It was only a matter of time before they found her.

The 12-year-old sat inside the cramped closet, arms wrapped around her knees, eyes cold and unmoving. Not afraid. Just waiting. She had learned fear was a waste of energy.

"Where'd she go?" a man barked, bursting into the next room.

"I swear I locked her up here, boss. Could she have escaped outside already?"

A thud. Something heavy hit the wall. "You better find her. The buyer will be here any minute. If she's not found before then, I’ll make this your last day on earth."

Footsteps. Fading. Then silence.

Neri almost opened the door. Almost. A bloodshot eye beat her to it.

"Found you, you little rat."

The man yanked the door open and dragged her by her ankle. She didn’t scream. She clawed at the frame.

"Let go," she hissed. Her grip was firm. Unnaturally strong for her size.

"Why are you so—ow! You little—"

She had bitten him. Hard. He yelped, but before he could retaliate—

"Release her. Now."

The voice drifted in like smoke—soft, elegant, yet laced with a frost that could stop time. A woman stepped into the room. Regal. Unnervingly beautiful. Long black hair. A figure carved from poetry. Grace in motion.

Everyone froze.

Except Neri. She looked at the woman without awe. Just silence.

The man dropped her like she’d burned him. He collapsed to his knees. "Forgive me, Duchess Rue! I didn’t know—please! I didn’t know she was your child!"

The woman’s eyes flicked to Neri. The midnight purple of a starless sky. Her expression softened.

"Hello, my lovely Neri," she said, kneeling.

Neri backed up slightly. "Who are you?"

"Beautiful Nerissa," the woman smiled, voice a balm. "I’m your mother. I came to take you away from these animals."

Mother. That word had no weight in Neri’s world. Just a sound people used.

"Are you really?"

"Yes, love. A bad woman took you from me. Mommy looked everywhere for you."

Neri stared. "Neri?"

"It’s your nickname."

The woman reached for her, slowly. Neri flinched. The woman’s eyes darkened, but she didn’t speak. Just nodded.

"I’m sorry. I scared you. That won’t happen again. Mommy only wants to protect you."

She opened her arms.

Neri hesitated. Then slowly, she moved forward.

"Let’s go home."

Home. Neri didn’t know what that meant. But something about the way the woman said it made her believe she might find out.

Tears didn’t come easy anymore. But they came now. She let herself be held.

The woman stood, child in arms. "Joel."

Her assistant entered.

"Yes, Your Grace?"

She stood up with her daughter in her arms, and sent a glare at the men who were now on their knees. 

"Watch them. I’ll be back."

Outside, Neri stirred. "Momma?"

The woman’s eyes lit up. "Yes, darling. I’m your momma."

"Are you an angel?"

She chuckled. "Only you would ask such a thing."

"But you look like one."

"My baby," she kissed her forehead. "It is you who’s the angel."

They reached the carriage. "Wait here, darling. I must thank the men who returned you."

Neri watched her walk away. Her mother was beautiful. But something in her eyes had gone cold.

***

Kana walked back to the house

After seeing the child shed tears, she became angry again. How dare those bastards cause her daughter to be like this? They deprived her of almost 5 years of her daughter's childhood.

Akana walked towards the room where the men were, it took her all her might to hold in her anger.

Her heels clicked like a metronome of death.

 "I have to thank you gentlemen for returning my daughter to me," she said as she entered the room. 

She glanced at Joel who nodded his head and untied the men. 

"Your grace, please have mercy. We- we didn't know she was your daughter." 

She said nothing but stared at them 

"Please forgive us, We deserve death!" She bent down to their eye level.

"I agree..." The men bowed their heads to the floor "Thank-" 

"You do deserve death. Since we both agree, you can just die." She began to walk away. 

The men looked up in horror "N- no please, D-duche-" she threw a dagger at the man's neck directly hitting his vocal cords. 

The man choked as he held his neck "So noisy, wasn't it you who said you deserve death?"

 The man opened his mouth, silently screaming in pain. She turned to the man next to him who was now trembling with fear. He crawled towards her "Y-your Grace i-" 

"Silence. I want you to suffer until death feels like mercy."

"P- please " he cried

She stood up.

"Joel." 

"Yes, My lady?"

"Burn them."

"Understood"

As Akana walked out, she realized the window where the men were was in Neri's line of view. 

As she stepped outside, a troubling thought crossed her mind. The window in that room... it was in full view of the carriage.

She quickened her pace. Neri must not have seen. No child should witness something so grotesque.

But as she approached the carriage, she found Neri calmly gazing at the sky She sighed in releif.

***

Neri watched as her mother approached the carriage. So beautiful. 

"Did you wait long, darling?"

"No, it's ok, Mom. Neri is patient." Her mother smiled gently and patted her head. "My Neri has grown up." 

As the carriage began to move, she glanced back one last time, "Mom, look at the house! It's on fire!"

Her mother stared at the house, the reflection of the flames dancing in her midnight eyes. For a moment, she looked like someone else entirely — not the angel Neri had first seen, but something colder.

 "Oh my, you're right,"  she replied feigning concern

"Mom?" 

Yes, Neri?"

 "What happened to Mr. Boss and his friend?" 

"I sent them to a place they deserved."

She stared at her mother, knowing that they were probably in hell.

Through the crack in the window, she had watched it all: the man choking on his own blood, the second sobbing, then dragged away. Her mother had been terrifying. Unapologetic. Beautiful.

But Neri said nothing. She would keep it hidden—this knowledge.

Yes, her mother was terrifying, but she was terrifying for her, and that made all the difference.

Neri leaned against the seat, eyes wide, her heart quiet.

This woman—her mother—brought back feelings she thought she had lost. She even had a nickname now.

She smiled faintly, and for the first time in years, she drifted to sleep.

***

Half an hour later…

"Neri?" A faint voice called to her. She tried to open her eyes but couldn’t.

Shouting echoed around her as darkness pulled her under.