Hilaria woke up.
Hilaria Valvi, an eight-year-old girl—an angel with fiery ginger hair and deep blue eyes. Beauty seemed to have gifted her everything… if not for her miserable fate, she would have been nothing short of perfect.
She hadn't slept the full eight hours like children her age.
Instead, she had spent the night playing a cruel game of hide-and-seek inside a wardrobe—with her mother and sister. They hid in silence, holding their breath, from the drunken monster known as their father, George Valvi.
He had been smashing the furniture with savage rage, searching for something—anything—with a soul to break. Something to satisfy the fire of his anger.
And most of the time… that "something" was Eva, Hilaria's mother.
At eight in the morning, Eva wanted to prepare breakfast for her daughters with love.
But once again, fate was not on her side.
All she could offer were two apples.
She handed them gently to her girls and sent them off to school, believing—hoping—that school would be a safe place. A place where her daughters could escape that drunken beast, George… a place where he couldn't hurt them the way he hurt her—physically and mentally.
Because in his eyes, his daughters were nothing but a burden… and his wife, the source of all his misery.
Gloria, the older sister, walked slowly beside Hilaria.
And Hilaria… walked barefoot over the shattered glass from the night before.
Each step echoed with a faint crack beneath her tiny feet—like a reflection of the silent breaking inside her soul.
Hand in hand, the two girls left the house, heading toward the school gate just ten minutes away.
There, their paths separated.
Each one walked toward her own little world.
Hilaria made her way to her classroom, her small hands trembling, damp with sweat.
She already knew what was waiting for her.
Children with cruel souls.
Little demons hiding behind innocent faces.
They bullied her in ways both creative… and merciless.
She stepped into the classroom.
For a brief moment, relief touched her heart when she saw the teacher—the only reason she ever felt safe in that place. A woman who understood her… who never questioned her lateness.
But that feeling vanished instantly.
Fear spread through her veins the moment she saw them.
The children.
Watching her.
Staring with cold, malicious eyes.
She walked quietly to her seat…
Beside the only light in her dark world.
She made her way to her seat, beside the comfort of her soul… Adham.
Adham was Hilaria's only friend—her safe side of life. Perhaps even her guardian angel.
In that brown-haired boy, she saw the strength she wished she had. And when he smiled, the small dimple on his right cheek brought a warmth to her heart… a feeling of safety she rarely knew.
Hilaria sat beside him, her face still carrying traces of tension.
Adham smiled the moment he felt her presence.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Hilaria looked at him… and a small smile formed on her lips—a smile that looked like home.
"I will be," she replied.
The teacher began explaining the math lesson.
But Hilaria drifted away.
She took out a piece of paper and a pencil… and began to draw, as if the tip of the pencil was a voice expressing everything she couldn't say.
Adham tried to focus on the lesson… but curiosity kept pulling him back. He glanced at her drawing from time to time.
Somehow… he always understood her feelings through her sketches.
A few minutes later, the bell rang, announcing the end of the first class.
Students rushed out for their break.
Hilaria hurried outside, heading toward the bathroom. As she passed Adham, she whispered:
"Adham… meet me in the yard in two minutes."
A look of confusion crossed his face.
"…Okay," he replied quietly.
Hilaria
She entered the bathroom and locked herself inside one of the stalls.
Slowly, she took out the apple her mother, Eva, had given her.
She didn't want anyone to know.
She didn't want them to see that her breakfast… was just an apple.
Because she had been too afraid to eat at home.
Afraid her father might wake up… and break her bones.
Elsewhere
A group of girls stood together, whispering.
The same girls who bullied Hilaria for no reason… plotting what they would do to her this time.
Knock. Knock.
The first girl tapped on the bathroom door.
Inside, Hilaria froze.
Her body trembled.
She knew exactly who it was.
They always came when she was alone… too afraid to face consequences.
A second girl kicked the door hard.
"Hey, carrot," she mocked. "Hiding again? Just like you hide from your stupid father?"
The others burst into laughter.
Another voice added coldly,
"If you don't come out… we'll go find your little friend Adham and mess with him instead."
The words struck her like a blade.
Hilaria slowly opened the door.
Her head lowered… avoiding their eyes.
Avoiding everything.
But before she could move, one of the girls grabbed her fiery hair tightly.
"Your existence annoys me, carrot," she sneered.
They dragged her toward an old, dirty locker in the bathroom.
Then, without hesitation, they shoved her inside.
"This is where you belong," one of them said.
SLAM.
The door closed.
