Shadows of Redemption

Chapter 12

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝑩𝑯𝑫- 𝑱𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒖$𝒚

⋆༺𓆩⚔️𓆪༻⋆

The days pass painfully slowly, the same routine repeated over and over again. Wake up, training, meal, more training, meal, sleep. It's tedious and mind-numbing, but I do my best to keep my head down and my mouth shut. I know I'm being watched at all times, so I can't afford to do anything that might draw attention to myself.

Every moment spent here is a reminder of the secrets and lies that I'm still in the dark about. I'm growing more and more restless, my mind filled with countless questions that no one seems willing to answer. Even Lukas has been avoiding me. The only thing keeping me sane is the daily training sessions Lorenzo forces me to have every day. At least those are a way to vent some of my frustration and anger.

But as I walk down the hallway towards the training room, I can't help but feel like I'm trapped in a dream. A really bad one.

When I push open the heavy metal door to the training room, the familiar scent of sweat and steel fills my nose. I quickly scan the room, taking in the punching bags and training mats that are set up in different corners. As usual, Lorenzo is already here, waiting for me. He's leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his muscled chest. His dark eyes fix on me as I enter, his expression stoic and unreadable. He pushes himself off the wall, making his way over to me.

"Are you ready to begin?" His voice is flat and toneless, betraying no hint of emotion.

Shaking my head, I mutter, "I don't have much of a choice." I know from experience that Lorenzo doesn't go easy on me, especially now. Every time we train together, he pushes me to my limits, leaving me aching and bruised at the end.

A flicker of something resembling a smile crosses his face, but it's gone so quickly that I'm not sure if I even saw it. He motions for me to follow him to the center of the room. I let out a deep breath, rolling my shoulders back and preparing myself for the inevitable pain. I follow Lorenzo to the center of the room, my footsteps echoing loudly in the otherwise silent space.

"Punch me," he says bluntly. I blink at him, not sure if I heard him correctly.

"What?" My voice comes out as a squeak. My heart rate speeds up, adrenaline beginning to course through my veins.

"You heard me," he replies, his tone calm but firm. "Hit me. As hard as you can."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. He wants me to punch him? Isn't training supposed to be about learning how to fight, not actually hurting each other?

I mean, I did really want to punch him...

My hands ball into fists as I hesitate, whether or not to actually do it. I can feel my palms sweating as I look up at him. Yet he stands there, his face betraying no emotion as he waits for me to obey his command.

He lets out a deep, impatient sigh, his irritation becoming more apparent. "Stop hesitating," he says, his voice taking on a hard edge. "Do it. Now."

The hard edge in his voice is enough to snap me out of my stupor. I can sense that he's growing impatient with me. And if I'm being honest, I'm pretty eager to finally do something to take out my anger and frustration.

I raise my fists, clenching them tightly as I try to steady my breathing.

Lorenzo just eyes me with a cool gaze, not even bothering to defend himself. He just stands there, arms by his sides, his chin slightly raised as he looks at me.

Is he really going to let me hit him?

Finally, I take a step forward, closing the distance between us. Raising my fist, I take a deep breath before finally throwing a punch. My knuckles connect with his chin, the hard impact sending a shockwave up my arm. He doesn't budge an inch, not even a twitch. His head stays in the same position, his eyes watching me intently. I can see a small red mark starting to form on his jaw where I hit him, but otherwise he seems unfazed.