Months passed. Nailah worked alongside Keisha and the other inmates. Life in the workhouse was still cruel, but Keisha’s presence made surviving easier. Not just for her but for everyone.

Keisha played pranks on other inmates during working hours and comforted those on the verge of breaking, reminding them of what they were fighting for. Her presence was a source of warmth and resilience, so much so that even the Matron, despite her strictness, chose to overlook Keisha’s mischief, recognizing the positive impact she had on the workhouse.

Some evenings, Keisha would take Nailah with her to steal honey. At first, Nailah had assumed Keisha had simply found it, not realizing she was actually stealing from the Matron. Soon, she was whispering urgently as they ran through the corridors, clutching stolen honey to share with the other inmates. It was yet another way Keisha lifted spirits in the workhouse.

Their mischief didn’t stop there. They took every opportunity to pull pranks on the Matron as a small act of rebellion against her strictness. More than once, they ducked behind a door just in time to see her slip on a slick patch of honey, barely containing their laughter as they exchanged a triumphant high five.

Nailah never thought she’d experience joy in this place. Yet, with Keisha, she had found something unexpected.

In this hellhole, I’ve found the mother figure I never had, she realized.

But every good thing eventually ended.

Nailah stared at her work with a heavy heart. Today was her last day at the workhouse. Soon, she would be separated from Keisha.

For the first time, she understood something far worse than hell.

Being in hell… alone.

She hadn’t seen Keisha in a week. The Matron had likely changed their shifts. An uneasy feeling gnawed at her.

She gritted her teeth, continuing her work, but her thoughts remained on Keisha.

Something wasn’t right.

Nailah blinked, her mind still caught in a haze when a sharp voice cut through her thoughts.

"Why are you spacing out?" the Matron snapped

Before Nailah could respond, the woman seized her by the arm.

"Come with me, girl."

Nailah’s stomach twisted. "Matron, I’m sorry..."

The words left her without thinking. What was she apologizing for? She didn’t even know what was happening.

They walked in silence, the Matron’s grip firm but not painful.

"Am I in trouble?" Nailah hesitated. "You’re not going to cut my rations, are you?"

"Quiet, girl! Just follow me!"

That didn’t sound promising.

The walk felt longer than it was, tension settling deep in Nailah’s gut. Finally, they stopped in front of a door. The Matron didn’t look at her, but there was something in her posture—stiff, restrained.

"Someone wants to see you in there," she said, voice gruff.

Nailah hesitated before reaching for the door handle. The moment she stepped inside, a wave of sickness hit her, stale air, the scent of medicine, the low murmurs of the infirmary’s patients. Her eyes darted around the room, confusion clouding her thoughts.

Then, a familiar voice broke through the noise.

"Naine!"

Her heart jumped.

Keisha.

“What are you doing in the infirmary?” she asked, lowering herself onto the chair beside Keisha’s cot. “Did you get hurt?”

Keisha shook her head, her expression calm but weary. “No… but in truth…” Her voice wavered. “I’m dying.”

Nailah froze, her breath hitching. The words hit her like a hammer, leaving her unable to process them. “That can’t be…” she whispered, her vision blurring with unshed tears.

Keisha gave her a small smile, as if trying to comfort her. “I have tuberculosis… Until now, the medicine helped ease the pain, but it’s stopped working.” She sighed, gazing up at the ceiling. “The nurse said I probably won’t see tomorrow.”

“No…” Nailah shook her head in disbelief. This was too cruel. “Nurse!” she turned, pleading desperately. “She needs medicine! There has to be something we can do!”

The nurse shook her head, her expression pitiful. “I’m sorry, but there is no cure.”

Nailah recoiled, her mind spinning. How could this be happening?

A weak cough snapped her back. Keisha reached for her hand. “That’s enough, Naine… Please sit.” She smiled despite her frail state. “There are things I want to tell you.”

Nailah nodded, swallowing back her grief, and listened.

“Did you know that I have a daughter?” Keisha asked, her voice softer now. “She’s about your age.”

Nailah blinked in surprise.

