The silence after a spar is heavier than the punches

I was in the gym today, just shadowboxing to warm down. My sparring partner left mid-session—said he had to go. I didn’t even notice he’d gone until the air felt different. Like the room remembered his breath and now it’s holding its own. That quiet after the rhythm stops? It’s not peace. It’s absence with weight. And for some reason, I kept punching at nothing, like if I moved fast enough, I could outlast the stillness.