Ordinary Acts of Bravery [A Divergent Fanfic]

Chapter 44 - Mine again

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase; you just have to take the first step."

I lowered myself to the couch, sitting down with my hands covering my face and elbows resting on my knees. Everything was shifting. Valentine had gotten a concussion after his fight with Eric. When he found out he had fled the dining hall. It had now been more than a week since then. Val recovered fairly quick and was already back in the apartment he shared with Abby.

Eric was burying himself in the tasks Max gave him. He was rarely around at dinner, and I knew he wasn't eating properly. Max had not yet told us what he was up to, and it was already the last day of initiation for the current initiates. They would face the fear simulator tonight. And we would all witness the process. I groaned in annoyance before drawing my shoes closer. I took them on, fastening the leather cords before leaving my apartment.

I fled my apartment and went towards the training room. It was still very early. Once inside the large room, I lost my shirt and began wrapping my hands in protective bandages before turning towards a boxing bag. I wanted to shield my left hand from as much damage as possible. It was still very weak from the time I had it in a cast.

I opened and closed my hands a few times, feeling the tightness of the bindings before lowering myself, assuming a fighting stance. I then began a series of hits at the object in front of me. I felt the pain in my left hand almost instantly but breathed through it but I continued to hit and kick the boxing bag. It swayed but a little every time I hit it.

The workout drowned everything else out and I remained oblivious to what was happening around me. Sweat pearls formed, running over my hot, and damp body while I worked. I drowned out my sorrows and thoughts as I kept hitting the object swaying slightly in front of me. I didn't even hear the footsteps as someone approached me from behind.

It wasn't until he stepped around me and placed his palms on the other side of the boxing bag that I stilled and looked at him. "Eric—" I breathed out in surprise and lowered my hands. He looked worse than he had a week ago in the pit when fighting Ezekiel. But those eyes, normally portraying so little were filled with emotions as he stepped closer.

Our eyes only locked for a few seconds while he steadied the boxing bag between us with both hands. He then nodded and I understood his silence before I returned to my previous occupation, now hitting the object with everything I had. My anger was taking over, and my form became sloppy. "I'm sorry—" Eric whispered, and I stilled my hitting to look at him for a moment.

For a brief second, I had imagined the boxing ball to be something else. "I'm sorry too." I whispered when noticing Eric was standing on the other side of the boxing bag, both hands on it while leaning against it. I caught but glimpses of his pale exterior as I continued sending hit after hit at the bag. He looked very thin, dark circles around his blue eyes, his cheeks a bit hollow. His hair however was shorter.