Starglow Basin Hawk of may

saya drew back ever so slightly, wincing at the mention of soto. her lavender eyes narrowed, not in defiance but in a sharp, pained expression that lingered like a thorn beneath her skin. the mention of him always felt like a blade slicing through her resolve, but she swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat.

i will do what you wish. she said, her voice steady but not without fervor. i believe in your strength, osiel. if i don't have that, then what is there?

her words were not an empty plea but a declaration. she lifted her chin slightly, meeting his bloodied gaze despite the tension that rippled in the air. i need to believe. if none of us do, we're already dead before we even start.

she exhaled, grounding herself beneath the weight of his scrutiny. if that means serving soto, i will do it. if it means drawing blood, i will do it. in the end, it's verapaz prevailing. that is what i wish. that is what i want to see.

her thighs burned beneath his gaze, the marks etched there a constant reminder of the costs of loyalty and survival. she bore them without shame, though her jaw tightened, a flicker of pain passing through her expression before she masked it. she would endure whatever was asked of her. for them, for their cause, for herself.