Content Warning: Dark themes. Read cautiously.
Once Liam left the room, Yusha lay on the bed, curling into a ball. Slowly, he caressed his hand over his stomach, trying to sense any source of life. It was still early, and surely the child hadn't grown enough yet.
But he knew the life inside was not one he wanted to end. He didn't have the right to. It was precious. His sole family in this world. The only person who would share the same as him.
When he shut his eyes, memories of his past began flooding in, like snow melting once spring arrived. But this one was an unfortunate feeling, unlike the one people felt at the end of winter—the cold and chilling season that kept people trapped in their houses during strong snowstorms.
***
A dark room. A repulsive scent that never left the small space, clinging to the walls, to their skin, to their breath. Countless people chained, bony, their skin stretched tight, wearing just enough clothing to hide their private parts.
