A World Beyond The Unknown

a soft glow on her room. As she stirred from sleep, a heavy sigh escaped

lity. The house was still, a deceptive calm that masked the storm that would inevitably

a reflection of disdain. "You're up early," she remarked, th

ed on her cereal bowl as she kept her head d

neered, her words designed to cut like a blade.

otions. She wanted to defend herself, to scream that she was not the burden they pain

cious grins sending a shiver down her spine. "Look who's trying to be a

eve that," another chimed in, thei

olation weighing down on her. The hallways were filled with whispered wo

ut out the world around her. But her stepsisters and their friends wouldn't be deterred s

e of them asked, a cruel

seats around her. Their conversation was a twisted dance of insults and th

kness in front of her tormentors. She clung to the memory of Jason's smiles, his

ead high despite the pain that lingered just beneath the surface. As the final bell r

a relentless cycle of pain and secrecy. With Jason's unexpected departure due to urgent matters,

ous words were like daggers to her spirit. She bore the weight of their cruelty in s

ng. Their taunts, jeers and beating were a constant reminder that she was noth

took pleasure in their cruelty, as if her mere existence was an affront to them. She moved throu

loomed over her. In the midst of a sea of faces,

agile smile masking the turmoil within. She found solace in the forest, seeking refu

otector, and his absence was a void that seemed impossible to fill. She clung to the memo