Chapter 62: A mother's rage.

Nila was dragged into a makeshift cell, she thrashed against the guards who were taking her away.

The makeshift cell was dim, its walls damp with condensation and a lingering chill that seemed to seep into Nila's bones.

She sat in the centre, her knees drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them. Her breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps, the weight of her grief pressing down on her like an avalanche.

Arian's face flashed before her eyes, his smile, his laughter, the way he had kissed her cheek before she left him today. "I love you, Mama." The memory tore through her like a blade, and she let out a guttural scream that shook the very foundation of the cell.

"Why?! Why couldn't I save him?!" she cried, her voice raw and broken. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails biting into her palms. "Why did you take him from me?!"