_Aria’s POV_
I stared at the man in front of me and my body refused to move. For a second, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I thought fear had finally broken something inside my head.
The man standing there was dirty and broken. His dark hair hung in uneven strands around his face. His skin was pale, almost grey, and smeared with old, dried blood. There were cuts along his arms and shoulders, some healed badly, others still raw. Bruises marked his neck and wrists like dark shadows that never left.
Heavy metal chains wrapped around his arms and legs. They were thick and cruel, digging into his skin. His shoulders slumped forward as if the weight of the chains was too much to carry. His eyes were sunken and dull with exhaustion and pain.
He looked sad, tired and hopeless. But
