Elina sank into her worn armchair, exhaustion seeping into her bones. The healing session with Jax had drained her more than she cared to admit. Her small room, nestled in one of the Sanctuary's less affluent areas, felt like a sanctuary itself after the tension-filled hours in the opulent quarters where Jax was being held.
As she closed her eyes, trying to gather her strength, a soft knock at the door startled her. Elina hesitated, wary of unexpected visitors, but as always she answered.
She opened the door to find the young boy she had saved from Gorgon in the marketplace. His eyes were wide with a mix of hope and fear.
"Please," he whispered, glancing nervously over his shoulder, "can I come in?"
Elina's heart melted at the sight of him. Despite her exhaustion, she stepped aside, ushering the child into her modest home.
"Of course," she said softly, closing the door behind him. "What's your name?"
"Milo," the boy replied, his voice barely audible.
Elina guided Milo to her small chair, noticing how he seemed to almost glide across the floor, his feet barely touching the ground.
"Are you hungry, Milo?" she asked, moving to her tiny kitchen.
He nodded eagerly, and Elina quickly prepared a simple meal of bread and soup. As Milo ate, she sat across from him, patiently waiting for him to speak.
Between mouthfuls, Milo's story spilled out. It was a tale Elina had heard too many times before, yet it never failed to break her heart.
"I was just a normal kid," Milo began, his eyes distant. "Then, on my tenth birthday, I started... floating. Just a little at first. I thought it was cool, you know?"
Elina nodded encouragingly, remembering her own excitement when she first discovered her healing abilities.
"But then," Milo continued, his voice cracking, "my parents found out. They looked so scared. The next day, men in dark uniforms came to our house. My parents... they just let them take me."
Tears welled up in Milo's eyes, and Elina fought back her own. She knew all too well the pain of betrayal by those who were supposed to protect you.
"They brought me here," Milo said, gesturing vaguely at their surroundings. "But nobody cared. They said my power was too weak to be useful. They just... left me on the streets."
Elina's fists clenched involuntarily. The Sanctuary's cruel hierarchy, where worth was measured solely by the strength of one's abilities, had claimed yet another victim.
"How long have you been on your own, Milo?" Elina asked gently.
"Three months," he replied, his small frame seeming to shrink even further. "I've been hiding, scavenging. The other kids... they're not always nice."
Elina's heart ached. Her own story wasn't so different. She had been older when her powers manifested, but the fear in her parents' eyes, the cold efficiency of her capture, the initial dismissal of her "passive" ability – it all echoed Milo's experience.
"You're safe here, Milo," Elina said, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
As she spoke the words, Elina felt a renewed sense of purpose. She had always tried to help where she could, but seeing Milo – seeing herself in him – ignited a fierce determination. The Sanctuary needed to change, and perhaps with Jax's arrival, there was finally hope for that change.
"Can I... can I stay here?" Milo asked hesitantly, his feet lifting slightly off the ground in his nervousness.
Elina knew the risks. Magnus wouldn't approve of her taking in strays, especially ones he deemed "useless." But looking at Milo's hopeful face, she couldn't bring herself to turn him away.
"Yes," she said firmly. "You can stay as long as you need to."
As Milo's face lit up with the first genuine smile she'd seen from him, Elina made a silent vow. She would protect this child, and all the others like him. And somehow, she would find a way to make the Sanctuary live up to its name – for everyone, not just the powerful elite.
With Milo safely settled with her blanket and pillow on the floor, Elina retreated to her small bed. Her mind raced with plans and worries. How would she keep Milo safe? How could she help Jax navigate the treacherous waters of the Sanctuary? And most importantly, how could they begin to change this cruel system?
As she drifted off to sleep, Elina held onto a glimmer of hope. Change was coming to the Sanctuary, and she was ready for it.
YOU ARE READING
Under the Iron Fist
Fantasy(Updates Every Wednesday) In a world where people with extraordinary abilities are feared, a vast facility known as the Sanctuary has been created to contain and control these powerful individuals. This sprawling city-like prison is governed by the...
