ARIA
The moment his footsteps stepped out, I wanted to vanish into the darkness of the staircase.
My body could no longer bear it. My legs trembled as if the very ground beneath me was rejecting me.
The pain gnawed at my stomach, unrelenting, forcing me to crouch against the cold stair rail.
Regret swept through me in a heavier wave than the pain itself. I thought love would be worth any sacrifice, but I had been foolish.
Nothing hurt more than knowing I had sent away two innocent lives just because I had been blinded by someone who only knew how to wear entitlement like a crown.
I should have known better and never fallen.
The pain tightened again, making me wince, clutching my stomach with both hands as I tried to breathe quietly.
My throat burned with the effort of keeping my
