ARIA POV
*I'm not a woman, I'm a god - Hasley*
Lena turned to me, her focus snapping to my cell now, every flicker of fear and hesitation gone, burned out of her system like it had never belonged there in the first place, replaced by something that sat deeper than fear ever could.
Purpose.
The gold sparkles flared again, brighter this time, steadier, no flicker, no uncertainty, like she had found the thread of it inside herself and wasn’t letting go again, like whatever they had tried to suppress had come back stronger for it.
The bars in front of me groaned, the sound low and strained, metal protesting before giving in, bending outward inch by inch like it was resisting and losing at the same time, warping under her will until there was space—enough space.
She had mollified the ste
