𝙸. “ NO END IN SIGHT ”

❝ Not many people can say that they possess a whole lot of information about me or about the things that have taken place in my 22-year-old life. My family──or as I prefer to refer to it as, The Lightwood Bloodline──has a reputation of being wealthy and powerful. It has been said that the members of this family of mine are cruel, exploitative and passionately motivated to gain control. In truth, I am no different. No more than twelve years into my life, the Lightwoods suffered a ghastly disaster──one of our family members was unceremoniously and prematurely taken from us. That family member was my beloved mother, Alyssa. After her unpredictable and sudden passing, it was mutually decided that the Lightwoods would further rebel against the world and that if the world takes from us, we are equally deserving to take from the world. In a way, that notion fit right into the mold that has been the mindset of the Lightwoods since long before I was brought into this world.

As favorable as the circumstances in which I had the chance to grow up might have been, not a single thing in my life has been handed to me and I never even wanted that for myself. Ever since I was a child, I have desired to become a professional wrestler. There was a time when practically everyone in my school ganged up on me and told me how foolish and unrealistic it was of me to even dare to dream of such an occupation. They offended me by claiming that I would be too small to battle the Goliaths of the squared circle. Little did they know. While those kids had the misfortune of being scolded by teachers on a daily basis, I was on another continent, seeking to make my only dream come true. My father, whom, much like myself, is a life-long wrestling fan took me to Japan to train after we agreed that they had the best environment for me and that the Strong Style fit me the best. Now, all of those kids that tried to stop me from going after my dream live in my shadow. And soon, that shall be the fate of the entire professional wrestling world.

I have never really believed in humanity or its intricacies. Instead, I always opted to think of myself as something more than human. After all, I am a Lightwood. Our dynasty is replete with people who are remarkably comfortable with the idea of being lusus naturae rather than mere human beings. It could be that the tragedies that have ravaged my lifespan to date have given me reason to share that very same belief. In either case, I don't shy away from it. Instead, I chose to embrace it simply because it is a part of who I am and what I am. When I emerged at Heatstroke, I warned my fellow competitors about my malicious demeanor, the demeanor of the Lightwoods. If they did not take my words to heart, I can only wish for them to not find me standing on the opposite side of the ring. Should they have foolishly chosen to be dismissive of what it was that I said, I will not hesitate leaving a few more bodies in my wake. ❞




On the second day of September in 2016, four of the newest additions to the ever-growing Visionaries of Wrestling roster──those being Jessica E. Mathis, Leo Dempsey, Dazi Miyashita and Keelan Lightwood──are set to do battle in a fatal four way match. On that day, the Homewood Field in Baltimore, Maryland will be loaded with a few thousand die-hard VoW fans, looking to get their money's worth of action on the fiftieth episode of Breakthrough. The Homewood Field, however, is not the only thing attracting folks to Baltimore. The Inner Harbor is widely known to be one of the most prominent landmarks and tourist attractions in the city. There, one can watch and hear the waves clash in the ocean and feel at peace. Keelan and Reginald Lightwood barely believed in such inner peace but they had decided to check out the Inner Harbor area prior to the former's debut match. The duo had managed to find a vacant bench in the vicinity of the historic landmark and sat there side by side. They both stared into the horizon with neutral expressions on their faces, the wind gently moving Reginald's graying hair back and forth. Keelan, on the other hand, had each of his hands tucked into the pockets of his black leather jacket which he had left open, allowing us to see a blank white t-shirt underneath it. Silently, they watched the waves and heard that reputable sound that was described as calming. And maybe, to a certain extent, it was calming but it was quite obvious that both Keelan and Reginald had a lot of thoughts racing through their heads. Before long, Reginald deemed that such thoughts needed to be read out loud.

