#ow !!!!

her breaths come in ragged pants,    heartbeat thready from the panic clawing at her chest.   this new world was supposed to be their sanctuary,    a chance to start fresh,   a welcome reprieve from the consequences of their actions back on earth.   instead, it’s her worst nightmare:   a reliving of every choice she made under nia’s rule.    because though her queen ruled with a heavy hand,   echo always had a choice,   and she could have chosen death.    instead,  she chose to steal breath from the lungs of those viewed as traitors without even a sliver of remorse.   now,  she pays for those choices with wrists that bleed crimson from the manacles rubbing at her skin,    with the ache in her throat from screaming for hours on end,   with her knees rubbed raw as they dig into the wooden floor from where she collapsed moments ago.