Bound To Hope

"𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧... 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚."

𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 has been fighting the rising tide her entire life. Cursed to be the target of bullies since pre-school, there isn't an inch of her that doesn't carry the weight of venomous words and vicious scars.

After losing her parents, she was left in the neglectful care of relatives who only made things worse.
Every day is something to survive.

So she escapes the only way she knows how-

Between the pages of books.
Through the stories she scribbles late into the night, long after her wrists begin to ache.

It's the only place she's ever felt safe.
The only place she's ever been free.

But even stories can't save her forever.
Until him.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐄𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 has always been the disappointment.
The youngest son. The final chess piece. The one who never fit.

In a family built on strength and expectation, he chose something softer-
charcoal smudges on his fingers, paint-stained sleeves, and music humming through tangled headphones.

Art was his escape.
Until she became his.

The quiet girl with a notebook clutched to her chest and a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
The more he looks, the more he sees it-

The darkness.
The fading hope.
The silent plea no one else notices.

So he does the only thing he can.
He finds a way in.

Anonymous words passed between pages.
A connection built in secrets.
A chance for her to feel seen-without ever having to be.

Because Thomas knows the risk.
Knows exactly what it will cost him.

But if there's one thing he's certain of, it's this-

He would take a million punches...
if it meant saving her from disappearing completely.