Locked from the outside.
Their footsteps faded… along with their cruel laughter.
Inside the dark locker…
Hilaria remained trapped.
Her small body trembling.
Her precious blue eyes filled with tears… as they silently fell.
Adham
In the schoolyard, Adham stood waiting.
His eyes searched everywhere, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
Minutes passed.
Then, from afar, he noticed those girls.
Watching him.
Whispering.
Smirking.
And in that moment… he understood.
They were the reason she disappeared.
Without hesitation, Adham ran.
His heart pounding.
Searching for Hilaria.
Praying… that nothing bad had happened to her.
Adham ran.
Through the corridors.Through the empty corners of the school.Through every place Hilaria could possibly be hiding in.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Panic began to creep into his chest.
He searched like someone who had lost something precious… something irreplaceable.
But there was one place he hadn't checked.
The girls' bathroom.
The second art class had already started—Hilaria's favorite class.
She wouldn't miss it… not unless something was wrong.
That thought alone was enough.
Adham pushed the door open.
Silence.
No one was there.
Then—
A faint sound.
A weak… broken sob.
His heart dropped.
"Hilaria…?"
No answer.
Only quiet crying.
He followed the sound until he reached an old locker.
His hands trembled as he pulled at it—
Locked.
"Hilaria, I'm here… it's me!"
More sobbing.
Desperate, he forced it open.
The door creaked.
And there she was.
Small. Broken. Trembling.
The moment she saw him, Hilaria threw herself into his arms as if he were her only safe place in the world.
And then—
She cried.
Not silent tears.
But loud, uncontrollable sobs… like a child who had been holding pain for far too long.
Adham held her tightly.
"It's okay… I'm here… I'm here…"
But inside—
Something shattered.
Because for the first time…
He saw her truly broken.
At that same moment, their teacher noticed two students missing.
A bad feeling settled in her chest.
She went looking for them—
And found them.
In the bathroom.
Hilaria crying in Adham's arms.
"What happened?!"
Moments later, both children were taken to the administration office.
Questions were asked.
Voices were raised.
And for the first time—
Hilaria spoke.
Encouraged by Adham's presence beside her, she told them everything.
The bullying.
The fear.
The pain.
The parents of the girls were called.
But when they arrived…
It became clear.
Cruel children often come from cruel homes.
Their arrogance… their coldness… it all had a source.
They didn't apologize.
They shouted.
As if they were the victims.
Meanwhile, Adham's parents arrived.
Sarah White… and James White.
The people who had once saved Adham from an orphanage that felt like hell.
The people who taught him love.
Kindness.
Warmth.
And maybe that's why…
He couldn't ignore Hilaria.
Because she reminded him of his mother.
Her ginger hair.
Her gentle presence.
Her warmth.
And deep inside…
He wanted to be for Hilaria what his parents had been for him.
A protector.
A home.
Sarah knelt and pulled Adham into a warm embrace.
Then gently… she hugged Hilaria too.
As if she already saw her as one of her own.
They tried to call Hilaria's parents.
No answer.
Again.
And again.
Nothing.
Eventually, the school had to close.
So Sarah made a decision.
"I'll take you home."
Gloria resisted.
"No… please… you don't have to…"
But there was fear in her eyes.
Fear of what they might find.
Fear of him.
Still, Sarah insisted.
And so, they went.
As they approached the house…
Something felt wrong.
The air.
The silence.
Then—
Smoke.
Thick.
Dark.
Rising from the house.
And then—
A scream.
A woman's scream.
Eva.
Before anyone could react—
The door burst open.
George stumbled out.
A bottle of fuel still in his hand.
His movements unstable.
His eyes empty.
And in that moment—
Everything became clear.
He tried to burn her.
Hilaria froze.
Her entire world collapsing in front of her eyes.
The fire.
The smoke.
Her mother's screams.
A scene that would never leave her memory.
Never.
Sarah stood in shock.
James rushed forward.
Gloria couldn't move.
But Hilaria…
Hilaria stepped forward.
Then suddenly—
She ran.
"No—Hilaria, STOP!"
Too late.
The small ginger-haired girl ran straight toward the burning house.
Toward the flames.
Toward her mother.
And without hesitation—
She threw herself inside.
Adham felt his soul collapse.
His heart clenched so tightly he couldn't breathe.
The person who was his light…
His happiness…
Just disappeared into fire.
And in that moment, only one question remained—
Was she trying to save her mother? was she trying to end her own pain? is he going to lose her forever?
that's what waiting us in the next chapter...