Chapter 98: A Battle Within

The days between the semi-final and the final race felt both like a blur and an eternity. Rohan had barely recovered from the grueling semi-final that had pushed him to his limits, but his body wasn't the only thing struggling to bounce back. Mentally, he was caught in a whirlwind of nerves, self-doubt, and endless what-ifs.

As he sat on his bed in the Olympic Village, staring at the small notepad he always carried, the world outside seemed distant, muted. The routine hum of athletes moving through the Village, the chatter of conversations in different languages, the occasional burst of laughter—none of it reached him. His focus was inward, trapped in a loop of his own thoughts.

Rohan picked up the pen and began scribbling absently on the notepad, trying to quiet the storm raging in his head. Words spilled out—random thoughts, fragmented phrases, and then, more clearly: *Am I ready?*