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.

Naria's heart raced and she started to tremble, her fingers digging into her palms as her eyes noticed that one of the soldiers was her childhood bully.

His short dark hair, brown eyes, sharp jaw, and pointy nose were etched into her memory.

All the memories came back as a reminder of 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 sword.

The air felt thick, suffocating. 'Don't tell me that he's back…' A cold sweat broke out 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!"

Ace was a jealous and possessive man. When they were younger, she had tried to ignore it at first, thinking 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 physically hurting her—pushing her down the stairs, pulling her hair, punching her in places where no one could see.

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 two years ago when he was sent to serve in the Black Dragon's military.

After Ace finally left, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

For the first time in her life, 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 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 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 that touched every nerve.

She strained to listen, trying to make out what they were saying, but the words were muffled and indistinct.

Naria shook her head. '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.

"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 it, he will not know!" She inhaled deeply 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 that was eating her alive, 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, relieved. She quickly slipped it on, grateful for the covering it provided as she felt exposed and vulnerable in her outfit from the last night. "Bring it on!"

Naria took one last deep breath, shook her shoulders to release some of the tension, and exhaled the air slowly. She steeled herself and made her way towards the door.

She paused for a moment, listening for any sound, 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!"