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 Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:02 am
Kaiva could feel every muscle in her body protest as she threw another punch at the training dummy. Her normally sharp movements were sluggish, each strike weaker than the last. The aches and bruises from her recent loss weighed her down more than she wanted to admit. Sweat dripped down her forehead, stinging her eyes, but she ignored it, refusing to show any sign of weakness. She had to keep pushing through the pain. She had to get stronger, faster. Her pride wouldn’t let her stop, even if her body was begging her to.
“I’m fine,” she muttered under her breath, though the words were meant more for herself than anyone else. Her ego was bruised more than her body after the fight, and the idea of stopping now, of resting, felt like admitting defeat all over again.
Kaiva knew Karothdra was watching her from across the room, silent and steady as ever. Her mother’s gaze was a weight she couldn’t ignore, but she refused to meet it. Karothdra didn’t know what Kaiva had been up to. She couldn’t know. If she found out about the street fights, there would be hell to pay. Kaiva tried to focus, her fists striking the dummy harder, but each hit sent a jolt of pain up her arms, reminding her that she wasn’t invincible.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:04 am
Karothdra stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching her daughter’s movements with a practiced eye. Kaiva was pushing herself too hard, that much was obvious. Her punches were sloppy, lacking the usual precision that came naturally to her. The bruises on Kaiva’s body weren’t from any regular training session either. Karothdra had seen those kinds of injuries before—she had experienced them herself more times than she cared to count. Street fights. She had known for a while now that Kaiva had been sneaking off to take part in them, but she hadn’t said anything. Not yet. Karothdra took a deep breath, keeping her voice steady as she approached her daughter.
“You’re not fine, Kaiva,” she said calmly, her tone gentle but firm. “You need to stop for a moment.” It wasn’t a command, but the weight of her words made it clear that she expected Kaiva to listen. She could see the tension in her daughter’s body, the way her fists tightened, as if preparing for a fight. Karothdra wasn’t surprised—Kaiva had inherited her pride, her need to prove herself. But this wasn’t the time for that. Karothdra knew all too well the dangers of pushing oneself too far. She had done it herself in the past, and the consequences were never worth it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:05 am
Kaiva’s frustration bubbled to the surface as she heard her mother’s words. She hated being told to stop, hated the idea that someone—especially Karothdra—thought she couldn’t handle the situation.
“I can handle it,” she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. She immediately regretted the tone, but she was too proud to take it back. Her fists lowered, but she didn’t turn to face her mother. Instead, she stared at the dummy in front of her, as if willing it to somehow absorb all of her anger and frustration. The loss from the fight still burned in her chest, and the last thing she wanted was to be told to take it easy.
“I just need to push harder. I’ll get there,” Kaiva muttered, more to herself than to Karothdra. She couldn’t stop now. Stopping would mean admitting that the fight had gotten to her. That she had lost. Her pride wouldn’t allow it. She wiped her brow, feeling the sting of sweat mixing with the dull throb of her injuries. Every part of her body hurt, but the pain was a reminder of her failure. She could recover from physical pain, but the blow to her pride? That would take longer to heal.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:06 am
Karothdra sighed softly, her expression remaining calm, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes. She had seen this all before—the drive, the need to keep going, even when the body was on the verge of collapse. Kaiva’s stubbornness was something she understood deeply. She had been like that once. Hell, she still was, in many ways. But experience had taught her when to push and when to pull back, a lesson her daughter was still learning.
“You’ve been street fighting again, haven’t you?” Karothdra asked, her voice even, without accusation. She wasn’t looking to argue. She just wanted Kaiva to stop hiding the truth from her. She had known for some time now, but she hadn’t confronted Kaiva about it. She didn’t want to push too hard and risk Kaiva pulling away further. Still, watching her daughter throw sloppy punches with a body that clearly needed rest... she couldn’t stay silent anymore.
“You don’t have to admit it to me,” Karothdra continued, folding her arms. “But those aren’t sparring injuries. I’ve seen enough of those in my lifetime to know the difference.” There was a long pause before she added, “You’re not invincible, Kaiva. Pushing yourself too far can break you, not make you stronger.” She let her words hang in the air, giving her daughter space to respond.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:08 am
Kaiva froze for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. She had been so careful. She thought she had hidden the street fighting well enough, but of course Karothdra had figured it out. Her mother was no fool. Still, Kaiva’s pride wouldn’t let her admit it. Not yet.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to sound casual, though there was a defensive edge to her voice that betrayed her. She hated that her mother had found out. She hated even more that she hadn’t been able to hide it better. Turning away from the training dummy, Kaiva wiped her hands on her pants, refusing to meet Karothdra’s gaze.
