Fear's Hold Broken

Naria's inner thoughts were shattered by a loud noise outside, causing her to stand up and peer through the window. Her heart sank as she saw the carriage pulled over to the side of the road, with a military flag flying high above it. Cold shivers ran down her skin as she spotted the dragon emblem on one of the soldiers' armor, a symbol of the fierce and powerful creatures that roamed the land.

But her fear turned to terror as she recognized one of the soldiers as her childhood bully. His short dark hair, brown eyes, sharp jaw, and pointy nose were etched into her memory, a reminder of all the times he had tormented and humiliated her when they were younger. She had hoped never to see him again, but here he was, dressed as a soldier and carrying a weapon.

Naria's mind raced with all sorts of terrible possibilities, 'don't tell me that he's back…' A cold sweat broke down on her forehead, "this can't be true!" She loudly spoke to herself as she immediately moved away from the window.

"No… no… no…" She placed her hands on her messy hair and started walking in circles, "why today? No!"

Naria had known from the start that Ace was a jealous and possessive man. When they were younger, she had tried to ignore it at first, thinking that it was just a sign of how much he cared for her. But as time went on, his behavior became more and more extreme.

Every time Naria talked to someone, whether it was a friend or a stranger, Ace would yell at her. He would accuse her of flirting, of leading someone on, of trying to make him jealous. It didn't matter who she talked to or what they talked about, Ace would always find a reason to get angry and sometimes would end up in him physically hurting her. Pushing her down the stairs, pulling her hair, punching her in places where no one could see it…

Naria had tried to reason with him, to explain that she was just being friendly and that she had no romantic interest in anyone else. But her words fell on deaf ears. Ace seemed to be consumed by his jealousy, and no amount of reassurance could convince him otherwise.

Over time, Naria began to feel trapped and didn't know how to escape him until 2 years ago, when he was sent to serve in the Black Dragon's military.

After finally Ace left, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. For the first time in a long time, she felt free and able to breathe. She no longer had to worry about walking on eggshells around him, or putting up with his jealous and possessive behavior.

However, Ace still tried to contact her by sending her letters. Naria found herself feeling anxious and on edge whenever she saw his name pop up on letters or heard a knock at her door.

But she refused to let him control her life anymore. She threw herself into her work and her social life, filling her schedule with activities and events. She knew that Ace would only come back once every six months, and she made sure to keep herself busy during those times.

Thanks to her hectic schedule and active nightlife, Naria was able to avoid Ace whenever he came back home. She was determined not to let him ruin her newfound freedom and happiness. And as time went on, she found that she no longer felt anxious or fearful whenever he tried to contact her.

Until today…

"Why isn't he dead?" She bit her thumb as her left leg kept on trembling, "why?"

As she sat alone in her room, she suddenly heard the sound of people talking downstairs. Her heart raced, and her hands began to shake with fear and nervousness. She strained to listen, trying to make out what they were saying, but the words were muffled and indistinct.

Her mind raced with thoughts, 'he's an intruder now," and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger. Every creak of the floorboards and every murmur of voices made her jump, and she felt a sense of dread and unease that seemed to fill the entire room.

"I shouldn't fear him…" She removed her thumb from her lip and slowly walked towards her bed, "this will need to go!" She grabbed the black letter and hid it under her blanket, "if he won't see he, he will not know!"

She inhaled more air and squeezed her eyes together, "I need to go there to greet him, that bastard!" Even a single thought of him made her stomach crumble, almost forcing her to puke.

"I will escape from here soon… I must!"

Despite the fear and nervousness that gripped her, Naria knew she had to act quickly. She took a deep breath and walked towards her shabby wardrobe, her hands still shaking with adrenaline.

As she rummaged through her clothes, her eyes darted nervously towards the door, half-expecting it to burst open at any moment. But she refused to give in to her fear, instead focusing on finding her long black skirt.

Her fingers finally closed around the fabric, and she pulled it out with a sense of relief. She quickly slipped it on, grateful for the covering it provided as she felt exposed and vulnerable in her outfit from the last night.

Despite the danger that might still be lurking downstairs, Naria felt a small sense of empowerment as she put on her traditional clothing. It was a reminder of her heritage and her strength, and it gave her a small boost of courage as she prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

"Bring it on!"

Naria took one last deep breath, shook her shoulders to release some of the tension, and exhaled the air slowly. With a renewed sense of determination, she steeled herself and made her way towards the door.

She paused for a moment, listening for any sounds of danger, but all she could hear was the low murmur of voices coming from downstairs. She took another deep breath, pushed open the door, and made her way down the stairs.

As she descended, she could see the figure of Ace standing at the bottom of the stairs, his tall frame silhouetted against the dim light of the hallway.

He turned back and seeing her cold and wet eyes, he spoke, "sunshine!"