in the palm of her hand. She had outsmarted her opponents to gain the upper hand. Serenity's Invictus Championship match showed what it meant as the premium live event was named Survival of the Fittest..yet she felt like the prey. Pacing back and forth, her breathing got heavy, and she felt the weight of her body multiply. Serenity placed a hand on her throat until bending forward to release the contents inside her gut. She vomited out of nowhere and then collapsed onto her right knee, wiping the chunks off her face and her hands, too.

I'm sorry.

What? What did she say? Serenity lifted her head and wiped her mouth again. Okay, this had to be a prank. Serenity looked up to the empty skies, the moon being the only one of comfort above her, and could sense she was near. She ventured off, leaving her car alone against her careful nature, and delved into the woods through the dark. It was uncharted territory, a dangerous journey, but she felt compelled.

I don't want to see you like this and am genuinely worried about you. You're going through it—the itch.

"I don't need a drink!" She was certain. Since her drunken rampage, she worked on herself to maintain her sobriety. However, Serenity kept walking forward like she was being pulled.

I'm not talking about alcohol—the itch to become more outstanding. You want what you always wanted. You want what was destined for you.

"Stop." The word was whispered under her breath but shaky in delivery. Serenity kept walking, and her mother's voice kept booming in her mind.

Please, stop, this is too much.

"Oh, you don't get to tell me anything anymore. I don't need you. I need something much more, and I won't stop until I get it, even if it means destroying all of them. They're just roadblocks to what was rightfully mine, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure I remain the champion." Despite her spirit being the catalyst for Serenity's new outlook, her mother was shocked to hear her say this. The usual routine was always to rebel, but in agreement with her beliefs, there was a quiet in the air held hostage by Serenity.

Serenity stopped in an open area. It was beautiful, and judging from the sirens miles away, the police and local authorities were on their way. Someone must have tipped them off about a sports car left alone on the side of the road, but she didn't care.

Her body was on fire; Holding her throat, a hand on her chest, and the tingling of her skin all over meant the itch had returned. In her family, the itch was never about drugs, alcohol or looking for a small high, the itch to become a champion again yet despite having one was influencing her thinking. Over the past few weeks, she's dealt with Tytus believing he has instilled fear in Serenity, Natasha believing she is the rightful Invictus Champion by morality, and TJ Alexander looking to upstart Serenity to begin his career.

Serenity-

"STOP CALLING MY NAME! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Her voice boomed through the woods, the birds of nocturne flying away after being awoken by the ferocious roar. The echoed scream disappeared into the air, and Serenity fell onto her right knee to take a breather. Unleashing that scream felt good, and she placed a hand on her chest. Her heartbeat sent shockwaves around her body, and she knew the itch was back again.

Survival of the Fittest. She was fitting for an apex wrestler like herself, but she needed to improve at the top of the food chain. It was driving her insane, and she felt the thirst for glory come over her again.

It was out of desperation when she decided to align with Roberto Verona. A means to save herself from ruin, but now, the decision was out of addiction to becoming the best. She needed to be the only one standing, and it was going to happen as a promise on the deathbed of her mother.

---

HUNT.

You all pissed me off.

I am so tired of you bringing up your pathetic stories pretending that it means a damn to me. It's honestly so revolting that I want to throw up in my mouth physically. The way you all craft this narrative that fits you as the hero in your stories and absolves you of your sins.

Yet I, the champion, the Invictus Champion, continue to embrace my demons and show the world the ugliest about me. Does that make me a mean person? No. It makes me more honest than every single one of you who lies to yourself to put you in the positive spotlight so everyone can buy into your pity.

Meanwhile, here I am, telling the truth elevates me above you all. Now that I am the last woman to enter this match, it kills you inside to know that no matter who is left standing, I am the harbinger of the end, and I will still be walking out the IWF Invictus Champion.

Alone in the dark forest, she took a moment to sit down on the grass. The moon was kind enough to lend its light to shine. It might not be bright, but it was enough to illuminate her. The pain she was feeling was from the itch, but it needed to be in the form of an outlet.

God, you all think you're special? None of you aren't. The unique person worth a damn and relevant in this entire match is myself. I hold the championship you all covet, and for a very long time, I've shown IWF that I can be a leading champion.

Ultimately, it's not about stories, your motivations, or what you hope to achieve; it's about having the power to do so and making change. That's what I've done. I showed the world that despite coming in as a second-rate choice, I've made decisions that saved me from being thrown into jail institutions, and now I stand at the top of the entire company. I am the best damn champion currently, and no one can take that from not me.

Not my opponents, TJ Alexander, Tytus Rost, and Natasha Walker. All three of these unfortunate competitors will realize that this match is a farce.

