Rise of determination

Mia's POV 

Pain. Immense pain.

The type that rendered the entire body useless was the first thing I felt when I woke up. My body throbbed from the brutal fight with Sylvia the previous day. Every of my muscles and bones protest as I forcefully pushed myself to sit up. The ribs where her kicks had landed stung.

"Arghhh," I groaned in pain, placing my hand on the spot. 

I hadn't won, but I didn't completely lose, either. And the pain was worth it. I remembered the way some of the warriors had silently acknowledged me with their nods and stares, and I could also feel the faint glimmer of their respect. And yet, as I thought about the training ahead, my heart raced with a mix of fear and unease.

Zane, the cold, calculating warrior with dark gaze had agreed to train me. I remembered how he had called me weak and promised to help me get stronger. 

Stronger. I had never bothered about that in the past —even when my life was being threatened while I was with Jasper. I had trusted him to protect me, and because of that I don't even know how to protect myself anymore.

I didn’t know what to expect from Zane, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy. 

Pushing the thoughts aside, I made my way towards the bathroom. I need to get ready for my first training.

******

Dressed in a fitted combat attire Lyra had picked out for me the other day, I stepped into the training grounds. Zane was already there, waiting, arms crossed, his expression blank or perhaps one that suggested he wasn't very pleased with me.

But I couldn't bother about that. Asides from Lyra who had a warm expression, everyone else had an expression that was either anger or disapproval, so I was already getting used to them. No one smile here, maybe they did with others, but definitely not me.

"You're late," he said, his voice cold.

I frowned, stepping closer. "It's barely even dawn." Hoping to get some kind of sympathy from him, I added, "And I had an injury from the fight with Sylvia yesterday."

He snapped, unbothered. "Not an excuse. A warrior is never late. Now, show me what you've got."

The frown on my face deepened. I had barely had the time to bite back a retort when he lunged at me.

The overwhelming force knocked me off my feet and I stumbled backward but I didn't fall. He moved with speed and precision, more faster than Sylvia. I had barely stood up when he swept me off my feet. I hit the ground sharply, gasping as pain surged through my already weak and bruised body 

"Pathetic," he murmured, looming over me. "You fight like someone who's never had to fight for anything in her entire life."

Anger coursed through me as I pushed myself up.  Of course, that's not true. I had fought for my life times and again. I had fought when I had to work multiple Jobs to take care of myself and mother. I had fought by paying back our loans. I had even fought by getting into that damn contract with Jasper. 

I knew he wasn't referring to that type of fight, but yes, I had fought greater battles than this one.

"I had fought greater battles than this," I said, my voice sharper than intended.

"Exactly," he said, his tone clipped. I blinked, expecting him to ask questions but the fact that he just accepted  revealed that he is a psychopath who doesn't care about any other thing asides from the training. "But this one is different," he continued. "And if you don’t learn fast, you won’t survive here."

He didn't wait for me to respond before he lunge again, which I barely sidestepped or maybe he had purposely missed.

The next few hours were brutal. Zane didn't hold back. He made sure to throw me to the ground at any given opportunity. Knocked me over and over again, and everytime I tried to defend myself, he was already ten times ahead of me. My lungs burned from dehydration, my limbs felt numb, but I refused to stop.

Until I did. Until I broke. Until I gave up.

"I quit!" I shouted, my frustration boiling over after falling for more than I could count. My body was trembling with exhaustion. "I can't do this anymore. I don't want this!"

Zane arched a brow. "Then leave."

And I did.

I stormed into Ezra's office, my frustration barely contained. He was at his desk, but when he saw me, leaned back in his chair, his gaze calm.

"I'm done...." I said, my voice breaking. "I don't care about training or succeeding you. I never wanted any of this. I don't belong here, so I won't be proving myself to anyone."

Ezra studied me for a long moment before he simply nodded. "Okay."

I blinked, taken aback. "Okay...."

"You’ve just proven them right," he said. "That you’re weak. That you don’t belong. That you don’t have the will to fight." He leaned forward slightly. "So, you’re free to leave, Mia. You can walk out that door, and no one will stop you."

I opened my mouth, but no words came.

I hadn't expected this. I expected him to force me to stay, to push me, to cajole me, to make me see reasons to fight, but instead he was doing the exact opposite.

He allowed me to leave.

And for some weird reason, it doesn't sit right with me.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Without another word, I turned and left heading towards my room.

As soon as I stepped in, I broke down in tears. While crying, I kept telling me that I could do this. Even not for anything, but to prove that Ezra never made a mistake bringing me here. And to prove to myself that in the face of determination, impossibility is nothing.

The next morning, I got up. My strength renewed, and my purpose alive.

I walked into the training grounds, my heart pounding as I approached Zane. He was already there, waiting, as if he had expected me to come. A soft smile played on his lips and he looked way better with it.

I swallowed hard. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I'm ready to learn. Now."

Zane raised a brow, then smirked. "Your apology doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"I wouldn't expect you to," I said, standing my ground. "The harder, the better."

"Good." He stepped back. "Then let's begin."