Chapter 13 – Aria

• The woman advances toward me like an impending storm, her eyes blazing with a mix of hatred and desperation. Behind her, five armed officers follow in her wake, their expressions grim, ready for what seems to be the confirmation of their belief that I am guilty. Panic rises within me like a wave about to crash. My heart pounds so violently against my ribs that it feels as though it might tear through my chest. I raise my hands in a gesture of surrender, trying to show my innocence, but the gesture seems small and insignificant in the face of the gravity of the situation.
• It is at this moment that the smell of blood finally hits my nostrils, thick and metallic, filling the air around me. Nausea climbs up my throat, mingled with growing desperation. My hands tremble, which only seems to confirm, in the minds of others, my supposed guilt. My eyes widen in horror and confusion, and a silent scream of protest echoes inside me, but my words are smothered by the heavy atmosphere of accusations.
• Before I can formulate any coherent defense, the woman pushes me forcefully, and I nearly stumble, my weakened legs struggling to keep me upright. The officers, quick and efficient, restrain the woman before she can attack me again, but her hysterical screams continue, slicing through the air like sharp knives. She screams at me, her words filled with venom and pain, and each accusation that leaves her mouth is like a direct blow to my stomach.