章 263: 263. Unshackled (3)

"Don't see... I'm ugly..." The child's voice was muffled as he buried his face in his arms, trying to hide the reality of his transformation from me. His words were soaked in shame, and it tore at me to see him like this.

I shook my head, my voice soft but firm, the weight of my words carrying a sense of unshakable truth. "No, you're not. You're still the same child to me, you're not ugly." My eyes softened as I gazed at him, watching the silent battle within him as he fought to accept what I was saying.

"But I... They all call me a monster when they look at me..." His voice broke on the words, a mixture of pain and confusion lacing his trembling tone. "They all hate me..."