Inner Turmoil

Two months later.

The past two months had passed in a blur for some, yet for others, they had been as ordinary as any other time.

Matilda sat on the edge of her bed, leaning slightly against the wall, her shoulders slumped, hands resting limply in her lap. Her once-bright, sparkling dark brown eyes were now hollow and dulled with exhaustion, stared past the walls, unfocused and distant.

The dim light accentuated the sharp angles of her gaunt face, the dark circles beneath her eyes a testament to sleepless nights.

Strands of disheveled hair clung to her damp cheeks, remnants of long-dried tears. Her wrinkled nightgown, hung loosely over her frail frame, barely rising with each shallow breath.

She wasn't just sitting... she was fading, sinking under the crushing weight of her grief.

She had endured so much. At just five years old, she had watched her parents be brutally slaughtered, their bodies manhandled as if they were nothing.

And if that wasn't enough, the only family she had left...Uncle Jasper, was taken from her, too.

He had given his life to buy her freedom. But now, she found it laughable.

Freedom?

If this was freedom, then she would have rather perished alongside him.

She had once believed the worst was behind her. That the suffering had ended.

But fate had dragged her back into that abyss, punishing her for a mistake she couldn't even be blamed for.

All her life, she had learned to stay hidden, blending into the background, to live unnoticed. But cruel fate wouldn't let her be.

Her only peace was in those five short years with her parents and Uncle Jasper. The other ten? She had lived like a rat...scurrying in fear, hiding from rogues, and from packs that despised their kind.

Rogues were never spared, not even innocent children.

She and Uncle Jasper had hidden deep in the forest, away from the world's cruelty. But hiding could only last so long.

And then they were found.

"You either pledge loyalty to the rogue king or perish."

She remembered those words like they were branded into her soul.

Females were nothing more than breeders. Playthings for their amusement.

But Uncle Jasper refused.

"Over my dead body." His voice had been firm. Unshaken.

And in the end, that was exactly what it cost him.

Matilda clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. And me? Am I better off?

She was alive. But with nothing but painful memories to keep her company.

When she first arrived at this pack, she had been thrown into a world of pain and torture.

And yet, she had been given a chance...a so-called 'second chance' to belong.

She had stepped into the light, believing, hoping, that things would finally fall into place.

Oh, how wrong I was. Terribly wrong.

A child who loses their parents will never see the world the same way again.

Because only they...are the ones who truly love you...can shield you from the cold cruelty of this world. Only they will care when you fall.

She never realized those were privileges until now.

Sadly, she had none of it left.

Uncle Jasper had made life bearable. Even when they had nothing, he made sure she was happy. He told her stories, made her laugh, and gave her warmth.

But at night…

She had seen him weep.

He thought he hid it well, but she knew. He mourned his sister... her mother. And now she understood why.

A bitter chuckle rose in her throat, though no sound escaped her lips.

It took me so long to understand this. But it's better late than never.

The world doesn't let you be.

It doesn't matter if you're good or bad, innocent or guilty. If suffering is meant for you, it will find you.

No matter how much you try to stay out of trouble, it will come to you, against your will.

And the more you fear it, the more painful it becomes.

She exhaled slowly, her eyes empty, void of emotion.

"Freedom? Rights?" She scoffed under her breath.

"Nothing but illusions for people like us."

Dreams?

Dreams were a luxury she could no longer afford. The moment you dared to dream, reality struck like an unyielding storm, tearing down everything in its path.

"The only path forward is to master your emotions and embrace the truth," a voice echoed in her mind.

She closed her eyes briefly, and when she reopened them, a flicker of determination pierced through the void.

"You've humiliated yourself enough, Matilda."

Crying. Begging. Wishing for mercy.

It was all a cruel joke.

No one cared.

No one ever would.

Live or die, the world would keep moving.

And she was done being a fool who thought otherwise.

The door creaked open, breaking the silence.

Nora peeked inside, concern etched into her face.

"Matilda? Are you okay?" She asked softly.