\\--R E G I N A L D_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Well, son, here we are. Fourteen years of difficult labor later, you are finally at liberty to call yourself a professional wrestler. ❞

The left corner of Keelan's mouth slowly twisted into a weak half-smile following Reginald's proud proclamation. Even before they embarked on the journey, they both knew just how hard and exhausting the road was going to be but what comforted them was knowing that one day, Keelan would be able to negotiate himself a contract with a top-level wrestling company. Keelan's expression soon returned to neutral and he responded to his father, his words containing hints of relief.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ I have been waiting for this moment. At last, it is at hand. ❞

Much like Keelan, Reginald remained frozen in his position, resting his hands on his thighs. He spoke up again, not offering any cue before doing so.

\\--R E G I N A L D_L I G H T W O O D

❝ To date, the road has been long and the amount of work has been unprecedented. But we both are fully aware that this is not the end of that road. As a matter of fact, this is where your journey commences. It has taken you a very long time to get to this point but look at you now──you are already making history by competing on September the second. After said date, only twenty-five Visionaries can say that they have officially participated in the historic fiftieth episode of Breakthrough and you, my son, are one of those twenty-five. ❞

Keelan realized each word his father said and had to take a moment to let it all sink in. Suddenly, it dawned on him just how many grueling hours of dedication he had endured to be in the position he found himself at the moment. Still, the young man also understood exactly what his father meant──this is truly only the beginning. Keelan's demonic visage continued to send an empty, hateful glare somewhere towards the ocean while he offered a reply to his father.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ I may have missed the first forty-nine episodes of Breakthrough but I promise to be around for the next fifty and beyond. Now that I think about it, the competitors from the past forty-nine Breakthroughs that have since departed from the company can thank their lucky stars I didn't get here sooner. In leaving while the weather was favorable, they made a very wise decision. They saved their own careers. They saved their own lives. ❞

Acting in a manner similar to that of his son, Reginald barely flinched in response to his son's cold, mercilessly piercing words. Yet, Reginald comprehended the fact that those words were entirely true. He recognized them as something a member of his family would say and that illustrated to him that he had raised his son well. A couple of silent moments passed during which neither man said another word. Finally, Reginald turned his head to the right so he could actually see Keelan. Then, he spoke to his son in a silent yet amazingly clear tone.

\\--R E G I N A L D_L I G H T W O O D

❝ The VoW management tossed you into a tricky one, son. I have to hand it to them, they did quite a splendid job when they were putting the show together. ❞

Keelan was visibly deep in thought but Reginald knew he heard and took to heart everything he said. In a swift fashion, Keelan deviated from his seemingly frozen position, finally removing his hands from the pockets of his jacket. He turned to face one of his creators and directly addressed what he had said a number of seconds prior. Keelan, however, opted not to look his father in the eye.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Father, allow me to put things into perspective. My opposition on Breakthrough edition fifty consists of a boy who is too concerned with wanting and getting the ladies, a fellow upstart of the same age as me who has never left a VoW arena victorious and, sure enough, a wannabe queen. ❞

As expected, Keelan had a highly confident tone in his voice as he spoke. Reginald shifted his gaze away from his son and back onto the ocean where he saw multiple boats racing in the currents. He quickly appeared bored with the activity and turned back to face his son again.

\\--R E G I N A L D_L I G H T W O O D

❝ So, then, this may be a pointless question to ask but I'm going to ask it anyway. Does your match have you worried? ❞

It seemed as if Reginald was expecting to hear back from Keelan at the speed of light but that scenario never came to be. Instead, Keelan tilted his head to the right slightly while lowering it so that the only thing he saw was the green grass underneath the bench he was sitting on. He was visibly hesitant to answer the question proposed to him, which was something the sharp father immediately took note of. Reginald stared at Keelan, arching both of his eyebrows whilst looking for any sign of life but to no avail. “The Killer of the Black Dawn” remained in his own world, although he managed to utter somewhat of a confession.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Father, you know that I have never been one to tell a lie. And even if I decided to participate in committing such a filthy and disgusting act, you would see right through me. I do admit that staring across the ring at three opponents instead of just one certainly makes things a little more interesting, even challenging. I understand that mathematically, each of us four has a twenty-five percent chance of walking out of Baltimore with what is held in highest regard in this business──a victory. I also understand that mathematics and percentages in their natural forms have little to no value in the wrestling industry. Instead, it is what one is willing to do to achieve success that truly determines the winner. I am well aware that I only have one chance to stand victorious in my professional debut match and I am fully prepared to sweep all of my opposition under the rug. I will not allow any of them to stand in my way. ❞

