DARKNESS TOUCHED BY LIGHT

Iris held her breath as the cold air drifting through the open window brushed against her bare skin. For a moment, she listened.

Silence.

Nothing stirred beyond the door. Slowly, she exhaled. She drew in another breath, desperate for anything that might distract her mind, but the metallic scent of blood filled her lungs instead. Grimacing, she lifted her head and let her gaze wander around the room. A wardrobe. A wooden table. The bed she sat upon. Nothing more. Shadows cast by candlelight danced across the bare walls, and though she had seen this place hundreds of times before, it still made her chest ache.

In a palace built to display wealth and splendor, some rooms hid not luxury… but silence. And Iris was trapped inside one of them.

Behind her, the slow, rhythmic sound of breathing mingled with the distant murmur of the city beyond the palace walls.

The moment a damp cloth touched her skin, a sharp pain shot down her spine. Every muscle in her body tensed. Her fingers curled into the sheets beneath her, crushing the fabric in her fist.

"I'm sorry," Elysia whispered.

Closing her eyes, Iris gave a faint shake of her head.

Pain… Old. Familiar. Merciless.

Every time, she convinced herself she would be more prepared for it.

Every time, she was wrong.

Pain was not something one could ever truly grow used to.

"He should rot in hell for this!" Elysia's voice was sharper now.

As the sting slowly faded, Iris opened her eyes and glanced over her shoulder.

The girl was kneeling behind her, dropping a bloodstained cloth into a bowl of water. A few rebellious strands had escaped the maid's cap and glimmered in the candlelight. Her pale face stood in delicate contrast to the darkness of her long lashes. Despite her fragile appearance, there was an undeniable strength in the way she carried herself.

Iris said nothing. She didn't need to. With Elysia, silence was enough. Long ago, they had learned to read in each other's eyes the things words could never hold.

Very little remained of the timid servant who had once arrived at her side, head bowed and waiting silently for orders.

"You should tell the King," Elysia said quietly, her gaze flickering toward the door. "He respects you."

"He's his son, Ely," Iris murmured, turning toward her.

Darkness crossed Elysia's expression. "Exactly! It's time he took responsibility for the monster he created."

Monster.

The word settled heavily in the room. Even the candlelight seemed dimmer for it.

Prince Malric.

Iris's monster. Her beloved husband.

Even thinking his name made her skin crawl. From the very first moment she had seen him, she had known something was wrong. Beneath his practiced kindness lurked something feral. Beneath every gentle word waited poison. And every time she looked into his eyes, she found the same darkness waiting to swallow her whole.

Without realizing it, Iris turned back toward the door. Her gaze fixed on the strip of light trembling beneath it.

"The King already knows."

Her voice was barely more than a breath.

King Aldric. The great ruler before whom all Carrivar bowed their heads. Yet even he could not stand against his own son. As the darkness inside Malric grew stronger, Aldric had slowly withered away. Eventually, he had retreated entirely and left everything in his son's hands. Still, he had always been kind to Iris. Sometimes his eyes lingered too long on a bruise that makeup failed to hide, or a wound that had not yet healed.

In those moments, he looked at her as though begging forgiveness for sins that were never his to bear. But those glances changed nothing.

The sound of footsteps beyond the door shattered the silence. Iris's breath caught. She stared at the trembling line of light. A shadow crossed it. Then the footsteps continued down the corridor and faded away.

Only then did she look back at Elysia and realize the girl had been holding her breath too.

Finally, Elysia exhaled and turned toward her.

"I brought new medicines from the Healer." Her voice was softer now. The tenderness hidden within it warmed something inside Iris. "You know how he works miracles."

Elysia was forever searching for new ways to help her heal. And somehow, the healer -despite his famously sour disposition- never refused her. Carefully spreading ointment across a fresh bandage, she murmured, "You're going to be alright."

Iris knew those words were meant less to comfort her and more to convince the speaker herself.

Without looking up, Elysia continued, "He said if we apply these early enough, there won’t be any scars."

Taking Iris gently by the shoulder, she turned her around and studied the injuries on her back. After a moment, she frowned. "Alright," she whispered. "Next time, we'll be faster." Her voice nearly vanished by the end.

Next time.

The words settled inside Iris like a stone. Pulling her nightgown back over her shoulder, she covered her skin and turned toward Elysia. The girl was staring down at her hands now, tears gathering beneath her lashes.

Iris reached for her hands and enclosed them within her own. A fragile smile touched her lips. "Don't worry, Ely. There won't be a next time."

Elysia's eyes widened. She searched Iris's face, looking for something hidden there.

But Iris only smiled. A quiet. Peaceful smile.

"Don’t worry. I'm not going to kill him."

Releasing her hands, she adjusted her nightgown and rose to her feet. This time, she ignored the ache spreading along her spine. Slowly, she crossed the room and stopped before the open window.

Beyond the palace walls, the night stretched endlessly into the distance.

She closed her eyes and filled her lungs with the cool air. Then she opened them again and looked out into the darkness.

"I'm simply..." Her gaze remained fixed on the horizon. "...going to leave this hell behind."

For the first time, there was no pain in her voice. Only peace.