Odesse's chest tightened as she looked at little Azure, the weight of the girl's words pressing heavily into the quiet parlor. "Why would that happen?" she asked softly.
Little Azure looked down at her hands, her voice dropping to a fragile whisper. "You see, Odesse... Koa was like a bright, blinding light for Azure back then. When he was there, we completely forgot about Valex and the witchery. Koa gave us his absolute, undivided attention, and for a time, it was healthy. It was everything we needed." A faint, bittersweet smile touched the child's lips. "And most importantly, he never looked at us like we were monsters. He never looked at us with disgust."
Odesse looked down at the floor, letting the words settle, before meeting the girl's eyes again. "So... what happened next?"
Little Azure hesitated, her shoulders tensing before she continued. "When he left for the soldier camp, I didn't return to the witchery immediately."
"Oh, really?" Odesse murmured.
