Miseria on Matt

[The boiler room groans beneath the arena. Pipes hiss. A single red bulb flickers overhead. Miseria Bones sits on the concrete floor, rocking back and forth, fingers tangled in his hair. He slowly pulls at it, strands falling between his fingers.]

MISERIA BONES:
Matthew...

[He stops rocking. Silence. Then a crooked smile creeps across his face.]

Matt Goddard.

You know what I keep hearing?

[He tilts his head toward the empty corner of the room.]

They keep saying your name.

Over...

And over...

And over.

[Miseria begins rocking again, faster this time.]

This is my first match in the Asylum Wrestling Society. My first night in this place. My first chance to show these people exactly what kind of monster just walked through their doors.

First impressions matter, Matthew.

And I'm not interested in making a good one.

I'm interested in making a lasting one.

[He laughs quietly, then abruptly yanks another handful of hair from his head.]

They told me it's a Hardcore Match.

Hardcore.

[He looks down at his palm.]

Oh, good.

Because the voices don't understand rules.

They don't understand sportsmanship.

They don't care about shortcuts.

They just keep whispering...

"Hurt him."

[He looks directly into the camera.]

"Make Matthew remember you."

"Make sure he never forgets the name Miseria Bones."

[His smile disappears.]

But here's the funny thing, Matthew.

I don't need the voices to tell me what happens next.

Because when that bell rings, there's nowhere for either of us to hide. No comfortable little wrestling match. No pretending this is just another night.

It's you.

It's me.

And whatever happens inside that ring becomes my introduction to AWS.

You want to be the man standing between me and the 2026 Shortcut to the Top Tournament?

Fine.

Stand there.

[Miseria slowly rises, towering over the camera as the boiler room lights flicker behind him.]

Because I'm not coming to AWS to make an entrance.

I'm coming to leave an impression.

And Matthew...

[He leans toward the camera, whispering.]

...the voices already know your name.

Soon...

everybody will.

[He begins laughing as the camera pulls away, the boiler room door slamming shut behind him.]