"Hey, kid," Carlos called, breaking through Jack's drifting thoughts. "You surviving Lena's torture sessions?"
Jack dropped his water bottle cap and let out a tired chuckle. "Barely," he said, twisting the bottle shut. "I keep thinking she'll take it easy on me one of these days."
Carlos laughed, a deep, knowing sound. "That means she thinks you have potential," he replied, wiping sweat from his neck with a towel. "The tougher she is, the more she believes you can handle it."
Jack shook his head, feeling the ache in every muscle. "Yeah, but it feels like she's trying to kill me half the time."
"She just might," Carlos joked, grinning. Then, more seriously, he added, "But hey, all that pain? It's building something inside you. You just don't see it yet."
Jack nodded slowly. "I hope so," he muttered, unsure if he believed it himself. Doubt still loomed over him, even after weeks of grinding away at his training.
A loud smack drew their attention back to the cage. Grace, the young woman who was training for her first amateur fight, landed a powerful kick on the pads her partner was holding. She let out a fierce, triumphant cry, her determination shining. It was hard to imagine the quiet girl she had once been, the one who had started coming to the gym for safety and self-defense.
Lena's voice cut through the noise, snapping Jack out of his thoughts. "Jack! Quit standing around. You think this is a social club?"
He groaned but couldn't help the smile creeping onto his face. "Coming, coach!"
Carlos gave him a playful nudge. "Go get it, man. You're doing better than you think."
Jack jogged back to the mats, his breath coming in steady pants. Lena eyed him with that sharp, assessing look that never missed a thing. "Ready for round two?"
"Do I have a choice?" Jack asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Lena's lips twitched. "Not if you plan on winning one of these days." She motioned for him to take his stance, her eyes never leaving him. "Let's see how much you've learned."
Jack planted his feet, light on his toes, and circled the space in front of Lena. She watched closely, her gaze critical but also proud. "Remember, stay balanced. Control the distance. Don't rush in."
He nodded, moving with more confidence than he had in weeks past. He was learning, little by little, to feel the flow of his body. To understand how every movement connected, how important patience and precision were. As he threw a jab, then quickly shifted into a defensive stance, Lena's eyes lit up.
"Better," she said. "Keep that rhythm."
He pressed on, sweat dripping from his forehead, but this time the burn in his muscles felt almost welcome. It reminded him that he was still fighting, still pushing, still surviving.
---
Later that day, as he was unwrapping the tape from his knuckles, Jack found himself sitting by Tommy. The older fighter was working on his own hands, wincing slightly at each turn of the bandage.
Jack hesitated before speaking. "Hey, Tommy, do you ever… wonder if this is all worth it?" He hated the vulnerability in his own voice, but the words had tumbled out before he could stop them.
Tommy didn't look surprised. He had a weary, experienced air about him, the kind of wisdom that only came from years of mistakes and hard-learned lessons. "Every damn day," Tommy said, looking up. His eyes were dark but steady. "But then I remember the alternative."
Jack furrowed his brow. "What's that?"
"Giving up," Tommy replied simply. "Sliding back into the old life. The fights outside the cage, the nights in lock-up, the feeling that there was nothing left for me but trouble." He tightened his hand wraps with a grim smile. "This life—training, getting punched in the face, struggling to be better—it's hard, yeah. But it's worth it. It's the one place where I'm fighting for something real. For a version of me I can actually respect."
Jack considered that, his own doubts still lingering, but with Tommy's words echoing in his heart. He looked around at the gym, at Grace landing those heavy punches, at Carlos helping a newer trainee work on his ground game, at Lena's watchful eyes as she coached someone through a grappling hold.
They were all here fighting for something deeper than just trophies or titles. They were fighting for themselves, for redemption, for a shot at something more meaningful. Maybe Jack didn't have all the answers yet. Maybe he didn't even know what he was really searching for. But he was starting to understand that the fight was about more than just the cage. It was about finding strength in the struggle.
"Hey, Jack!" Lena's voice boomed, snapping him back to reality. "Enough moping around. You think you've got time to get sentimental?"
Jack grinned, pushing himself off the bench. "Coming!"
He walked back toward the mats, his body aching, his heart still heavy with grief, but with a little more hope lighting the way. He didn't have to be the best fighter in the world, but he could be a little stronger today than he was yesterday. And that, for now, was enough.
Tommy gave him a thumbs-up as he passed by, and Grace smiled, her face shining with pride after her sparring session. Jack took his place, ready for whatever Lena had planned next.
"Alright," Lena said, her eyes glinting with that familiar, fierce energy. "Let's push those limits."
Jack raised his fists, ready to face the struggle.