The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of orange and purple. Smoke from the ruined mansion curled into the air far in the distance, a grim reminder of the horrors they had left behind. But here, at the edge of the forest, the trio and their new companion found a semblance of peace.
Their cottage was modest, barely large enough for four people, but its weathered walls and crackling hearth gave it a warmth the mansion never could. A pot of stew bubbled on the fire, the scent of seasoned meat and wild herbs filling the room. Seth sat by the window, methodically cleaning his sniper rifle. Aaron leaned against the wall, sharpening his katana with slow, deliberate strokes. Serena was perched on a stool near the fire, her crimson skin glowing softly in the light. And Mia sat cross-legged on the floor, wrapped in one of Serena's spare cloaks, her dark eyes darting nervously between the others.
"Smells good," Seth said, breaking the silence. He didn't look up from his rifle, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Better than eating scraps off the battlefield."
Aaron chuckled. "You're welcome. Took me an hour to butcher the warden and Puppeteer."
Mia flinched at the mention of the villains, her fingers gripping the edge of the cloak. Serena noticed and shot Aaron a glare. "Can you not?"
"What?" Aaron said with a shrug. "She deserves to know what we're eating."
"We don't need to rub it in," Serena snapped. She turned to Mia, her tone softening. "It's okay. You don't have to eat it if you're not comfortable."
Mia shook her head. "No, I... I don't mind. I've eaten worse."
The room fell silent again, the crackling fire the only sound. Finally, Serena spoke. "Mia, do you want to talk about it? Your time... in that place?"
Mia's eyes widened, and she looked down at her hands. For a moment, it seemed like she wouldn't answer. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I was taken when I was thirteen."
All eyes turned to her, the weight of her words settling over the room.
---
"I lived in a small village," Mia began, her voice trembling. "We didn't have much, but we were happy. My father was a farmer, and my mother made clothes. I had two younger brothers. They used to follow me everywhere."
Her lips curved into a small, bittersweet smile. "I remember one day, my brothers and I were playing by the river. We'd found these smooth, flat stones, and we were skipping them across the water. I was the best at it. I could make the stones skip five, six times."
Her smile faded. "That's when they came. Slavers. They rode into the village on horseback, their faces covered. They didn't say anything—just started grabbing people. My father tried to fight them, but they... they cut him down right in front of me."
Serena's hands tightened into fists, her knuckles turning white. Seth glanced out the window, his jaw clenched. Even Aaron, who rarely showed emotion, paused in sharpening his blade.
"They tied us up, my brothers and me," Mia continued. "I was screaming, begging them to let us go. But they just laughed. They said I'd fetch a good price because I was 'pretty.'"
Tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them away angrily. "I never saw my brothers again. They sold me to the Puppeteer a week later. He... he didn't want a slave. He wanted a toy. Someone he could break and remake however he wanted."
The room was deathly quiet. The only sound was the bubbling stew.
Mia looked up, her gaze meeting Serena's. "When you found me... I thought I was going to die in that room. I'd stopped hoping for anything else." Her voice broke. "Thank you."
Serena moved without thinking, crossing the room and pulling Mia into a tight embrace. "You don't have to thank me," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "No one deserves what you went through. No one."
---
The mood lightened as they ate. Aaron ladled out bowls of stew, the savory aroma filling the room. Mia hesitated at first, but when she took her first bite, her eyes widened.
"This is... good," she said, surprise evident in her voice.
Aaron smirked. "Told you. I'm a man of many talents."
"Yeah, like slaughtering and butchering," Serena muttered, but there was a teasing note in her voice.
Seth leaned back in his chair, his rifle resting against the wall. "So, Mia," he said, his tone casual, "what do you want to do now? You're free. You could go anywhere."
Mia looked down at her bowl, her expression thoughtful. "I... I don't know. I've been a slave for so long, I don't even remember what it feels like to make my own choices."
"You can stay with us," Serena said immediately. "At least until you figure things out."
Mia glanced at her, her eyes wide. "Really? You'd let me stay?"
"Of course," Serena said firmly. "We look out for each other."
Aaron snorted. "Just don't expect us to be saints. We're not exactly the good guys here."
Mia looked at him, then at Serena and Seth. "You may not think you're good," she said softly, "but you saved me. That's enough."
---
That night, after the others had gone to bed, Mia and Serena stayed up, sitting by the dying fire. The quiet crackle of the embers filled the silence, the warmth contrasting with the cold truth lingering in the room.
"Were you a slave too?" Mia asked hesitantly, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
Serena stared into the fire, her crimson eyes reflecting the flickering light. "Yes," she said after a long pause.
"How did it happen?" Mia ventured.
Serena leaned back against the wall, her gaze distant. "I wasn't born a slave. I was born to an emperor. My father. He was powerful, cold, and cruel. My mother was one of his most trusted advisors, a right hand who executed his will without question." She paused, her lips curling in a bitter smile. "But to them, I was just... an inconvenience."
Mia's eyes widened, the weight of Serena's words sinking in.
"They didn't care about me," Serena continued, her voice sharper now. "To them, I was just another tool. A bargaining chip. When I was ten, they sold me to slavery—to strengthen ties with another nation." Her hands clenched into fists, the knuckles white against her crimson skin. "They didn't even look back. Just handed me over like I was nothing."
Mia's face twisted with anger. "How could they do that? You were their child!"
"To them, I wasn't a child. I was a means to an end," Serena said, her voice cold and flat. "I hated them for it. For years, I let that hatred fuel me. It kept me alive, kept me fighting."
Mia looked down at her hands, the firelight casting shadows across her face. "Did you ever... see them again?"
Serena shook her head. "Not yet. But one day, I will. And when I do..." She trailed off, her eyes blazing like the fire in front of her.
"They'll regret it," Mia said quietly.
Serena looked at her, surprised by the steel in her voice. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah. They will."
For a long moment, they sat in silence, the fire crackling between them. Then Mia spoke again, her voice softer this time. "Do you ever wonder if it'll ever stop hurting?"
Serena stared into the flames, her expression unreadable. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I do know this: it gets easier when you're not alone."
Mia smiled, a small, tentative thing. "Thank you, Serena. For everything."
Serena reached out and placed a hand on Mia's shoulder. "You don't have to thank me. We're in this together now."
As Mia curled up by the fire, Serena stayed awake a little longer, her thoughts heavy but her resolve firm. One day, she would face the past she had been running from. But for now, she would fight for the family she was building here, in this broken, dangerous world.