From behind her door, his mother’s voice answered, weary yet polite, "Give me a moment."

  Kyle turned back to Barns, his gaze shifting to the sve again. "Why her?" he asked, his voice quieter.

  Barns chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "She’s tougher than she looks, I reckon. Got a feeling she’ll be useful. And," he added with a shrug, "I didn’t have the heart to see her hauled off to the border."

  Kyle said nothing, his eyes lingering on the girl. She stood still, her chains clinking softly as she shifted her weight. Something about her presence unsettled him, though he couldn’t quite pce why.

  Barns chuckled, a rough sound that matched his weathered face. "I live alone at this age, boy. She can help me out, that’s all I hope for. And whenever I die, well, she’ll become a free woman. Not that it’ll be long now," he added with a dry ugh. "I’ll probably kick the bucket soon enough."

  Kyle didn’t respond, his jaw tightening as he gnced at the girl again. She stood silently, her chains rattling faintly as she adjusted her stance.

  Just then, the door to his mother’s room opened, and she stepped out, dressed in a modest gown, her expression composed despite the weariness in her eyes. "What is it, Barns?" she asked, her tone polite but distant.

  Barns gestured to the sve, the grin still lingering on his face. "I bought this girl from the caravan. She’s seen better days, no doubt about that. Thought you might take a look at her, heal her up, and maybe, if you’ve got it in you, get rid of that damn curse they put on her."

  Kyle’s expression softened slightly as he turned her gaze to the girl. "A curse?" he asked, his voice low.

  Barns nodded. "Aye, the usual one they sp on sves to keep them in line. Makes them suffer somethin’ awful and locks away their Shard abilities. Gruesome business, that." He shook his head. "Figured if anyone could help her, it’d be your mother."

  Kyle’s mother stepped closer to the girl, her eyes scanning her bruised and battered form. She nodded after a moment. "I’ll see what I can do. Bring her inside."

  Barns unlocked the chains binding the girl’s ankles, giving her a nudge toward the door. She hesitated, her dull eyes darting between Barns, Kyle, and his mother, before stepping forward.

  Kyle followed as his mother led the girl into the house, his unease growing with every step. Once inside, his mother gestured toward a chair. "Sit here," she instructed gently.

  The girl obeyed, her movements stiff and mechanical. Kyle stood by the wall, watching silently as his mother knelt in front of the sve, her hands glowing faintly as she examined the curse’s effects.

  "This won’t be easy," his mother murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "The curse runs deep, and it’s been in pce for a long time."

  Kyle’s mother sighed, her sharp eyes scanning the girl's battered body. “Kyle,” she said softly but firmly, “strip her.”

  Kyle blinked, startled. “What?”

  “We need to see the full extent of her injuries. She can’t heal properly if we don’t know where the damage is,” his mother expined, her tone leaving no room for argument.

  Kyle hesitated, gncing at the girl. Her dull eyes didn’t waver, her expression resigned. Slowly, he stepped closer and began unfastening the remnants of her torn, grimy clothing. He worked methodically, careful not to cause her further discomfort.

  When her frail form was fully revealed, Kyle’s breath caught in his throat. Her body was a map of suffering, sshes crisscrossing her arms, bruises blooming in sickening purples and yellows, cuts that hadn’t healed properly, burns that puckered her skin in grotesque patches. It was as if someone had taken every opportunity to break her spirit through her flesh.

  Kyle’s mother’s face hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Bring the ointments for her cuts and bruises,” she ordered.

  Kyle nodded and left the room, returning moments ter with a small wooden box filled with various ointments and bandages. He handed it to the girl, who accepted it silently, her hands trembling.

  “Use this for the smaller wounds,” his mother instructed her gently, then turned her focus to the rger injuries and burns. Her hands began to glow faintly as she worked, the warmth of her Shard radiating into the girl’s battered body. Slowly, the burns faded, the rger cuts sealed shut, and the girl’s breathing seemed to ease.

  Kyle watched quietly, his chest tightening. It wasn’t just the sight of the girl’s injuries, it was the sheer normalcy with which his mother worked, as if this wasn’t the first time she had treated such horrors.

