Despite the shift in atmosphere, the house itself hadn't turned into a war zone, yet.
Sure, fighters kept their distance during meals, conversations were shorter, and no one was openly sharing strategies anymore, but there hadn't been a single explosive argument under the same roof.
It was a quiet tension, the kind that didn't need shouting to be felt.
The gym, however, was another story entirely.
Once training started, every little decision became a potential spark.
Fighters were more protective over pad work, more critical of sparring partners, and more suspicious about how hard their teammates were going during drills.
Damon had to step in more than once, shutting down situations before they got ugly.
It wasn't about bad blood, it was about survival. Everyone knew the bracket meant there were no more safe matchups.
