“Can you really risk losing that kid?” The woman asked, her voice cutting through the heavy silence of the hall.
I paused right at the massive obsidian doors, my hand trembling as I gripped the cold stone frame. Her question felt like a physical blow to the back of my head. For a second, the world seemed to tilt. I could feel the strange, pulsing heat deep in my womb, a constant and terrifying reminder of the night I had been used so casually. It was a weight that didn't belong to me, yet it was already entwined with my very soul.
I didn't turn around to look at her. I couldn't. I didn't want her to see the tears blurring my vision or the way my jaw was clamped shut to keep from screaming. I stared out at the dark, violet horizon of the demon realm, feeling all alone.
“That is my burden
