Dravina POV
I returned to the balcony, my eyes settling on the unfinished painting before me. I tried to focus, to lose myself in the strokes and colors, but it was hopeless. The brush felt heavier than it should, and the hues on the canvas blurred together, lost to the chaos of my thoughts.
As I stood there, it hit me I hadn’t stepped outside the building since the day I was brought here. There were no chains, no rules confining me. Malrik had placed no restrictions on my movements. But fear had done that job all on its own, fastening me to these walls with invisible locks.
The realization unsettled something in me. I needed to break that cycle.
I wasn’t planning to venture far just enough to familiarize myself with the area. No unnecessary interactions. I would stay within close rang
