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The pounding of my heart was an anthem that drove me forward.

Dust flew from my feet and his, tainting the air. My lungs stung from it and the fact that my body was getting pushed to it's limits.

His swings were wild, a fury of fists that had me bending back to avoid the impact.

Tripping as I fell back, his enormous weight crushed atop of me as he pinned me down.

A scream tore from my throat, guttural and frustrated as my head connected with his, the impact blinding me as he slumped to the side, giving me the time I needed to roll out from under him.

Desperate to catch my breath, I hobbled to a stand, panting heavily as I watched him push from his knees, equally dazed and disorientated.

Grunts and rumbles tore from his chest, impatient and hungry. It was clear he didn't expect that I would last this long.

Surprise, motherfucker.

And while he was surprised that I would last long, I was equally surprised... Surprised that I was filled with feelings that I hadn't ever experienced before.

Hunger.

Fury.

Fire.

An unrelenting pursuit to end him once and for all.

Who was I? It felt irrational that I was so driven to end this person, this stranger all over a sneer, a disrespect.

But I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop it.

It was an instinct to teach him a lesson.

I had no choice.

I was going to submit. But I was not going to submit to him.

I was going to submit to the urges that were burning within me.

Submit to myself.

I couldn't even register who he was. The setting and audience faded to nothing, as we both committed to making the other bend.

My ribs shook with fury.

It felt as unnatural as it was natural.

My vision becoming clearer than it ever had before in my life. Every particle in the air danced in front of me. Every strand of hair, droplet of sweat on his face. Every pore in crystal vision.

He was my prey.

His expression dropped. All color drained from his face as he stood there shell-shocked.

My voice roared. "What the actual fuck are you waiting for? Huh?"

"I said... fight me you fucking pussy!!!"

He didn't answer. He just waited, his fingers twitching as he deliberated on what to do.

What was happening?

The crowd stood mute as if not to disturb the scene before them.

What the fuck was wrong with everybody?

My head whipped wildly as I spun around on the spot, connecting my gaze with each and every person around the arena.

I locked eyes with Harlow, her expression filled with concern as I watched her implore Phelan to stop the fight.

Fat fucking chance.

Slowly, Phelan stood up, watching me with proud curiosity, but a resignation that it wasn't going to end the way he wanted. The way I wanted.