Chapter 92: Hollow World

The silence stretched on...

The loose camp fire flickered, twisting in on itself, reflections dancing against the mirrored camp's air, their forms wavering.... uncertain, shifting. The crackling wood gave a slow, rhythmic sound, almost a silent whisper, as if the hollowed flames themselves breathed in the heavy quiet that settled between them.

Hela exhaled softly.

She leaned back, the motion fluid, calm m, unhurried, as if she had all the time in the world to do anything. Her fingers traced the rim of her cup, slow, absent. Then, with a quiet breath, she broke the silence.

"You know..."

Her voice carried a weight to it... not heavy, not emotional, not burdened, but something deeper, something lingering in the mirrored space between words.

"If I remember correctly, there was once a time I was an innocent little girl. A girl with a good heart."

She let out a low, quiet chuckle, mocking, self-derisive.