Bound By Fate

Shadows of Fate

Sam stood at the foot of the grand staircase, her gaze fixed on Kim, who radiated a fiery determination. The tension in the air was palpable, and Mon stood silently between them, her shoulders hunched, her spirit seemingly crushed. Sam took a deep breath, stepping forward to address Kim.

“Kim,” Sam began, her voice soft but steady, “I understand how you feel. You’re worried about Mon, but you need to know that your parents… they didn’t want her anymore. They sold her.”

Kim’s fists clenched, her jaw tightening as she shot back, “What kind of person buys a human being, Princess? No matter what they did, she’s my sister, not yours.”

Sam winced at Kim’s words, guilt pricking at her. “I didn’t buy her to enslave her. I brought her here to protect her,” she replied firmly. “She’s safe now, and I’ll look after her like my own. Like my own sister.”

Kim raised an eyebrow, her skepticism evident. “Your own sister? How convenient. Words are easy, Princess. Prove it.”

Before Sam could respond, Wan, who had been silently observing, stepped in. “Kim,” she said with an amiable smile, “perhaps you should stay here for a while. See for yourself how Mon is treated. Watch how Sam takes care of her. If you find any mistreatment, then you can take her away.”

Kim hesitated, her fiery demeanor wavering. She looked at Mon, who stood motionless, her lifeless eyes staring at the ground. With a sigh, Kim nodded. “Fine. I’ll stay. But if I see even the slightest harm come to her, Princess, you won’t hear the end of it.”

Wan smirked, but there was a curiosity in her gaze as she regarded Kim. “Excellent. I’ll have a room prepared for you. Meanwhile, why don’t you and I take a walk in the garden?”

Kim hesitated but eventually agreed, following Wan out into the sprawling palace grounds.

---

As the two disappeared into the gardens, Sam turned to Mon, who remained rooted in place, her silence and stillness like a heavy weight in the room. The sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows cast colorful patterns on her pale face, but her eyes reflected nothing.

Sam took a cautious step toward her. “Mon,” she said softly, her voice laced with emotion, “I wish I could ease your pain.”

For the first time since their encounter, Mon looked up, her dark eyes meeting Sam’s. The emptiness in them pierced through Sam like a blade.

“It’s not needed, Princess,” Mon said quietly. Her voice was hoarse, as though she hadn’t spoken in days. “This is what I get in my fate. Maybe I’ve done too many mistakes in my last life.”

The words struck Sam like thunder. Her chest tightened, and her heart ached at Mon’s resignation. It wasn’t your fault, she wanted to say. It was theirs.

Her hands trembled at her sides as tears gathered in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them back. Don’t cry, she told herself. Not in front of her.

“Mon,” Sam whispered, her voice breaking slightly. She stepped closer, resisting the urge to reach out. “None of this is your fault. You didn’t deserve what happened to you. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

Mon’s gaze dropped again, her shoulders trembling slightly. But she said nothing.

Sam swallowed the lump in her throat and continued, her tone firmer now. “You’re not a mistake. You’re not here because of some past sin. You’re here because someone saw you as a burden, and I refuse to let that be your story. You’re worth more than that, Mon.”

Mon’s lips parted slightly as though she wanted to say something, but no words came.

Sam sighed deeply, stepping back to give her space. “If there’s anything—anything at all—that you need, just tell me. You don’t have to go through this alone anymore.”

Mon nodded faintly, though her expression remained unreadable.

---

Meanwhile, in the gardens, Wan walked alongside Kim, her mind swirling with memories of another time, another place. Kim’s sharp features and piercing gaze mirrored someone Wan had thought she’d lost forever.

“So, you’re Fre—Sam’s sister?” Kim asked abruptly, her tone skeptical.

Wan smiled faintly, nodding. “Yes. And you’re Mon’s sister, the protective one.”

Kim scoffed. “I have to be. If I’m not, who will? Certainly not you and your princess sister.”

Wan chuckled softly. “Fair point. But tell me, Kim, what drives you to fight so hard for Mon? Is it simply sisterly duty, or is there more to it?”

Kim shot her a suspicious glance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Wan shrugged, her tone casual. “Nothing, really. Just curious. You have this… fire in you. A passion I’ve seen before.” She hesitated, her voice dropping slightly. “It’s familiar.”

Kim frowned, clearly unsure how to respond. “You’re strange, you know that?”

Wan laughed lightly, though her heart clenched. If you are Pleng…what are you doing here? And why don’t you remember me?

As they continued their walk, Wan couldn’t help but steal glances at Kim, searching for any trace of recognition, any hint of the woman she had loved and lost. But Kim’s expression remained guarded, her focus entirely on her sister.

For now, Wan decided to keep her suspicions to herself. But deep down, she felt the stirrings of hope—a dangerous hope that perhaps, just perhaps, fate had given her a second chance.

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