Bell, silent, slipped out the window. Aisha, surprised, turned her head briefly before quickly looking away.
"Are you still here?" she whispered, halfway between relief and panic.
Without answering, Bell put one foot in the room and walked forward calmly. Aisha, refusing to let him see her in this state, stood up hastily and tried to escape through the door. But before she reached the handle, Bell gently grabbed her wrist.
— Aisha... stop running away.
She struggled briefly, but he didn't let go.
"Why are you here?" she exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the door, refusing to meet his gaze.
Bell stared at her silently, searching for the right words, the ones that could pierce the shell she had built for herself.
—Look at me, Aisha, he said calmly.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head.
She stood there, her gaze fixed on the exit. Bell knew she was stubborn, that she had built her independence on years of struggle and pain. But he also understood that deep down, everyone has a weakness.
— Look at me, he insisted.
"Why?" she replied, her voice shaking. "Why are you doing this? I already told you that I don't want you to see me like this."
Bell took a deep breath, feeling that this conversation required all of his empathy, all of his sincerity.
—Because I care about you, he replied.
Aisha remained silent, but her shoulders tensed. She seemed about to give in, but she held on to her broken pride.
—From the beginning... I tried to make myself worthy of you, she finally admitted, her voice trembling.
Bell didn't move, respecting the moment, letting her speak at her own pace.
—A former prostitute like me... I know I can never know true love. It's an illusion. An absurdity.
Her voice cracked, and she turned her face away even further.
— But ever since you appeared in my life... That day, nine months ago, I felt something I had never felt before.
Bell didn't answer, feeling that what she had to say was too heavy to interrupt.
—That day, even as I was serving a customer, something inside me died. I no longer had the taste or even the interest for this life. I stopped selling myself. I preferred to work at the cash register, where I could see you leave and return to the dungeon.
His voice was hoarse, filled with pain.
—I wanted to be worthy of you, Bell. So I trained, day after day. When I saw you with Eina, my heart raced, but I held it back. Because I knew you deserved better than a woman like me.
She turned slightly, revealing her face marked by emotional and physical pain.
—And now... all my efforts to appear beautiful and exceptional in front of you are reduced to nothing.
She raised an arm, revealing the red and purple marks left by the cursed whips.
—Those wounds... They'll never heal with normal potions. No one would want a woman like that, broken, scarred for life.
She curled up, drawing her knees close to her.
— So why are you still here?
Bell felt her heart clench with every word she spoke. The physical scars she bore were painful, but the ones on her soul were even deeper.
"Aisha," he said softly, crouching down in front of her.
She refused to look at him, but he didn't give up.
— You say you want to be worthy of me... But have you ever thought that maybe you already are?
She raised her head slightly, surprised.
— Those marks you bear... They don't disgust me. They are proof of your strength, of your sacrifice. You fought to protect what you believed was right, even when everything was against you.
He reached out his hand, but stopped halfway, giving her a choice.
—What I see, Aisha, is not a broken woman. I see a warrior, a woman who has saved me more than once, a woman who deserves more than she knows.
Tears began to stream down her cheeks.
— Stop... she whispered.
"No," he said firmly, but not harshly. "I'm not going to stop. You deserve to be seen for who you really are."
Slowly, she looked up, finally meeting his gaze. In Bell's, there was no pity, no judgment. Only a disarming sincerity.
At that moment, an invisible barrier broke.
Chapter 52: The Shadow of a Bond
Aisha stood still, staring at Bell as if seeing a truth she had long refused to admit. Her heart was beating at a frightening speed, but she didn't look away this time.
Bell reached out and gently brushed her hand against his, a simple gesture, but loaded with meaning.
"I know you've suffered," he said. "I know you carry wounds inside you that may never go away. But you're not alone, Aisha. You never have been."
She wanted to protest, but he cut her off with implacable gentleness:
— Let me carry some of this burden. You have saved me more than I can express. Let me, in turn, be there for you.
Aisha closed her eyes, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She stood there for a few moments, motionless, her mind in a whirlwind of emotions.
— Why? she finally whispered.
Bell answered without hesitation:
— Because I care about you.
Those simple words pierced her defenses like no weapon could. She burst into tears, her body shaking with the weight of pent-up emotions. Bell didn't move, giving her the space she needed.
After a few moments, she straightened up slightly, her voice still trembling:
— You're unbearable, you know that?
Bell smiled.
— Yes, I think I'm starting to understand it.
A light laugh escaped from her in spite of herself, like a ray of sunshine piercing a cloud-laden sky.
They stood there in that silent room, the weight of their confessions still hanging in the air. Bell finally stood up and reached out a hand to her.
— Come on.
— Where? she asked, surprised.
—Outside. I'm not going to let you hide here.
She hesitated for a moment, then reached for his hand. Her legs were still weak, and she felt herself swaying, but Bell held her up with disconcerting ease.
— I'm here, he said softly.
They descended slowly, stepping out into the courtyard where the moonlight bathed everything in a silvery glow. The Amazons who caught sight of them discreetly looked away, as if they understood that this moment belonged to them.
Aisha looked up at the starry sky, breathing deeply.
—I feel ridiculous, she admitted.
- For what ?
—Because I spent my life being strong, showing that nothing could touch me. And now, look at me.
Bell shook his head gently.
— Being strong doesn't mean hiding your wounds. Sometimes, true strength is accepting them.
She looked at him, this time without looking away.
"You really are different," she whispered.
—And you, you're incredible, he replied with a sincere smile.
Aisha felt her heart clench again, but this time it wasn't from pain.
As they stood outside in this fleeting peace, a discreet figure watched from the shadows. The Amazon Lena, an indecipherable gleam in her eyes, turned on her heel and disappeared into the night.
In another corner of the pleasure quarter, Ishtar also watched, her brow furrowed.
—That boy... she whispered.
She clenched her fists, a glint of frustration and curiosity shining in her eyes.
— He never ceases to amaze me.
The pieces were falling into place, but the game was far from over.
To be continued