Chapter 41. Shadows of the Past

  The mountains loomed ahead, shrouded in misty haze. Their journey had been long, but the silence surrounding the travelers was broken by an unexpected question.

  — How did you end up here? — Leonel’s voice was calm, yet there was genuine curiosity in it.

  The half-blood girl lowered her gaze, clenching her fingers. She knew this conversation was inevitable.

  — I… — she took a deep breath, — I was an orphan since childhood. A runaway.

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  All eyes turned to her.

  — They hunted me. Always. From the moment I was born, I had to hide. I learned to survive.

  She slowly traced her fingers over her face, as if recalling years of concealment.

  — The red eye… It gave me away. People hate those like me.

  Ethan nodded, his gray-blue eyes flickering in the light of the setting sun.

  — That’s why you always hid.

  — Yes… — she smirked faintly. — But one day, I made a mistake.

  Stan frowned.

  — What happened?

  — I got tired… Tired of running. I just wanted, for once, to watch the sunset without hiding. And at that moment, the slavers caught me.

  She fell silent for a moment, the echoes of pain flashing in her eyes.

  — They tried to break me, to force me into submission. To shatter my soul. But I found a way to escape.

  Leonel watched her intently.

  — Was it the Lord of Darkness?

  The half-blood nodded.

  — Yes. It was my only chance. My only way out.

  Silence fell. Everyone understood what she had endured.

  — You're not alone anymore, — Stan said quietly.

  She looked up at him. In his brown eyes, there was no fear, no contempt. Only certainty.

  A faint smile touched her lips.

  — Thank you…