The small book of poems lay open on the floor beside Liora as she carefully traced the words with trembling fingers. The pages were worn, the ink slightly faded, but the words held a strange kind of magic. They spoke of pain, loss, hope, and beauty — all things she knew too well.
Aeron stood silently just outside the cell, watching her. His usual cold mask had softened, though he'd never admit it. Seeing her so absorbed in something so simple unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.
Liora looked up and caught his gaze. For a moment, they held each other's eyes in silence. Then she closed the book gently.
"Why did you bring this?" she asked softly.
Aeron hesitated, then shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to see if there's more to you than brokenness."
She smiled faintly, the first real smile he'd seen from her. "There is," she said quietly. "But it's hard to believe sometimes."
Aeron shifted on his feet, uncomfortable with the vulnerability in her voice. "Why are you still here, Liora? After everything… why do you still want to live?"
Her eyes darkened for a moment, and the fragile smile disappeared. "Because… I'm scared of dying, but I'm more scared of living like I did before. I don't want to be invisible anymore. I want to feel something real — even if it's pain."
The words hung heavy in the air. Aeron felt a strange ache he couldn't explain. He wanted to reach out, to tell her she wasn't alone, but years of hatred and mistrust held him back.
Instead, he said quietly, "What happened to you? Why are you so broken?"
Liora swallowed hard and looked away, biting her lip. For the first time, she spoke of her past without tears, but with a quiet strength.
"My stepfather… he hurt me. For years. My mother… she didn't care. She blamed me for everything, like I was the problem. I was alone. Afraid. I thought dying would be easier than living that nightmare."
Aeron's jaw clenched. The image of a man abusing a helpless girl filled his mind, stirring dark memories of his own father's betrayal.
"But you survived," he said, voice low.
"Yes," she whispered. "And even when I wanted to give up, something inside me fought back. I don't know if it's courage or stubbornness… maybe both."
Aeron nodded slowly. "I know what it's like to live with betrayal. My mother… she was beautiful, but cruel. She destroyed my family. My father died because of her lies."
Liora's eyes softened with sympathy. "That's why you hate beautiful women."
He looked away, ashamed. "I do. But you… you're different."
Liora smiled faintly. "Maybe it's because I don't pretend to be perfect. I'm broken, but I'm real."
Aeron took a step closer, the walls around his heart trembling. "You don't have to be afraid here. I won't hurt you."
Her eyes searched his, wary but hopeful. "Why should I trust you?"
"Because I don't know if I can keep doing this — hurting people who don't deserve it."
They stood in silence, the weight of unspoken truths between them.
Suddenly, the small bird from before fluttered past the bars of the cell, landing softly on Liora's shoulder. She laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"It's free now," she said. "Just like I want to be."
Aeron watched her, the pieces of his carefully crafted world starting to shift.
For the first time, he wondered if redemption was possible — not just for her, but for himself