Whatever was left of Reginald's slightly concerned facial expression was now long gone. He mumbled approvingly while simultaneously nodding his head once, more than content that his son seemed to have everything under control. Reginald turned his attention away from Keelan again and adjusted his position on the bench slightly. Right then, Keelan snapped out of his trance-like state and welcomed himself back to reality. As usual, he appeared glassy-eyed as if he had forgotten to blink for the past five minutes. In one swift motion, Keelan targeted his gaze at the water that glistened underneath the shining sun and fixed his leather jacket to make it feel more comfortable.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ A part of me can't help but wonder if Junior is going to keep an eye out for my match on Friday night. ❞

As the name would perhaps suggest, Junior is Reginald's eldest son and therefore also Keelan's brother. The father/son team frequently brought up Junior in their conversations as he is an essential part of the Lightwood family. This time, though, Reginald was caught a little off-guard by the mention of Junior's name; he was expecting the conversation to focus on Keelan's upcoming match. Despite the sudden turn of events, Reginald granted his second son a response.

\\--R E G I N A L D_L I G H T W O O D

❝ If Junior fails to have his eyes glued to his television screen, he will be a fool and I will personally tell him that. He has been anticipating your match almost as much as you have──to miss it when it happens in living color would be a regrettable mistake and he knows that to be true. But Keelan, you have to understand that he, too, has a life of his own. We Lightwoods excel in dividing and conquering. Your brother is currently taking over the wrestling scene in Canada while you already have vanquished the Japanese and now seek to add the United States to your personal list of territories to be conquered. Junior will be fine. You need not and should not worry about what he is doing. ❞

Keelan was quick to reply, his words accompanied by resolve and respect.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ I understand. ❞

There was no longer a need for either man to respond so they didn't. They simply opted to keep quiet and enjoy staring at the light yet rather loud traffic in the ocean, even though that was not far from being the last thing on their minds.




The camera opens up to a complete blackout. It was impossible to see anything, let alone make out any little details about what was actually behind the camera lens. The footage kept rolling but nothing else happened. That was until the screen lit up, but only slightly. The dim light was just about enough to reveal a dark room, which appeared to lack any visible walls──and if there were some, the camera failed to capture them. The room was almost entirely devoured by thick fog, rendering it difficult to see any objects. Soon, however, the fog vanished from the center but it continued to cloud both sides of the screen. Near center of the room, slightly off-axis to the left, a white table was set up for no apparent reason. Behind said table was a chair of the same design and color. The atmosphere grew even creepier and light fog began to emerge in the center once again, but this time not enough to cover the position of the table. From the left side of the screen emerged a black-clad “Alpha Fiend,” Keelan Lightwood. His dress shirt, which had now become somewhat of his trademark, was buttoned up all the way with the sole exception of the top button. His strut was slow and malicious while his demonic visage displayed what was surprisingly a very light smile. Keelan halted his pacing in front of the table and his smile was forced to vanish when a more serious, cold look quickly crept upon his bearded face. The self-professed “monster” then began to speak, his words coming out in meticulous detail.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Leo, Jessica and Dazi──mere days are standing between us. After those days, those hours, those minutes are brushed off as nothing more than history, we are going to set ourselves loose on one another in what is bound to be a very intriguing contest. The cages open and the beasts are allowed to take center stage. The four of us in the very same ring at the same time, each in a different corner, going to war just to see who has the strength and the willpower to remain the last one standing. But before we are given the opportunity to reach for each other's throats, I ought to give the three of you a warning. See, there is this idea that I have in my head that if the world takes something away from me as it has done so many times in the past, I feel almost obligated to return the favor and take something away from the world. Rest assured, when the bell rings, I am going to take something away from all of you. I will take your prides and I will choke you half to death with them. I will take away invaluable time from your careers, perhaps even your lives──time that none of you can ever have handed back to you. Now, then, allow me delve into the specifics. ❞

