Time froze in the office. Three forces were colliding in silence: Aline's white-hot rage, Ikumi's murderous coldness, and my own absolute terror which had become a wall between them.

  Before Aline could utter another word, before her anger could turn into an action that might cost her her life, I moved. I rushed forward and stood between her and Ikumi, my face turned toward Aline. "I'm sorry!" I cried, the words coming out in a panicked whisper. "Mother, I apologize for her behavior! She doesn't understand!"

  I wasn't afraid for myself. I had tasted every kind of pain she could offer. But my fear now was something new, something selfish and pure, and it was all for her. The fear for my sun, that it might be extinguished.

  "Was this whore hitting you?" Aline's voice came out sharp and harsh, bypassing me and directed straight at Ikumi.

  I quickly turned my head and yelled at her in a desperate attempt to silence her, "She's my mother! And this... this is training!" "Training?" Aline retorted in shock, as if the word itself were an insult. "Training for what? To be a good horse?"

  I ignored her and looked back at Ikumi, pleading with my eyes. "I'm sorry... please..."

  Ikumi looked through me, as if I were just a dirty pane of glass. Her calmness was more terrifying than any volcano about to erupt. Then, in a low, decisive voice, she said one word: "Go."

  It wasn't permission; it was a postponed sentence. I didn't need her to repeat it. I grabbed Aline's arm with force and pulled her out of the office, out of the room, out of the House of Despair. I dragged her as she resisted in shock, and I didn't stop until we reached a distant, damp alley, where no one could hear us.

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  There, I let her go and turned to her, anger and fear mixing inside me. "What have you done?! Are you insane?! Your audacity has its limits! That woman... you don't know her!" She said angrily, "She was hitting you with a whip! I saw it with my own eyes!"

  "I told you it was training!" I yelled, hating myself for every word that came out of my mouth. "It's... it's her expression of love!" "An expression of love?!" Aline screamed, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief. "Hong Min, this is violence! This is not love! It's a sickness!"

  "This will not end!" I interrupted her desperately. "This is the first time I've seen her with this silent anger! This is much worse! I'm afraid for you, you fool! Not for me!"

  I took her hand in both of mine and felt her tremble. "Something will happen to you. You have to escape. Go to the damned Forest of Chains... go now."

  I looked down, feeling shame burn me. "But I... I can't go with you. I'm sorry. I'm too weak. I'll be a burden to you... One day, maybe I'll be strong, but not now."

  Aline looked at me, and the anger in her eyes began to melt, replaced by something else I couldn't read. She didn't pull her hand away. This time, she held my hand even tighter.

  She was silent for a moment, as if taking in all my despair and self-hatred. Then she said with a calmness that didn't match her fiery eyes, "You fool."

  I raised my face to look at her. "You are definitely going with me, you horse."

  Before I could reply, before my mind could process what she had said, she moved quickly. She leaned forward, and her lips touched mine. It wasn't a long touch. It was fleeting, warm, and full of promise and defiance. I felt an electric shock run through my entire body, a shock that erased all the pain, all the fear, and all the cold I had ever felt in my life.

  Then, as quickly as she had come, she pulled away and ran off into the darkness of the alleys, leaving her last words echoing in the air: "Get ready! We're leaving soon!" I remained standing in my place, shocked, my fingers touching my lips.

  My sun... my light... had kissed me. What is this feeling? This liquid warmth spreading through my chest, making my heart beat like a trapped bird that wants to be free. Is... is this love too? No. It wasn't like my mother's love. It wasn't heavy, and it wasn't burning. It was light. And it was warm.