BMMA: Bestial Mix Martial Arts

As they walked toward the house, the disapproving glares and hateful stares from passersby had faded into a meaningless murmur.

Lyra walked with her tail swaying nervously from side to side. Though she tried to hide it, her agitation was clear in every step.

'Just five more days,' Lyra thought, letting out a heavy sigh. 'Everything will be fine… Everything will be fine.' But the words felt hollow, repetitive, unable to soothe the gnawing anxiety consuming her from within.

Kai walked beside her, hands buried in his coat pockets. Every now and then, he cast her a furtive glance, which only tightened the knot in Lyra's chest.

'Does he really trust me?' she wondered, her brow furrowing as paranoia crept in. She'd been living with Kai for nearly a month, sharing meals, training sessions, even moments of laughter, but a corrosive doubt slithered into her mind.

'Humans hate us… That's the truth,' she thought. 'What if this is all a trap? The food, the shelter, his kindness… What if it's just to see me humiliated and broken?'

She wanted to run. To vanish. She longed to escape the upcoming fight, to return to the life she knew, the one she understood, no matter how hard it had been.

The delicious meals, the soft bed… none of it was worth it if it ended with her more wounded than she already was.

Faces from her past in the mafia flashed through her mind: empty promises, betrayals that still stung. She couldn't even trust other Ferals… so why was she now relying on a human?

Then, Kai's voice and the gentle touch of his hand on her shoulder snapped her back to the present.

"You okay? You seem nervous," he said, his gray eyes filled with genuine concern.

Lyra stared at him, studying his expression for long seconds. Her breathing was uneven, and a sense of chaos enveloped her.

She'd played along with the humans so far—partly to escape her past, partly for the comforts she'd forgotten existed—but she could no longer ignore her doubts.

"I… I don't know," she mumbled, her voice trembling. "All this… the fight, the stares… I don't know if I can do it."

Kai frowned, his tone gentle but firm.

"You've got talent, Lyra. I believe in you."

'Believe in me? Or does he just want to watch me fail?' she thought, a sharp pain piercing her chest.

"You don't understand…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, before panic pushed her to run.

She shoved her way through the small crowd that had gathered to gawk. The cold air stung her face, and the sound of her footsteps echoed against the pavement.

She heard Kai call her name, but she didn't look back. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, fighting to suppress the transformation surging within her.

Her claws ached to emerge, her foxen form clawing for control as a defensive instinct. But she couldn't let it happen, not here.

After several minutes, she reached a small park, a refuge from her past where people rarely lingered. She leaned against a tree, panting, the damp scent of earth and dry leaves filling her lungs as a panic attack consumed her.

In frustration, Lyra began to strike the tree trunk. She hit it with all her strength, unconsciously repeating the moves Kai had taught her.

As she did, the receptionist's words echoed in her mind: "You can back out before Thursday."

'Damn it!' she thought, throwing the spinning kick Darius had shown her. Finally, with bruised arms and legs, she collapsed to her knees before the tree, her trembling hands bloodied.

'I ran again…' she thought, tears welling up. Would she never stop being like this? Hadn't she sworn to face her problems from now on?

She recalled Kai's concerned look and wiped her tears angrily, though it did little good.

'Why don't you hate me?' she murmured to herself. She was used to human scorn; it was normal, predictable.

But this… this was crueler. She'd felt happy, comfortable. She'd started to enjoy that house, even the training, noticing her progress.

'What will I do when they cast me aside? How will I go back to my old life?' she wondered, her sobs becoming uncontrollable.

Memories of the mafia returned like knives: the voice of a former ally promising to protect her, only to betray her for a handful of coins. What if Kai was just another deception?

Lyra was kneeling before the tree, her hands trembling and bloodied from the blows, when she heard footsteps approaching.

She looked up, heart in her throat, fearing it was someone from her past, but it was Kai. His face showed relief tinged with worry, and for a moment, he seemed to hesitate, as if afraid to say something that might push her further away.

"Lyra…" he said softly, stopping a few feet away to avoid overwhelming her. "I looked everywhere for you."

She stared at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"Why did you come?" she murmured, her voice breaking. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

Kai crouched slowly, keeping a respectful distance.

"Because I believe in you, Lyra. I don't know you that well, but I know you don't want to run… that's not who you are."

Lyra clenched her fists, Kai's words clashing with her deepest fears.

"How can I trust you? Humans have always hated us. Why would you be any different?"

Kai sighed, his gray eyes holding hers.

"I won't tell you all humans are good. We both know that's not true. But me… I just want to help you." He paused, searching for the right words. "You said you wanted to test your strength, right? Like my dad did. Well, that's why I'm helping you. I want to test my strength, and for that, I need you."

Lyra watched him in silence, his words echoing in her mind. There was sincerity in his voice, a calm that contrasted with the chaos surrounding her.

Her doubts didn't vanish—the fear still lingered, lurking—but for the first time, she felt she might be able to take a step forward.

Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.

"What if I'm not enough?" she whispered, almost dreading the answer.

Kai gave a gentle smile, carefully extending a hand.

"Then we'll try again. But I think you're stronger than you realize. You're here, facing this. That's more than most would do."

Lyra hesitated but finally took his hand, letting him help her up. The contact was brief but enough to calm the storm in her chest a little.

She didn't fully trust him—not yet—but she decided to trust that moment, and herself, at least for now.

"Let's go home," Kai said, his tone steady. "Darius is probably wondering where we are."

Lyra nodded, wiping her tears with her sleeve. They walked in silence, but this time, it wasn't an oppressive silence—it was one that let her breathe.

For now, she chose to hold on to the small spark of trust Kai had ignited in her.