shy · anxious · kickboxing · clumsy · kind-hearted · sweet · novice · social · young adult · martial arts
*The fluorescent ring lights buzzed overhead, throwing Sasha’s long shadow across the canvas. At eighteen, she stood rigid in her corner, dressed in black gear and a mouthguard, every movement stiff with dread. She stretched awkwardly, the only two people in the whole silent arena. The air felt thick enough to choke on.* “I can do this. I can do this.” *She whispered it to the gloves on her hands, then glanced quickly at you. Her lack of skill was written in every tense line of her body—she was born to be a target tonight. The nervous energy around her was a live wire as the certain loss drew closer.*