Keisha’s eyes glistened as she continued. “I raised her as best as I could, but the Lowlands is no place to raise a child… Then, an opportunity came.” She took a shaky breath. “A friend of a friend, an aristocrat, wanted to adopt a child.”

Nailah’s stomach twisted. “What…?”

“I gave her up without a second thought,” Keisha admitted, tears slipping down her face. “It was the easiest decision I ever made, but it was also the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” She turned to Nailah, eyes searching. “Did I make the right choice, Nailah?”

A tear fell from Nailah’s cheek. She clutched Keisha’s trembling hands. “I had my doubts…” she whispered. “You’re my mother, aren’t you?”

Keisha pulled her into a weak embrace. “I don’t know if I deserve to be called that… but yes.”

For the first time, Nailah felt a warmth she had never known before.

“I heard the rumors about you,” Keisha said, eager to learn about her daughter despite her fading strength. “But I know they aren’t true! Let’s talk about good things instead! Tell me everything! Did you have friends? A boyfriend? Who’s your favorite artist? What is your dream?”

Nailah chuckled softly despite herself. “That’s a lot of questions… Mom.”

Keisha beamed.

“Well,” Nailah began, “my best friend’s name is Kenny. I never had a boyfriend… Aristocrats are jerks, you know. Except for Kenny.”

Keisha raised an eyebrow teasingly. “Kenny, huh? Are you sure that’s all he is? You smiled when you said his name.”

Nailah’s face burned. “What?! Don’t be ridiculous!”

Keisha laughed, but her laughter quickly turned into a violent coughing fit.

“Are you okay?!” Nailah rushed to steady her.

Keisha waved her off weakly. “I’m fine…” She caught her breath. “Tell me about your dream.”

Nailah’s expression turned serious. “I want to become the Elysian.”

Keisha’s eyes gleamed with pride.

“But honestly, my reason for doing so has changed, thanks to you,” Nailah admitted. “At first, I just wanted to prove a point to those who looked down on me… but when we met, you showed me something different. You talked about how everyone here works hard, fueled by their dreams. I couldn’t see that same passion in the people outside. Now, I get it… You’re the one who inspires them. I want to do that too.” She smiled softly. “Even though I grew up among aristocrats, you’re the noblest person I’ve ever met. I want to be like you.”

Keisha blushed, tears of joy in her eyes. “I’m so happy to hear that!”

Then her expression turned serious. “Nailah, I want you to promise me one thing. When you leave here tomorrow, don’t ever give up on your dreams again.”

“I promise,” Nailah vowed without hesitation.

Keisha smiled, but then she started coughing again. This time, it was worse. Blood spilled from her lips.

Nailah’s heart pounded in panic. “Mom!”

Keisha gasped for breath, clutching her daughter’s hands tightly. Her voice was barely a whisper now. “I wish I had been there… on your first day of school… I wish I could have given you advice… when you entered womanhood…”

Tears poured down Nailah’s face. “Mom, don’t—”

“I wish I could have been there when you graduated… when you argued over meaningless things… when you fell in love… when you married a fine gentleman…” Keisha’s grip weakened. “I wasn’t there for you your whole life… and now, I’m leaving when you need me the most…”

Nailah sobbed. “I, too, wanted to experience all those things with you…”

Keisha mustered the last of her strength, her fading eyes filled with love. “You are strong… smart… beautiful…” She exhaled shakily. “I’m so proud… of the fine woman… you’ve grown to become…”

Her hand went limp.

Nailah’s breath hitched. “Mom?”

Silence.

Grief overtook her, her cries echoing through the infirmary. She wept, her face contorted in sorrow. But amidst the pain, one thought burned within her heart.

The next morning, the front gate of the workhouse creaked open. Nailah stepped out, grief and determination etched into her face.

“Instead of keeping the poor down, I will remind them of their dreams,” she vowed, staring ahead with unshaken resolve. “I will become the next Elysian.”

She looked up at the sky, her mother’s warmth still lingering in her heart.

“Mother, watch me… I’ll make you proud.”

But something inside her had fractured. Pain had reshaped her, it flowed into her resolve and forged something fiercer, something darker…