“What does it matter, anyway?” she muttered. “It’s not like I’ve been seriously hurt.” She winced inwardly as she said it, knowing it wasn’t entirely true. The aches in her body told a different story, but she wasn’t about to admit that. She had lost, yes, but she had survived. That was enough, wasn’t it? She could recover on her own. She didn’t need anyone to tell her what to do. Kaiva clenched her fists, trying to hold onto her pride, even as it felt like slipping through her fingers.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:09 am
Karothdra raised an eyebrow, her expression never wavering.
“Don’t insult me, Kaiva,” she said calmly, though there was a note of sternness in her voice. “I know what street fighting looks like. And I know what happens when someone keeps pushing themselves past their limits.” She didn’t need to elaborate—Kaiva knew her mother’s history well enough. There had been times in Karothdra’s life when she had pushed too far, when the consequences had been severe. Karothdra had learned from her mistakes, but it seemed her daughter was determined to make some of her own.
“I’m not angry,” Karothdra continued, her voice softening. “I’m not here to lecture you or tell you to stop fighting. But you need to know when to pull back. You’re strong, Kaiva. But strength isn’t just about pushing harder every time you hit a wall. Sometimes, it’s about knowing when to rest.” Karothdra stepped closer, her gaze steady on her daughter. “You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Not to me. Not to anyone in those streets. You’ve already proven yourself time and again.” She didn’t raise her voice, but the weight of her words hung heavy in the air between them.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:10 am
Kaiva’s jaw clenched as she listened to her mother’s words. She hated how calm Karothdra was, how nothing ever seemed to rattle her. Even now, when Kaiva was practically falling apart, Karothdra remained steady, like a rock that couldn’t be moved. It frustrated her. It made her want to scream, to punch something, anything, just to break through that calm exterior. But instead, she took a deep breath, trying to push down the anger that was bubbling up inside her.
“I don’t need rest,” Kaiva said, her voice still defiant, though there was less heat behind her words now. She could feel the tension in her body, the way her muscles screamed for relief, but she refused to give in. “I just need to push harder. I need to get better.” Her competitive fire flared up again, the loss from her recent fight still fresh in her mind. She had to prove herself. She couldn’t let this defeat define her. She couldn’t let Karothdra—or anyone—think she wasn’t capable. “Next time, I’ll win,” she said, her tone determined. She wasn’t backing down. Not yet.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:11 am
Karothdra’s gaze softened as she watched her daughter wrestle with her pride. She could see the struggle in Kaiva’s eyes, the way she fought against the idea of rest as if it were some kind of defeat.
“I understand,” Karothdra said quietly. “I’ve been where you are. That fire, that need to keep pushing forward—it’s what makes you a fighter. But Kaiva, you’re fighting against yourself right now. Pushing harder isn’t the answer. Not today.” She reached out and gently placed a hand on Kaiva’s shoulder.
“There’s strength in knowing your limits,” Karothdra said, her voice calm but firm. “You’ve already proven how strong you are, but if you keep going like this, you’ll break. And when that happens, it won’t matter how hard you pushed.” Karothdra stepped back, giving Kaiva the space to make her own choice. “You don’t have to stop forever. Just for now. Let yourself heal. When you’re ready, you can come back stronger. But only if you give yourself the chance to recover.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:13 am
Kaiva stood there, her heart pounding in her chest, as she listened to her mother’s words. Part of her wanted to argue, to keep fighting, but the other part of her—the part that was tired, the part that ached—knew that Karothdra was right. She hated it. She hated admitting that she needed to stop, even for a moment. But she could feel her body screaming for rest, and no matter how much she tried to ignore it, the truth was staring her in the face.
“Fine,” Kaiva muttered after a long pause, though it felt like a bitter surrender. “But only for a little while.” She glanced at the training dummy, feeling a pang of frustration. She wanted to keep fighting, to keep pushing herself, but she knew that if she didn’t stop now, she would only hurt herself more. With a reluctant sigh, she turned away from the dummy, finally giving in to the exhaustion that had been building up inside her.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:14 am
Karothdra gave a small nod, satisfied with Kaiva’s response. She could see the reluctance in her daughter’s eyes, but she also knew that this was a step in the right direction.