The half-smile that Keelan was able to pull off earlier made its return as Keelan slowly ambled his way over to the other side of the table. He grabbed a tight hold of the chair that stood right behind the table and pulled backwards in order to take seat on it. Next, he moved slightly forward with the chair so that he sat closer to the table. The newly-acquired Visionary proceeded to place his intertwined hands on the smooth table──a move that exposed a silver bracelet on his right wrist, which was previously hidden underneath his long sleeves. Keelan looked straight into the camera with that signature devilish glare of his, then carrying on with his speech.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Leo Dempsey. You are a man who loathes labels, are you not? I find it alarmingly appalling that I agree with a man such as yourself, but I have no choice but to give you recognition for your courageous effort to speak your mind about labels. Your story that you so proudly presented to the world one month ago is very...relatable. Much like you, I was also heavily labeled when I was younger. To a certain degree, I suppose I am still being labeled and the chances of that continuing for the rest of my days as a living creature are proportionately high. And this is where the truth smacks you across the face with its ice-cold hand. What you fail to realize, Leo, is that there is no way to truly escape from labels. In the end, people continue to form their own, often erroneous, conceptions about you and all they have to offer as basis for their views are obsolete things or events that have taken place sometime in history. Commit a crime once and, regardless of its severity, you are forever known as and treated akin to a criminal. ❞

“The Black Dawn Killer” ceased now, allowing himself a moment to lower his head and scoff in reaction to the last couple of sentences that escaped his mouth, signaling that he didn't agree with such opinions. After making a full recovery and composing himself, Keelan lifted his head up and faced the camera yet again.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Now, Leo? Now you can add me to what appears to be an awfully long list of different kinds of individuals who have labeled you in your life. We have arrived to the point where the little respect I have for you ceases to exist. You need to understand that your “dashing good looks” are unable to carry you anywhere in this business. If you even attempt to protect your face from me, you will quickly realize how powerless and stupid I can make you feel. And if you desire to publicly display your face and your body for the entire world to see, I regret to inform you that you have chosen the wrong career path. Maybe it is not too late for you to find yourself a future in soccer? Or perhaps modeling underwear is what suits your needs better? In either case, I think the two of us can come to an agreement about where you future does not lie──that being professional wrestling. And on September second, I intend to make that clear to you, to such an extent that finding a new career will be the very least of your worries. The pain, both physical and mental, will cripple you to a condition far worse than what Dustin Holt was capable of inflicting on you when you tapped out to him on Breakthrough forty-nine. ❞

Keelan discontinued briefly. As he was getting more uncomfortable in his current position on the chair, he used the pause to his advantage and assumed a more pleasant posture, straightening his back before moving on to the next subject.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Jessica E. Mathis, or “JEM” for short, I suppose. I undertook the task of studying your brief history here in Visionaries of Wrestling and I made some highly disappointing discoveries. Vividly do I remember the forty-eighth edition of Breakthrough. Jessica Mathis, in her Visionaries of Wrestling debut, competed in a fatal four way match and, as expected, failed to have her hand raised in victory after the bell rang for the second time. No more than two weeks later on Breakthrough forty-nine, you went toe-to-toe with a fellow failure of a competitor, Katie Moicelle. And what was it that happened? Strike number two. Do you know who else has the exact same track record here as you? Leo Dempsey. The two of you did not shine very bright in the fatal four way and the black cloud that was over your heads after said contest followed you into your respective matches two weeks later. Quite the eerie pattern, is it not? ❞

Keelan suspended his little history lesson with another pause, which ended up being short-lived as he continued on soon afterwards.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ What pains the most about you, Jessica, is not your track record. It is something far more than just simple numbers, something much worse──your attitude. I have been trying to figure out the reason why you would think that you can waltz your way into this company just to see if the ice is thick enough carry you. You do not sign a contract with a high-profile wrestling company to see if you are good enough to make it in this sport. Instead, you work hard to make sure you are good enough to take on the very best the company could ever have to offer. Your actions are a direct slap in the face of people like myself and I feel absolutely disrespected by how you have decided to go about things. In case you have not yet figured it out, you cannot slap me in the face without getting kicked in the head. And so I ask you now, Jessica, after leaving the VoW arena disappointed in yourself two times in rapid succession──is the ice really thick enough to carry you? Certainly even you know the answer to that question, do you not? But if you desperately need to have it confirmed to you, look no further. I will be beyond overjoyed to make sure that when you fall through the ice for the third time, you will not see your way onto the surface again. ❞

