The Shadows That Haunt Us

**Shaira’s POV**

The air inside the cave was heavy, but the warmth of Angro’s hand in mine gave me a sense of calm that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Even so, I couldn’t escape reality. Outside, the world remained full of dangers, and every time I closed my eyes, memories overwhelmed me: the crash of the ship, the fire, the sound of weapons, and the chaos of my life crumbling in mere seconds. Now, everything had changed, and although I found comfort in his arms, I knew this refuge was temporary. Nothing was certain.

Angro had sworn to love me, promised he would break his engagement to Amari, but deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Amari wasn’t just his fiancée, she was the chief’s daughter, and breaking that bond wouldn’t just affect her life, it would also jeopardize his future within the community. Our love, as intense as it was, seemed destined to face countless obstacles.

As for me, I no longer belonged anywhere. I couldn’t return to the eteri without facing a death sentence, and here, among the opranchi, I was a stranger with a past I had to hide. Fear chased me, and though I wished our moments together could last forever, the shadow of what was to come was impossible to ignore.

As the minutes passed, my thoughts inevitably returned to Amari. No matter how hard I tried, the face of the chief’s daughter lingered, like a shadow that followed me. I knew Angro was willing to break his engagement with her—he had said it many times—but was it really that easy? Amari wasn’t just any woman; she was the daughter of Owan "True Arrow," the leader of the opranchi. A decision like that could bring devastating consequences, not just for us, but for the entire village.

“Have you thought about what will happen when you do it?” I asked, breaking the silence that surrounded us. My voice sounded shakier than I expected, but I needed to know how Angro saw things.

“I’ve thought about it, Shaira,” he replied, gently squeezing my hand. “I know it won’t be easy, that her father and many in the village will feel betrayed, but I can’t keep lying to myself. I can’t be with Amari when my heart already belongs to you.”

His words were sincere, and I felt the weight of his decision, but the fear still throbbed in my chest. “What if they don’t accept it? What if they condemn you for betraying Amari?”

Angro let out a sigh, one that seemed to carry the weight of the world. He turned to face me, his eyes searching mine, and in them, I saw determination, but also a flicker of doubt. “I know Owan won’t take it well. I could lose my place among the warriors, even my honor. But I can’t move forward knowing that with each passing day, I’m drifting further from you.”

“And Amari?” I whispered, feeling guilty for bringing her name into the conversation.

“Amari…” Angro looked away for a second before responding. “She’s strong. I know she’ll understand, eventually. I don’t want to hurt her, but I can’t go on with something that should have never been.”

My heart clenched at his words. I loved him, loved him more than I ever thought possible, but our happiness seemed built on fragile foundations. I knew that when the truth came to light, Amari wouldn’t be the only one to suffer. The relationships in Zuwua would never be the same.

“What worries me the most,” I added after a long silence, “is that even if we overcome all of this… Omawit will still be a threat. He knows what I am. If he manages to expose me, everything will be over for both of us.”

Angro leaned forward and took me by the shoulders, his intense gaze trying to reassure me. “I won’t let that happen. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you. I swear by the gods.”

But as he wrapped me in his arms, I couldn’t help but wonder if promises would be enough to save us from everything that was coming.

Omawit’s name echoed through my mind like a cold dagger. He wasn’t just Amari’s brother, but also a constant shadow lurking over our love. From the very first day, I had felt his suspicious gaze on me, and I knew he wouldn’t rest until he uncovered the truth. I knew what he was capable of, and that terrified me.

“Do you really think Omawit will let you be in peace that easily?” The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it, and I knew Angro didn’t have an easy answer.

He frowned, staring at the cave’s entrance as if expecting Omawit to appear at any moment, ready to destroy what we had. “He won’t. I know him. He’ll do everything he can to uncover the truth, to discredit me, even to destroy us. But we can’t live in fear, Shaira.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing, Angro,” I admitted, feeling the tension tightening in my chest. “I live in fear of being discovered. If Omawit manages to prove who I am, it’s all over. Not just for me, but for you too. They’ll accuse you of treason, and we both know what happens to traitors.”

Angro let out a frustrated snort and looked directly into my eyes, that same gaze that had always made me feel strong, but also vulnerable. “I won’t let that happen. What Omawit doesn’t understand is that I’m not alone in this. You and I are in this together, and we’ll fight him, fight anything that stands in our way.”

I appreciated his determination, but the reality still weighed on my shoulders. I knew that as long as Omawit didn’t discover my true identity, there was a chance. But the risk of exposure was always present, and with each passing day, it felt like the net was closing in tighter.

“And then there’s Assu,” I murmured, the words coming out harsher than I intended. The name of that man stirred a mix of resentment and guilt in me. “We need to go to Sagoria to dissolve the marriage, and you know it. We won’t have peace until that’s resolved. But Sagoria… it’s too close to the eteri base. If anyone recognizes me, everything we’ve built will fall apart.”

Angro lowered his gaze for a moment, his mind likely going over the same worries as mine. Then, his fingers brushed against my cheek in a gentle, almost reverent gesture. “I know, Shaira. But I also know that together we’ll find a way. I don’t care what we have to face. There’s no turning back for me anymore. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I don’t want to.”

I wanted to believe him, wanted to let his words carry me away, but the reality was that too many forces were working against us. In the meantime, the shadows of Omawit and Assu loomed over us, and though Angro tried to be my rock, I knew we were both navigating dangerous waters.

The weight of everything I had said hit me all at once. Assu, Omawit, Amari… it seemed impossible to get out of this crossroad without sacrifices. But what anguished me most was that no matter which direction we took, someone would get hurt. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Angro, but I also couldn’t ignore the constant risk surrounding us. We needed to act, and soon.

“We need to deal with Assu,” I finally murmured, feeling my words drop like stones into the silence. “We can’t move forward with our life, with what we want to build, until this false marriage is dissolved. Sagoria is dangerous, but… it’s the first step we have to take.”

Angro looked at me in silence, his face serious. I knew he had come to the same conclusion, but accepting it didn’t make it any easier. Going to Sagoria meant exposing ourselves to many dangers, not only to the eteri, but to the possibility that Assu might refuse to dissolve the marriage. What if he refused? What would we do then?

“I know,” Angro said, his voice low but resolute. “It’s the hardest path, but it’s also the only one that will allow us to be free. If we’re going to live together, we need to remove that obstacle first. After that… we’ll find a way to face Omawit and everything else.”

His words brought a strange mix of relief and fear. Angro was right. Resolving the matter with Assu was the only way to begin charting our future. Sagoria was the place where everything could either fall apart or solidify. We had to be ready for what awaited us, because once we set foot in that territory, there would be no turning back.

“Then we’ll go to Sagoria,” I said, with a firmness I didn’t quite feel, but that I needed to show. “Together.”

Angro took my hand, sealing our decision with a simple gesture, but one loaded with promises.