“Good,” she said softly, her voice full of understanding. “We’ll start slow. Recovery isn’t just about resting; it’s about building back stronger.” Karothdra began showing Kaiva some stretches, simple movements to ease the tension in her muscles and help her body recover. “This will help more than you think,” she added, watching Kaiva carefully to make sure she wasn’t pushing herself too hard.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:15 am
Kaiva gritted her teeth as she followed her mother’s instructions, the stretches painful but necessary. She hated every second of it, but deep down, she knew that Karothdra was right. As much as she wanted to fight, as much as she wanted to prove herself, she couldn’t do that if she was broken.
“You’re not going easy on me later, are you?” Kaiva asked, trying to hold onto some semblance of pride, even as she gave in to the need for recovery.
Kaiva sighed, leaning back as the stretches began to loosen her muscles. She still hated the idea of resting, of taking a break, but for the first time, she allowed herself to admit that maybe—just maybe—her mother was right. “I hate that you’re right,” Kaiva muttered, glancing at Karothdra. “But you are.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:16 am
Karothdra allowed herself a small smile.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied, her tone light. “But if you don’t let yourself heal now, there won’t be a ‘later.’” She watched Kaiva carefully as they worked through the stretches, making sure her daughter wasn’t overexerting herself. Karothdra knew that Kaiva’s pride was bruised, but she also knew that this experience would make her stronger in the long run. Sometimes, the hardest lesson to learn was when to stop fighting.
Karothdra chuckled softly, the sound warm and rare.
“It’s a mother’s job to be right every now and then,” she said with a faint smile. “I’m proud of you, Kaiva. For fighting. For pushing yourself. But don’t forget that even the best fighters need time to heal.” Karothdra’s voice was filled with genuine pride, though she kept her tone measured. She didn’t want to overwhelm Kaiva with too much praise, knowing her daughter’s stubborn nature. But she wanted Kaiva to know that she saw her strength, even in moments of vulnerability.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:17 am
Kaiva blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected praise. She wasn’t used to hearing that from her mother, especially not after losing.
“Thanks,” she muttered, not quite sure how to respond. She shifted uncomfortably, still feeling the sting of her defeat, but Karothdra’s words had made something inside her soften. “I’ll rest. For now,” she added, her tone half-serious, half-defiant as if she were still holding onto the idea that this break was temporary. She knew she'd tell her mother's eventually about her street fighting, or in Karo's case, confirm it. But this wasn't the day.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:20 am
Karothdra smiled faintly, nodding.
“That’s all I ask,” she said simply. She stood, giving her daughter one last look before turning toward the door. “When you’re ready to train again, I’ll be here. But for now, focus on healing.” There was no use in continuing for now or the next few days. Kaiva's body might need longer to recover, but she douted her daughter would give it the necessary time. Maybe she'd ask her why she was so interested in all this street fighting business at some point. They tended to be shady places and not where she expected her daughter to spend her evenings at all.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:23 am
Kaiva clenched her fists, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. Healing. It felt like a bitter word, almost a mockery of everything she stood for. She didn’t need healing. She needed to be stronger, faster, more capable. Karothdra’s calm acceptance only fueled Kaiva’s irritation. It was like her mother had already known she would give in, as if Kaiva was some predictable child who needed to be coddled. She doesn’t get it, Kaiva thought, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Her body ached in ways that no amount of stretching could fix, but the pain was almost comforting—a reminder that she was still alive, still fighting. The street fights had been her outlet, a place where rules didn’t matter, and no one expected her to follow in Karothdra’s footsteps. Out there, she wasn’t the daughter of a renowned warrior. She was just Kaiva—hungry for a win, desperate to prove herself.
Her mother probably thought it was all some reckless phase, something she could lecture Kaiva out of. But Kaiva knew better. The street fights weren’t just about the thrill. They were about something deeper, something she couldn’t put into words yet. Every punch, every bruise, was a step closer to figuring it out. Karothdra didn’t need to understand that. No one did. She sighed, leaning against the wall, muscles still sore from training. Maybe her mother had a point—just a small one. She would rest, but only for a little while. Not because Karothdra told her to, but because she needed to regain her strength. And when she did, she'd be back, better than ever.
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