The car hummed along the highway as Adrian drove us back toward the city hospital. I sat in the passenger seat, watching the landscape blur past while my mind remained focused on the patients waiting for treatment. We had fifteen minutes left before the deadline I'd set.
"Dr. Hayes," Adrian said, breaking the comfortable silence. "I've been meaning to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"In our martial arts world, we have formal ranking systems. The Heaven Ranking and Earth Ranking. They list the most powerful fighters in the country."
I glanced at him. "And?"
"Well, given what we witnessed today, your abilities would easily place you in the top tier of either list."
Maya's voice came through the radio from the car behind us. "Dr. Hayes, you should seriously consider entering the Martial Arts Tournament next month. The winner automatically gets a spot on the Heaven Ranking."
I shook my head. "I'm not interested."
