*Lena*

I turned to see Eason jogging toward me, still in his gear, his blonde hair damp with sweat. He stopped a few feet away, his breath coming out as quick puffs in the cold air.

“I... I wanted to thank you,” he said, his eyes searching my face. “It was because of you that I dared to prove myself. Everything we’ve been through... it pushed me to be better, to fight harder.”

I stood there, frozen, as he continued. “I know things have been... complicated ...