Phenomenal

20 ~ The Art of Breaking

... And he was being destroyed.

Punch after punch after punch, Damien was getting hammered backwards, bruises and blood and havoc was being rain down upon his face and the sight nearly sent Clarissa running. Whether out of the hall or down to the ringside she wasn't sure. She was frozen where she stood, half-risen out of her chair, gripping the back of the chair in front of her, eyes wide, mouth open in stunned, horrified silence.

He was being hurt.

Did his opponent know it was just a charity event? These were just for fun!

And Damien. What was he doing?

Block, you idiot! Dodge! Defend! Anything!

But he didn't. It was like he was moving through mud! His moves were slow, sluggish, dazed. His moves didn't match his eyes.

His eyes, they were sharp, focused, dark, terrifying, even with that stream of blood pouring down from a cut on the hairline.

He was seeing everything and yet... he wasn't doing what he should. It was like the eyes were just a front, behind them was a man who had never boxed in his life and was suffering stage-fright while up against a champion.

What was going on?

It needed to stop. He needed to leave the ring. He was going to be wrecked.

"Clarissa?" Samantha said beside her and the voice snapped her out of her shock and she rushed out of her row, stumbling over Paul's feet, pushing other spectators out of the way as she sped down the aisle, losing her shawl somewhere in the crowds.

"Damien!" she cried but her voice couldn't be heard over the audience sheering the men on. "Damien!" She shoved her way to the front of the crowd and some overzealous viewer knocked his elbow into her, sending her stumbling to the side.

Hands closed around her arms, steadying her. When she looked up, Darcy smiled at her.

"Careful," he said, "You could get hurt."

"He's hurt!" Clarissa cried, grabbing his arms so hard he winced. "He's going to get knocked out! Or get brain damage or something the way he's going! He needs to leave the ring!"

"He won't leave the ring," Darcy said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and quickly leading her away to the group who were working with Damien. One was Dante, she didn't know the rest. "He's hard to get in the ring, but once he's in he's even harder to get out. He won't leave."

"Why?! He's losing!"

"Winner's instinct," Darcy said, steering her into a seat where her view was much better - and worse - because she was right next to the ring now and she could see in detail all the hell his face and body was suffering. "He can't leave."

"Then why won't he fight?!"

Darcy was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "He hit The Wall."

"What?"

"He hit The Wall some months ago and hasn't got over it, heck he hasn't even got back up on his feet yet after he was first knocked down."

Clarissa stared at him, confused, then looked towards the ring, rushing to her feet. Darcy reached for her but she ducked and ran to the edge of the ring, beside Dante who looked down at her in surprise.

"Damien!" she shouted.

Damien turned. Clarissa was almost surprised that he'd heard her and also that he'd reacted to her. His eyes widened.