MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Chapter 339 Shadows of the Past

"You mean—" The first thing Svetlana said was soft and careful.

He cut her off, though, and his words came out like a dam breaking.

"I try. I've tried to ignore it, and most days, I can. It doesn't happen much."

His shoulders were tense and his eyes were still on the ocean.

"But he's always there," Damon went on, his voice low and shaking with emotion. "I hide it. When I fight, he's in my head. When I train, he's there. And when I sleep... he's there too."

Svetlana's face softened, but she didn't say anything. She let him talk.

"I don't have nightmares," he added, shaking his head. "But I don't dream either. It's just... nothing. But somehow, I still feel like he's watching. Like... this, everything, this family I found, this peace my mom and I finally have... fighting, all of it. Like he's gonna show up, and all this would've been just a fleeting dream. A futile escape from him."

At the end, his voice cracked a little, and he clenched his chin to hold back the emotion that was about to come out.

Svetlana reached out and put a soft hand on his shoulder. She didn't say anything, she knew Damon wasn't done yet.

With eyes filled with an vulnerability he rarely let himself show, he finally turned his head to look at her. "What if... what if it's not over? What if I can't outrun him?"

"I love fighting, but somehow... I can't enjoy it," Damon admitted, his voice heavy with a mix of frustration and sadness.

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He took a long, deep sigh, his chest rising and falling slowly. "But I also can't stop... can't stop fighting."

The words hung in the air, a little pushed away by the soft sound of the waves.

For a long time, there was silence between them. They were both thinking.

Then Damon looked at Svetlana, and she noticed that his eyes had a sense of doubt that she wasn't used to seeing in him."I'm afraid," he said, his voice softer now.

He chuckled, trying to break the tension, a smile tugging at his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Svetlana didn't laugh with him.

She could see right through it.

Damon was afraid.

He truly meant it, even if he tried to mask it with humor.

And for once, she didn't know what to say.

But something about it felt... too perfect.

She didn't have a job or many friends here that he knew of.

Her life seemed to revolve around keeping their home in order and supporting him.

Damon wondered, for the first time in a long time, if she was really fine.

He remembered a quick thought he had once, maybe his mom would get married again one day and find someone who would make her truly happy again.

It never seemed to happen, though. She wasn't interested in anyone, and Damon couldn't remember her even bringing it up.

As the thought settled, Damon made a mental note to talk to her soon.

He needed to know how she was really feeling, not just the surface-level smiles, but what was going on beneath them.

He didn't want to make the same mistake he often made with himself, ignoring the deeper emotions.

His mom deserved better than that.

Damon sighed deeply, the weight of his thoughts still lingering.

But he didn't want to let the moment sink any lower than it already had.

He glanced at Svetlana, a faint smirk forming on his lips. "You know," he said, his tone lighter now, "I don't think I need a therapist."

Svetlana raised an eyebrow, catching the playful shift in his demeanor. She smiled, deciding to play along. "Oh really? And why's that?"

He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms with a mock-serious expression. "Because I have you, Doctor Pretova."

Svetlana laughed softly, shaking her head. "Doctor Pretova, huh? Should I start charging for my sessions?"

"Not unless you want me to go broke," Damon teased, his smirk growing.

She gave him a playful shove, her laughter cutting through the heavy emotions that had surrounded them moments ago.

"Well, Doctor Pretova," he continued, "what's your diagnosis? Am I completely hopeless?"

Svetlana leaned closer, pretending to think deeply. "Hmm, my professional opinion? You're a work in progress, but there's potential," she said, her tone exaggeratedly serious.

Damon chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing as they shared the lighthearted moment.

For now, it was enough to let the heaviness of their thoughts fade, even if just for a little while.