The camera panned to the locker room hallway. Leaning against the lockers, half in shadow, was —the current X-Club Heavyweight Champion. His title belt was draped over his shoulder, but the gold was tarnished. His knuckles were wrapped in frayed tape, and his eye was swollen shut.

The screen cut to a grainy, looped replay of the title match from Episode 21. Rex had his opponent—a masked luchador named —in the Malone Crusher , his finishing submission hold. El Cero's shoulders were on the mat. The ref slapped the canvas once… twice… and then the arena lights flickered. A glitch. A sound like a scratched CD. When the lights returned, the ref was counting the third fall, but the timekeeper's bell had already rung for the end of the round.

El Cero crumbled into a pile of dust, old ticket stubs, and a single broken stopwatch.

No music. No pyro. Rex climbed through the ropes.

The camera wobbled as it followed Rex through a steel door into the arena. El Cero Miedo was already in the ring, his featureless silver mask gleaming under the weak spotlight. He held the championship belt high, then dropped it onto the canvas like a challenge.