The sun was dipping low, casting long shadows across the field, but Zayn barely noticed.
His eyes stayed fixed on the lone figure kneeling in the dirt far away from the others. Lily.
She worked without pause, her chains clinking softly with every movement. Her hands were covered in soil, and sweat made her hair stick to her face. There was no complaint in the way she moved. No fight. Just… silence.
She didn’t try to be seen. She didn’t try to stand out. She just worked. Day after day. Always quiet. Always alone.
Zayn wasn’t sure if it annoyed him or… impressed him. Why wasn't she broken? Most people would have broken by now.
Especially after what she’d been through. He could still see the bruises from the last punishment across her back. Still, see the way she winced when she lifted her arm too high. But she never complained.
Something about that didn't sit well with him. Behind him, boots crunched against the dirt. The scent hit him before the sound. Familiar, steady. Ezra.
