Chapter 110 Aria

• Keeping the children distracted from the chaos outside feels like trying to hold back a rising tide with my bare hands. The news is everywhere—every channel, every headline: the attack on the capital, Drave’s coup, the destruction. The images of the usurped throne and the threats against my children’s lives echo in my mind like an unrelenting nightmare. But here, within the four walls of our small rented house, I fight to create a safe space, a haven for Thorne and Elowen. I cannot let the dark world outside reach them. I won’t.
• “Can we go to the beach today, Mama? Can we, can we?” Thorne asks, his eyes alight with excitement. He holds up a drawing he just made, vibrant colors clashing against the monotony of the gray that seems to have settled over my life lately. My heart warms at his innocent enthusiasm, a spark of light in the midst of the darkness.
• “Yes, my little angel. We can,” I reply, running my fingers through his dark blonde hair, which gleams in the sunlight streaming through the window. “But first, finish your homework, and then we’ll get ready to go, okay?” My voice is sweet, but my heart feels heavy. Making simple promises like this is the only way I can protect them from what’s happening.