THE MAZE OF DECEPTION

y back to her makeshift home, a small, abandoned apartment in the seedy part of town. T

She glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just peop

agger sheathed at her belt. She had learned to be careful in this

d her and leaning against it to catch her breath. The room was small and

that made her heart skip a beat. A small, flickering can

ad spent huddled in fear, listening to the sound of her mother's screams

ling as she reached out to touch the flame. It was a ritual she had performed co

hind her. She spun around, her heart racing, and saw the str

demanded, trying to

his eyes never leaving hers. Aria felt a shiver run down he

tricately carved box in his hand, id

ia asked, her voice b

arching for something. And then, in an instant, his expres

a," he said, his voice low and

cess the stranger's words. What did he

e stranger reached out and gently took her ha

, his eyes locked on he

s stranger, to believe that he could keep her safe. But another part

den surge of memories. Memories of her mother, of her c

nt, Aria knew wh