THE DIFFERS : THE UPRISING

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The room was still, shadows clinging to the corners as I shifted uncomfortably on the creaky mattress. Ember's voice cut through the silence, muffled but impatient.

"Wills, come on. If we wait too long, the water's going to freeze again."

I groaned softly, dragging myself upright. The communal showers were the last place I wanted to be, even though we could really use a fresh shower. But Ember had insisted we go together. Something about it being safer when we stuck together, though I suspected she just didn't want to go alone yet.

When we got there, Aria was under farthest shower, the steam curling lazily around her silhouette, while the girls where next to her. The room was silent except for the gentle hiss of water against the cracked tiles.

Ember was the first to strip, completely unbothered as she kicked off her boots and tugged her shirt over her head. "Seriously, Bardin? It's not like we're strangers to the same anatomy," she teased, catching my hesitation.

I flushed, clinging to my towel like a lifeline. "I'm just... getting used to all of this."

She rolled her eyes, stepping under the spray. "Yeah, well, get used to it faster. Privacy's not exactly a luxury here."

I bit my lip, slowly peeling off my clothes and hurrying to one of the middle showers, keeping my back to the others. The warm water was a welcome relief against the cold air, but I couldn't shake the awkwardness.

Aria, on the other hand, stood confidently, rinsing her hair with an efficiency that spoke to routine. That's when I involuntarily noticed them, the scars. Thin, jagged lines crisscrossed her back, pale against her skin, each one telling a story I couldn't begin to imagine. All adorned with beautiful tattoos, creating a magnificent canvas.

I didn't mean to stare, but my eyes lingered, tracing the patterns almost absently.

"I can feel you watching." Her voice was calm, steady, as though she was used to the scrutiny. She didn't turn around, but the slightest tilt of her head made it clear she knew exactly where I was. "Go ahead, Bardin. Ask your questions."

I froze, heat rushing to my face. "I...uh... I wasn't—"

"Relax," she said, cutting me off with a wry chuckle. "It's not the first time and it won't be the last. People always want to know."

But I didn't ask. The words were there, right on the tip of my tongue, but they wouldn't come. What could I say? That I wanted to understand, to know what had happened to her, but I was too afraid to intrude?

Instead, I turned back to my stall, letting the water wash over me.

When I glanced over again, Aria's gaze was stern, but less guarded. "Don't feel sorry for me," she said, almost as if reading my thoughts. "We all have our scars, Bardin. Some of mine just happen to be visible. You'll see it's common here."

I swallowed hard, nodding faintly, though I wasn't sure if she saw it. A strange mix of emotions churned inside me. Empathy, curiosity and a quiet determination to know more about the woman behind the scars.

Maya, oblivious to the exchange, was already toweling off and muttering about the cold. "Hurry up. I'm not sticking around to freeze my ass off."

Aria smirked, her walls back up as easily as they'd slipped down. "See you in a minute." Then, glancing at me one last time, she added, "Come on, Bardin. The water's not going to get warmer."

I followed them back in silence, my mind replaying her words. We all have our scars. Maybe she was right, but hers felt heavier than most.

I dressed in the clothes I had been given. A black shirt and black pants, a color scheme that seemed too basic. I couldn't help but wonder why everyone had been given different colors. The question nagged in my mind, but I was too tired to dwell on it.