  After a while, his mother leaned back and wiped her brow. “Now for the curse,” she muttered, her gaze sharpening.

  Curses weren’t simple wounds; they were intricate constructs of malice and intent, designed to trap, torment, and control. To remove one, you had to untangle its mechanism, like unraveling a knotted rope.

  She pced her hands on the girl’s chest, just above her heart, and closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed, her focus narrowing to the curse itself. The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of her power at work.

  Minutes stretched into half an hour. Sweat beaded on her brow as she worked to untangle the threads of the curse, her expression one of intense concentration. Finally, there was a faint ripple in the air, and the girl gasped sharply, her body jerking as the curse shattered.

  “It’s done,” Kyle’s mother said, her voice weary but satisfied.

  The girl looked at her hands, then at Kyle’s mother, her lips trembling. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice raw with emotion.

  Barns appeared at the doorway, his face lit with relief. “You did it,” he said, his voice almost reverent. “Thanks a lot.”

  Kyle’s mother nodded, a faint smile on her lips. “Take care of her, Barns.”

  “I will,” he promised, his tone sincere.

  After Barns paid them for their service, he gently guided the girl toward the door.

  As they left, Kyle stood in silence, his thoughts swirling. The sight of the girl’s body, the weight of her suffering, and the reality of what his mother had just undone, it was all a lot to process.

  Suddenly, another thought cwed its way into his mind. He took a deep breath, his gaze shifting to his mother, who was still wiping the sweat from her brow.

  “Whatever happens,” he said firmly, his voice steady but edged with a warning, “you will not try to heal the other sves.”

  His mother froze, her hands pausing mid-motion. She looked at him, startled, then gave a nervous chuckle. “Kyle, I—”

  “I mean it,” he interrupted, his tone sharp enough to cut through her attempt to deflect. “I know how you are. You’re already thinking about it, aren’t you? You’re too soft for your own good.”

  His mother’s lips pressed into a tight line, guilt flickering across her face. Kyle wasn’t wrong.

  After a moment, she sighed and gave him an awkward smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Okay, sweetheart,” she said softly. “I won’t.”

  Kyle didn’t look convinced. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily. “I’m sleeping in your room tonight,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

  “What?” she asked, blinking in surprise.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he replied firmly, already making his way into her room. “Not tonight.”

  She didn’t argue, though she looked a bit flustered. Instead, she watched as Kyle settled into her bed, his determination radiating from every movement.

  With a soft sigh, she turned toward her room and muttered under her breath, “Why is my son like this?”

  Kyle didn’t respond. He y back, staring at the ceiling, listening for any hint that she might try to slip out in the middle of the night. She wouldn’t dare, not after what he’d said—but even so, he wasn’t taking any chances.

  ***

  Kyle jolted awake, his mind foggy and disoriented. The bed beneath him felt softer than it should, the faint scent of vender tickling his senses, this wasn’t his room.

  Panic briefly fred before the events of st night came rushing back. He had insisted on sleeping in his mother’s room, ensuring she wouldn’t sneak out to heal the other sves. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes, shaking off the remnants of sleep, but something felt... off.

  A strange murmur reached his ears, low and unsettling, coming from outside. It wasn’t the typical morning chatter of vilgers passing by. His gut tightened as he swung his legs off the bed and stood, the wooden floor cool beneath his feet.

  As he stepped out of the room, the murmur grew louder, a chaotic mix of voices. Kyle’s chest constricted with unease as he noticed the crowd gathered just beyond the doorway of his house. Shadows of people loomed through the window, their movements restless.

  He moved toward the door, each step heavy with apprehension. Pushing it open, the sunlight immediately assaulted his eyes, forcing him to squint and shield his face with his hand.

  When his vision finally adjusted, the sight before him made his heart drop.

  His mother stood in the center of the commotion, her wrists bound tightly in iron handcuffs, her expression calm but her eyes betraying a hint of fear. Soldiers in the Barony’s uniform surrounded her, their presence imposing and cold. One of them held her arm firmly, ensuring she didn’t move.

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