Aurora sat still long after the door closed behind Elara, the silence in the room pressing down on her chest. Her fingers twisted the sheets into knots, the fabric the only anchor in her trembling hands.
She should have felt relief—warm water, clean clothes, kindness without a price. Yet her body remained tense, her mind circling back to the same thought: how long until it’s taken away?
The memory of her stepmother’s voice hissed in her ears. You’re nothing, Aurora. Worthless. You’ll never be more than the dirt under our feet.
Aurora squeezed her eyes shut, her shoulders curling inward. She wanted to shake the words away, but they were carved too deep into her bones. Even now, in a room that smelled faintly of cedarwood and safety, her body waited for the next blow, the next lash of cru
