He carried me up the steps and settled me inside. The cabin was dim, quiet, almost unreal. He buckled me in gently, brushing my hair back once before stepping away.
As the plane lifted off, the ground below shrank into darkness.
For the first time in a long time, something loosened in my chest.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Something closer to hope.
Tears slipped down my face silently, but they didn’t feel like breaking anymore.
I stared out at the endless sky, my thoughts steady, quiet, certain.
And in that silence, I promised myself—
When I stand again…
They will all regret everything.
