FREE USE in Primitive World

Sol’s expression remained cold, but his silver-crimson eyes burned with a quiet, deadly rage. The Golden Silver pool inside his chest surged violently, the power humming with barely restrained control.

The silence stretched for one more heartbeat.

Then it shattered.

Kira’s scream tore through the air like a wounded animal.

”LUMI!!!”

The sound was raw, broken, and filled with pure agony. She dropped to her knees, her hands clawing at the dirt as sobs wracked her body. The bow lay forgotten beside her, useless in the face of this horror.

Kira’s mind was a storm of guilt and grief.

She regretted not stopping them from taking Lumi.

She should have gone instead.

She should have fought harder, screamed louder, done anything to protect her friend.

Lumi had always been the kind one, the gentle one, the one who didn’t deserve any of this.

Kira had thought... foolishly, naively... that even though it was unfair to Lumi, her marrying the Zharun prince would finally mean she would be able to live happily without any prejudice.

Lumi had been an orphan from a young age, despised by many in the tribe due to some messed up past teachings that considered orphans bad omens... carriers of misfortune, cursed by the ancestors for sins of their unknown parents.

The elders had always despised her, despite her and mother’s efforts to get rid of this thinking, and help her live a normal life, the other adults also avoided her like she carried a plague.

But still, despite all that, Lumi had never let it break her.

She remained carefree and happy, always caring for others, always helping without expecting anything in return.

Her kindness was like a light in the darkness, a gentle warmth that made the world feel a little less cruel.