Meanwhile, back at the quiet local tavern, the sun was beginning to dip low on the horizon.Thomas emptied his third glass of beer, letting out a satisfied groan as he leaned back into the wooden booth."Man," Thomas said, looking over at Dorian and Clara with a broad smile. "We really need to do this more often. Seeing you guys just once a year doesn't cut it for me anymore! At this rate, I'm only gonna see you two about thirty-five more times before I drop dead!"Clara laughed softly, shaking her head as she twirled her wine glass. "You know why it has to be this way, Thomas. I chose to keep this part of my life completely buried. My daughter and I have lived a peaceful, quiet life for fifteen years now. Unlike the old days, when every gun in the city was constantly pointed at my head... I won't trade this quiet life for anything in the world. Nancy is all that I have left."Thomas and Dorian looked at her gentle, determined face and stayed silent. They knew how much she had suffere

"Um... hi, Carl," Nancy said softly, holding out the neatly folded bag. "Here's your gym wear. Thank you so much for yesterday. It really saved me."Carl pulled off his headphones and looked up. He took the bag with a relaxed smile. "No problem, Nancy."He patted the stone wall beside him. "Sit down for a second."Nancy’s cheeks instantly flushed a dark, burning red. "M-Me?"Carl chuckled softly. "Yeah, come on. Sit."Hesitantly, Nancy climbed up and sat on the edge of the stone wall, keeping a polite distance. For almost a full minute, an agonizing silence hung between them. Nancy stared down at her shoes, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs, internally screaming at herself for being so awkward.Suddenly, Carl broke the silence. "Did you like my picture?"Nancy froze completely. The blood drained from her face, and her brain short-circuited."W-What?!" Nancy stammered, her voice squeaking out as she stumbled over her words. "I... I don't even know what you're talking about! I

Both girls hit the concrete floor hard. Nancy mounted Tina instantly, pinned her shoulders down, and raised her fist."YOU STUPID BITCH!" Nancy screamed, her voice cracking with pure hatred.THWACK!Nancy drove a heavy right fist straight into Tina’s nose."I HAVE BEEN TOLERATING YOUR NONSENSE FOR YEARS!" Nancy roared, raining down a relentless barrage of punches. Left! Right! Left! "I DRAW THE LINE HERE! YOU THINK YOU'RE TOUGH?! YOU THINK YOU CAN TALK ABOUT MY FATHER?!"THWACK! THWACK!Tina’s nose burst open, blood spraying across her face. She sobbed uncontrollably, her hands flailing uselessly as she tried to cover her face. "GET HER OFF ME! CHLOE! HELP ME! GET HER OFF!"Chloe and Mia screamed in panic, while the two senior boys lunged forward, grabbing Nancy by her shoulders and ripping her off Tina by brute force."LET GO OF ME!" Nancy shrieked, kicking wildly in the air.She broke one leg free and kicked Chloe straight in the chest, sending her tumbling backward over a wooden cr

Mr. Colton stared down at Clara for a long, heavy moment. The room was deathly quiet, except for the muffled sniffling of Tina clutching her bloody nose.Tina’s mother turned to her husband, her face twisted in disbelief. "Gerald! Are you seriously just listening to this?! Look at your daughter’s face! That wild animal nearly tore her ear off! You need to call the police right now and have both of them locked up!"Mr. Colton didn't even turn his head. He simply raised his left hand, holding a single finger up in the air.Instantly, Tina’s mother snapped her mouth shut. The sheer authority in that simple gesture silenced her completely, though her eyes still burned with fury.Mr. Colton smoothed the lapels of his expensive tailored suit jacket, his dark eyes shifting from Clara's bowed head back to Principal Holt."Children fight all the time," Mr. Colton said, his deep voice echoing casually through the office. "It’s high school drama. A minor scuffle. I am a busy man, Holt, and I don

But violence always came with a horrific price. Violence attracted the light, the police, the news, and the enemies she had spent fifteen years hiding from. If she fought back, Nancy’s normal life would be destroyed forever.Clara slowly wiped her wet cheeks with the sleeve of her coat. She rested her hand gently on the cold stone of Henry's headstone."I won't give up, Henry," Clara whispered, her voice regaining a thread of resolve. "I'll keep my promise. Everything will be fine. I'll protect her."She stood up, smoothed down her coat, and began the long walk home.Back at their modest, two-bedroom apartment, Clara turned on the kitchen lights.The quiet room felt emptier than ever. She tied an apron around her waist and began preparing a warm dinner for two—grilling chicken, cutting vegetables, and setting two plates at the small wooden dining table.She sat down in her chair, staring at the empty seat across from her.Hour after hour passed. The clock on the wall ticked steadily.