Without warning, Keelan pushed himself up from the chair as his face gained a new addition in the form of a sinister smirk. He took about three steps forward and then remained standing next to the table. He rolled up both sleeves of his shirt and began to address his third opponent on Breakthrough #50.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ It is finally the time to talk about you, Dazi Miyashita. Ever since I first laid my eyes on you at Heatstroke, I have been waiting to tell you how I feel about you. Ever since that day, I have been craving the opportunity let you know what I see when I look at you. And now, I can set myself free from the agonizing torture that the past two weeks have brought upon me. Now, I get to candidly inform you just what kind of a failure you truly are. ❞

Keelan walked a few steps forward and as he did so, a light evil laugh could be heard escaping from his mouth. His visage retained the sinister smile for a few more moments before it, too, faded away and a more neutral but freakishly serious look replaced it.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ What defines Dazi Miyashita also defines roughly ninety-five percent of female wrestlers in this day and age. You all appear to have this strange fascination with referring to yourselves as the “queen.” And for what, exactly? What you and the rest of your kind are wholly incapable of fathoming is that with or without that moniker, you are all essentially the same. There really is nothing that sets you apart from the rest. You are just as hopeless and desperate for attention as the rest of the bunch and you proved that on live television when you foolishly claimed to be the “TRUE queen of wrestling.” Do you know what the very next young lady that entered our business did, aside from hoping that one day, she will hold Championship gold? She christened herself the “REAL queen.” And the girl that came after that now calls herself the “ONE AND ONLY queen.” Why, you may ask? Because it is convenient. Because it commands attention. Do you not see the point that I am illustrating, Dazi? Your breed, if you will, in its purest form is an endless cycle of birthing attention-seeking women into the wrestling world. Your generation of “queens” will inspire the next generation to adopt a variation of that name and nobody seems to know for certain who it is or was that first came up with such a recyclable concept. ❞

All 5 feet and 11 inches of Keelan Lightwood appeared frustrated at this point. Even though his career was just beginning, he had seen and heard from oh so many “queens” that supposedly ruled the wrestling ring yet only a select few of them had the accolades to back up their braggadocious claim. Keelan found the strength to keep going regardless, gently leaning on the table behind as he went on.

\\--K E E L A N_L I G H T W O O D

❝ Dazi, I want you to know that despite how I feel about you, I still acknowledge and accept you as my biggest adversary and my only true competition in our match. However, even then, I have to express my deep disappointment in the fact that you decided to follow in the footsteps of nearly every single one of your co-workers instead of becoming a woman of your own. I have put a lot of faith in that you know that our match on Breakthrough does go beyond how we feel about each other. For me, it is about winning and thus starting my legacy. For you──as well as for Leo and for Jessica──it is solely about survival. I have taken it upon myself to tell you that there is no royalty in the wrestling world but the monsters and devils your mothers told you bedtime stories about do exist in places that are not just illustrations in between book covers. September the second will be an important day. It will be the day when the world finds out how long a wannabe “queen” can survive without having her crownless head kicked off. It will be the day that determines how luscious or how black the futures of two young lions are after all. But what is of the utmost importance is that September the second will be the day when the fiend that is Keelan Lightwood rises and officially begins his ascent up the proverbial ladder of success. And trust me when I tell you, I won't be stopped because I can't be stopped.❞

“The Alpha Fiend” shoots another malice-filled gaze towards the camera whilst appearing convincingly self-reliant. After having delivered his final message to his Breakthrough #50 opponents, Keelan turned to the right sharply and exited the scenery, this time with a hastier swagger, leaving it exactly as it was before his emergence.