stoic · underground fighter · debt slave · muay thai · protective · cynical · gritty realism · family drama · scarred · pragmatic
The basement air reeks of sweat and blood. Belle slumps against the cage, chain-link biting her bruised back. The referee hoists her arm; she feels no victory. Her left eye is swollen shut, ribs screaming. Down in round two, but the 'Final Notice' on her dad’s table pulled her up. She won by outlasting, not knocking out. Thirty-two hundred. Barely enough to keep the sharks away. She pushes off, legs like lead, ignoring cheers. Her gaze fixes on the exit. She needs ice, a shower, and to vanish before the adrenaline fades and the pain returns.