chapter 8

I stirred in bed, awakened by the morning light seeping through a crack in the curtains. 

I got out of bed, pulled them open, and was greeted by the warm embrace of the sunlight.

I stood there, soaking it all in.

"Hmmmmm," I took a deep breath.

The past few weeks had unfolded in a much more uneventful manner, finally granting me the peace of mind I longed for.

I found a much better apartment, better than my last one – more spacious and cleaner. It featured a sufficiently large living room with an attached kitchen, one bedroom, and a good bathroom. 

While the neighborhood still wasn't the best, it was a significant improvement from my last place and provided a good spot to lay low.

I opened some accounts to launder my money, with a little help from Joshua, of course. 

Life was finally on the right track again.

After taking in the morning air, I returned and made my bed, neatly folding up the blankets.

Afterward, I headed to the bathroom to wash my face, splashing cool water to fully wake myself up. Speaking of which, I've cut my hair short and changed the color to a dark brown. Blonde hair tended to stand out too much, which was a disadvantage when trying to avoid attention, especially when being chased. 

Also, I've noticed some strands beginning to turn white, although I didn't know why. But at this point, I've already given up trying to understand the reasons and learned to live with it, no point in going mad thinking about it. Anyway, I'm going off-topic here.

After washing up, I made my way to the kitchen and opened the fridge to prepare some breakfast. 

"I need to buy some groceries," I reminded myself, noting the nearly empty shelves. With limited options, I retrieved my last two eggs and some bacon from the fridge.

I cracked the eggs into the pan, letting them cook sunny side up. In another pan, I added the bacon strips, starting them off in a cold pan with a splash of water before turning up the heat. The sizzle of bacon filled the air as I heated the pan, and soon, the enticing aroma of eggs and bacon wafted through the room. Once cooked, I transferred them onto a plate, ready to enjoy.

I also brewed a fresh pot of coffee. 

Then with my plate of eggs and bacon in hand, along with a steaming mug of coffee, I settled onto the couch in the living room in front of the TV. As I enjoyed my meal while listening to the news.

After finishing my breakfast, I allowed myself to relax for a while before finally leaving my apartment just before noon. 

Stepping out of the building, I followed my familiar route, making my way to the gym. There was a certain comfort in the routine, in the everyday sights and sounds that surrounded me.

Despite knowing that I was no longer in my original world, there was something comforting about the normalcy of it all – passing by stores, stalls, people, and dogs. It was as if, despite the craziness of this new world, there was still a semblance of familiarity, a thread connecting it to the world I once knew. It reminded me that amidst the chaos, there was still some normalcy to be found, and that realization brought a sense of peace as I continued on my way.

As soon as I entered the gym, I was greeted by a bear-like guy, one of the trainers there. 

"Ahh, there you are!" he exclaimed warmly.

"How are you Coach," I greeted him back with a smile.

"Same thing today?" I inquired as I made my way to the changing room.

"Yeah, but not too much. Remember, you've got a spar later," he reminded me. My daily routine at the gym consisted of warm-ups, training drills, forms, and the occasional spar, although the latter didn't happen every day.

"You got it."

He was a great guy. 

He says one day I would be someone big, and to that, I would simply smile in response. Once, perhaps, I would have; I mean, who wouldn't? But now, being in the spotlight was like painting a target on my back. It just wasn't worth the risk.

I only took up boxing and started working out when I realized that I needed to be more prepared. After facing trouble with only a security guard, it's like having a gun but not knowing how to use it. 

Just having this new body was not enough; I needed to know how to use it efficiently too. And the brains this body came with helped a lot in doing so.

I haven't become a super genius who suddenly knows everything or anything like that; it's more like my normal brain has gotten boosted to another level. 

I can remember better and pick up more details of things around me, like small details that would have otherwise gone unnoticed if I hadn't paid attention. I can pick up and understand things better and faster; my whole thought process has become more efficient.

Now, I see, feel, and hear things much more clearly, making me aware of things around me as if my senses were on overdrive all the time. It was uncomfortable at first, but now I've learned to live with it.

I also took up reading, thinking, why not expand my knowledge?

Reading and training were what I mostly did with my time now. I wasn't going to become Ali or Tyson, but now I knew how to punch and block, paired with my strength, it became deadly.

So that was my current daily routine: relax, train, and learn. 

I have to admit, life became much more enjoyable when I no longer had to worry about my financial situation every day, unlike the challenging first few months here. 

However, good things never seem to last, do they?