Ares and Ellie circled each other in the center of the training gym, boots striking the padded mat in a tense, rhythmic beat. Their breathing came heavy, loud enough to fill the cavernous silence between each punch. Sweat clung to their skin, glistening beneath the overhead lights. Every movement was sharp and fueled by something unspoken yet dangerously present.
The gym sprawled wide around them, a utilitarian beast of steel and discipline. Weapon racks lined the walls, blades gleaming. Reinforced punching bags hung like silent sentinels, swaying from the chains that held them. Training dummies stood off to the side, marked and dented from relentless abuse.
Ellie tightened his gloves and shifted his stance. "Take it easy on me, will you?"
