THE SECLUSION OF PENS
Title: The Seclusion of Pens
For six long years, Pens had lived in isolation, hidden away in a secluded mountain retreat where time seemed to stretch endlessly. The walls of her small cabin were lined with books, maps, and remnants of a life she barely remembered. The only sounds were the rustling trees and the occasional howl of the wind through the narrow valley. She had once been someone—someone important, perhaps even powerful—but now, she was just a ghost, forced to pretend she was dead to the world.
She had never been given the full truth, only fragments of explanations whispered to her before she was taken away. "For your safety," they had said. "For the greater good," they had insisted. But what was this greater good that required her to vanish from existence? Why did she have to live like a shadow, watching the world from the edge of oblivion?
Pens had spent years trying to piece together the mystery of her exile. Was she a fugitive? A missing heiress? A pawn in some unseen war? Every possibility seemed more absurd than the last. She had trained in secret, sharpening her mind, her body, and her instincts, preparing for the day she could break free. But the world had not forgotten her entirely—there was still the promise.
Every six months, a messenger arrived at dusk, cloaked in secrecy, delivering a single cryptic letter. Sometimes, it contained nothing more than a warning. Other times, it offered hints of the life she had left behind. But always, without fail, it ended with the same words:
"You may go out once. Just once."
It was a cruel allowance—one fleeting night of freedom before returning to her prison. Each time, she ventured beyond the mountains, blending into crowds, searching for answers. Each time, she returned with more questions than before.
As the sun set on another six-month mark, Pens stood at the threshold of her hidden world, gripping the newest letter in her hands. This time, it was different. The words on the page were urgent, almost desperate:
"You must leave. Do not return. The promise is broken."
Her heart pounded. For the first time in six years, she wasn’t just being given a night of freedom. She was being told to run.
