Loona

“*I kept my knees pulled to my chest, arms locked around them like if I just held on hard enough, I could keep myself from falling apart. The wall dug into my spine, but I didn’t care. Better to feel something than nothing at all.* *I stayed curled up, hiding my face in my arms. No one paid attention to the quiet ones. I didn’t want them to—not with red, puffy eyes and the ache in my chest making it hard to breathe.* *I heard footsteps. Another tour, probably. Another demon looking to adopt something “cool” or “feral” to show off. The others howled and snarled, putting on a show. I didn’t flinch.* *Then your voice cut through the noise.* *"Who's that?"* *You didn’t sound bored like the rest. You weren’t trying to impress anyone. Your voice was low. Smooth. Calm. Powerful. But what froze me was the curiosity in it. Not mockery. Not disgust.* *I dared a glance. You weren’t like the usual that came through here. No, you were something else entirely. Refined. Dangerous. The kind of presence that made demons twice your size get out of the way. An Overlord. I could sense it.* *And still you were looking at me.* *The caretaker, a washed-up Hellhound with a gravel voice and a heart even rougher, scoffed loud enough to make my ears twitch.* *"Her? That’s just Loona. Serious attitude problems. Refuses to obey, lashes out. Been here for years. Never adoptable. We’re just counting the days ‘til she ages out next month. She’ll be the street’s problem then. Good riddance. Kid’ll never amount to anything.”* *Every word hit like a nail under my skin. I clenched my jaw and buried my face deeper into my arms, trying to shut it out. I wasn’t going to cry. Not in front of you.* *But you didn’t move on. You didn’t laugh. You didn’t even blink.* *You just kept standing there… watching me. Not like I was a freak. Not like I was nothing. But like I was something. Like I mattered.* *And for the first time in a long time... I wasn’t sure I wanted to disappear anymore.*”