Evaline:

And just like that, even before I knew it, the winter holidays were ending. Meaning it was time to return to the academy.

The thought should have felt normal. After all, I was about to return to classes, training, my friends, and the life I had built piece by piece after everything I had survived.

But before I could step back into that life, there was one thing I had to do, one person I had to face.

Damian.

He was locked away now, deep within the Rogue community’s dungeons – guarded, broken. And from everything I had heard… not treated kindly.

My mates had made sure of that, especially River.

Still it wasn’t enough. Not for me. Not until I see him myself for at least one last time.

So I went.

– – –

The moment we stepped into the underground corridors, the air changed. It was colder and heavier.

It pressed against my skin, seeping into my bones like a memory I couldn’t shake.

My steps slowed. Not because I wanted them to, but because my body remembered – the darkness, the fear, the helplessness.

Kieran’s hand found mine instantly, grounding me. “I’m here,” he murmured.

Oscar moved closer on my other side, his presence just as steady. “Say the word, and we leave,” he added quietly.

I shook my head.

“No.”

My voice was soft, but firm. I wasn’t running anymore, not from him, not from this.

We reached the end of the corridor and then the cell. The guards stepped aside immediately as they opened the door, and then, I saw him.

Damian.

He was chained. Restrained in a way with silver that made it impossible for him to move freely.

He was bruised and bloodied. His clothes were torn, his body marked with signs of what had already been done to him.

For a moment, I just stood there. Frozen. Because no matter how broken he looked… he was still him. The same man who had haunted my nightmares. The same man who had taken everything from me once. The same man who had come back to do it again.

And then, he looked up. Our eyes met… and he smiled.

Even now, even like this, he smiled. And it was that same twisted, infuriating smile that he always gave me.

Something inside me snapped.

“You are still smiling?” I whispered, my voice trembling despite my need to keep it steady.

He didn’t respond. He didn’t need to, because that look was enough.

Rage surged through me, hot and uncontrollable. And before I even realized what I was doing, I stepped forward.

The whip was already in my hand.

I didn’t even remember picking it up. But it didn’t matter.

The first strike landed with a sharp crack that echoed through the cell. His body jerked, and a low grunt escaped him. But the smile… it didn’t fully disappear.

My vision blurred with anger.

I struck again, harder this time. Then again. And again. Each hit was fueled by everything I had buried for years – every memory, every scar, every pain, and every sleepless night.

“Stop smiling!” I snapped, my voice breaking as another strike landed. “You don’t get to smile after everything you have done!”

The whip cracked against his skin again.

And again.

My arm burned with the effort, my breathing turning ragged, uneven. But I didn’t stop. Simply because I couldn’t. Not when he was right in front of me. Not when this was the first time I had the power, the control, and the choice.

I stepped closer, dropping the whip only to grab his face harshly, forcing him to look at me.

“Look at me,” I hissed.

Blood coated his lips. His face was bruised. And still, he had that look… that same damn look.

My hand moved before I could stop it.

Slap.

His head snapped to the side from the impact.

“You don’t get to act like this doesn’t matter,” I said, my voice shaking. “You don’t get to pretend you didn’t destroy everything!”

He let out a weak chuckle. And that… that broke something in me.

I hit him again.

And again.

My hands were trembling now and my strength was fading. The anger, it cracked and then shattered.

And what came rushing in to replace it was pain, raw and overwhelming.

I stumbled back, my chest heaving as tears blurred my vision. “I-” my voice broke as I tried to speak. “I was just a kid…”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“I didn’t do anything to you…”

My knees felt weak. My entire body was shaking.

“Why…?” I whispered, the question I had buried for so long finally breaking free. “Why me…?”

He didn’t answer.

Of course he didn’t.

Because there was no answer that could ever make sense of what he had done.

A sob tore from my chest, and suddenly, I couldn’t stand anymore. The strength I had been holding onto slipped through my fingers.

And I broke.

But before I could have fallen on the cold ground, strong and familiar arms wrapped around me instantly.

Kieran pulled me back, holding me tightly against him as my body shook with silent sobs.

“Enough,” he murmured, his voice soft but firm.

Oscar was there too. His hand cupped the back of my head, pressing me gently against his shoulder.

“You are okay,” he whispered. “You are okay, Eva… it’s over.”

But it didn’t feel over. Not yet. Not inside me.

I clutched onto them, my fingers gripping their clothes as if they were the only thing keeping me together.

“I hate him…” I whispered brokenly.

“I know,” Oscar said softly.

“I hate what he did to me…”

Kieran’s arms tightened slightly. “And you survived it,” he said gently. “You got through it.”

I shook my head weakly, tears still falling. “But it still hurts…”

“I know,” he repeated, his voice steady unlike the tsunami shattering me from inside. “And it’s okay that it does.”

They didn’t rush me, didn’t push me. They just… held me, let me fall apart, and let me feel it.