It's not a gauntlet match. It's a slaughterhouse, and the pigs are in their lineup, waiting to be killed so that food may remain on my table. You are all my food, and I'm glad because I have that itch.

And no, it's not the itch you think; it's the itch all world-class competitors get when they know it's not the end. When they know deep down inside that there's a new chapter on the horizon, I need to make all of you into spaces to get to that chapter.

Serenity dusted her pants off and fixed her hair. She stood up, clutching the interior of her leather jacket to keep herself warm. Dallas was pretty cold at this time of night, so her stubborn decision to stray away from her car contributed to how badly things were.

Because how many times are we going to do this, Natasha? Did I enjoy embarrassing you back in Tokyo? You spent your time making nicknames rather than focusing on your training. You know what? It's sad. After all this work you put in, you still need help getting the job done.

You're always coming in second place, whether through me or your "friend," Charlotte Shimizu. I was right before: You don't have what it takes to be the Invictus Champion. You're a walking basket case, a lonely charity lucky to be given opportunities as a placeholder in my career.

I honestly do feel sorry for you. I hate to eat my meal again, but you'll get stale even more than you have and blame it on me. This attitude you have? It's premature. There's no killer instinct or desire to ensure your opponents never fight back again.

That's why I won.

I never needed to show respect. I take it whether you like it or not.

But are you speaking of respect?

She sighed again. Oh, this one was funny. Serenity decided to turn back and walk the path back to her car. She loved the scenery, though. The bugs flying around, the chirps of horror descending from not knowing the atmosphere, all catering to her enthralled posture toward her new goal.

Tytus.

I don't respect elders who didn't do anything but suck the oxygen in the room. Redemption? That's what you bring for a man of your size? I was expecting you to be a monster, but the crumpling of your bones, thanks to old age, is music to my ears. I am your paradise, your last resort, and you are trying to intimidate me here.

Yes, I was a little scared of your decadence. You wanted to brutalize everything in your path, but your lackluster need to present yourself as this dying victim makes me sick. You don't have it in you to become Invictus Champion because you see this belt as a key to your former youth.

I see this belt as a key to elevate. That's why your ass doesn't have what it takes to survive. You've been thrown to the wolves before, and you were eaten. You're lucky you're even able to pull yourself together because now? I'm going to rip you apart limb from limb and remind you that redemption was too far from you.

It has forsaken you, abandoned you, and all you can do now is wither away to a distant memory. You have shamed me, yourself, and your country and lied to everyone who believed in you, which makes you a coward by default. And in the words of your country, cowards always get put to death.

As she approached leaving the woods, the flashing lights of police cars and EMTs became brighter. Before she exposed herself, she stopped to look behind her in the abyss. Serenity sighed and placed a hand on a tree to lean on it, feeling her heart pound against her chest.

And speaking of putting to death, well, when a prey falls into the trap, it can be listed as a form of suicide. They follow the trap of seeing food or something dangled before them and have no choice but to take it.

Their instincts overwhelm them, their hunger becomes their only feeling, and they sacrifice themselves to the predator. TJ, my Invictus Championship was that carrot, and you're going to be the sacrificial lamb of my gauntlet match. The first to become roadkill, you can feed that Russian idiot to make him nice and juicy.

After all, you're a rookie, a young man looking to make a name for himself, but I don't care about your hopes and dreams. Your aspirations are just pathetic attempts to make a fever dream a reality, but I am reality, and reality is a nightmare. You won't push past the first round; you don't have the wits.

This Invictus Championship operates on a level no one has seen before because I am at that level. I am the measuring stick, the benchmark. I set the standard and created opportunities for everyone in this company to follow.

Unfortunately for you, I'm leading you to be fed to me.

The authorities are yelling as they approach the entrance into the woods. They picked up on Serenity's tracks, and she was ready to face them. She looked upwards to the moon, past the treetops, andaheadd of her on this narrow path.

Survival of the Fittest on my home territory. I am walking in as the IWF Invictus Champion, and I will be leaving as the Invictus Champion at the expense of sacrificing you all.

I can't stand the fact that I have to do this, but it's what will confirm what I know. The itch is back, and it reminds me of that dark place I go to that makes me want to stop waiting and take control.

Because unlike every single one of you in this match, you haven't tasted the upper echelon of paradise. It was supposed to be mine, but I let it slip. Now, it's in the hands of others who are undeserving, so this match is crucial to me. It is the one match where I wash my hands of all of you and move on to what should have been mine in the first place.

To simplify it, I will remain Invictus and remind myself I am the strongest.

And it will be enough to prove that I will make history because I am coming for the Women's World Championship!