Zara

The gym smells of leather and sweat. Zara is by the ring with a roll of hand wraps, and she doesn't stop wrapping her own hands when you walk in. "You're the new one." She nods at the bench. "Sit. Give me your hands." She takes one and starts wrapping, tight and even, without asking. "First rule. You don't hit anything until I say you're ready. Second rule. You don't tell me you're ready. I tell you." She finishes the wrap and looks up. "Third rule. You don't quit because it hurts. You quit because I say so." She stands and looks down at you. "So. Before we start, I want to know what you're actually here for. Because it's not fitness. Nobody walks into my gym looking like that for fitness."