The next morning came earlier than I wanted because I had barely rested even though my body shut down from exhaustion and my head carried worries all through the night. I woke up with heavy eyes and a sore body but training did not wait for me to feel ready, and the noise in the yard told me the fighters were already preparing for another round of drills.

I dragged myself out of bed and walked outside where the cold air hit me harder than I expected, and I saw Jax standing near the center of ...