Chapter 37: Riftan must pay

"Are you certain you want to face him?" Rieka asked with a steady, soft voice. The girl hesitated, her thin frame trembling a little. "I need to. For myself. For what he took from me." Rieka nodded, her face a mask of determination. Long she had set her heart on seeing this through to its justice, no matter the cost, no matter the pleas from others. They walked up to the heavy iron doors guarding the prison, and a guard stepped in front of them, his face expressionless. "Lady Rieka, you're here to see Riftan?" "Yes," she replied emphatically. "And we won't be long." The guard nodded, swinging the creaking door open with a low groan. Inside, the dark corridor seemed to stretch on forever, heavy in the air with the scent of rot. The girl hesitated on the threshold, but Rieka laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're stronger than you think," Rieka said quietly. --- Riftan sat in the corner of his cell, his head bowed, chains clinking softly as he shifted. His once-proud demeanor was gone, replaced by a gaunt, hollow shell of a man. When he heard footsteps, he looked up- his eyes dull and rimmed with shadows. "Rieka," he croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. Rieka ignored the ache in his voice, taking another step but keeping the iron bars between them. The girl moved a little closer, her fingers laced tightly into the threads of her shawl. "You shouldn't have come here," Riftan muttered, his eyes drifting to the floor. "I didn't come for you," Rieka returned coldly. "I came for her." She nodded toward the girl, and she went pale from Riftan's look. Riftan's lips parted, but no words came. The weight of his guilt hung heavily in the air, an invisible barrier that separated him from his sister and the girl he had wronged. "I thought…" he started, then stopped, shaking his head. "I didn't think you'd… bring her." "Why wouldn't I?" Rieka asked sharply, her voice cutting through the dim gloom of the prison. "She's the reason you're here, Riftan. She's the reason justice is coming for you." The girl stepped forward, her trembling evident but her resolve unwavering. "I wanted to see you," she said quietly, her voice stronger than her small frame suggested. "I wanted to see the man who ruined my life, who thought he could take everything from me and walk away unscathed." Riftan flinched as though he had been struck. Shame twisting his face, his hands fisting where they lay in his lap, he whispered, "I… I didn't mean…" "Don't you dare," Rieka cut him off, her eyes ablaze. "Don't you dare make excuses. There is no excuse, no justification, for what you did to her, to any of the people you hurt. For once in your life, face the truth of your actions." The silence that followed was deafening. Riftan stared at the ground, his shoulders hunched as though the weight of his guilt might crush him. "I know what I did," he finally whispered. "I know I deserve this." "Do you?" Rieka asked coldly, her arms crossed. "Do you understand the lives you've shattered, the pain you've caused? Or is this just another moment where you feel sorry for yourself?" He looked up at her then, his eyes shining with tears. "You think I haven't regretted it every single day? You think I don't hear her screams in my nightmares?" "Good," the girl said, her voice shaking but fierce. "You should hear them. You should remember them every time you close your eyes." Riftan's face crumbled, and he buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so sorry. I don't expect forgiveness, but I need you to know-I hate myself for what I've done." Rieka stood stiffly, her face unreadable. "Sorry won't undo the damage you've done," she said. "Sorry won't heal her wounds or erase the memories you burned into her soul. Sorry won't give her back the life you stole." Riftan nodded, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "I know. I know… The girl looked at him for a long moment, her eyes filled with anger and sorrow. Then she turned to Rieka. "I've heard what I needed to hear," she said softly. Rieka nodded, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Then let's go." As they turned to leave, a voice called out from the corridor. "Rieka, wait!" Rieka turned to see her mother hurrying toward them, her face pale and drawn. She was clutching her skirts as though she'd run all the way from the palace. "Please," she said, her voice cracking. "Please, Rieka, have mercy on him. He's your brother." Rieka's eyes hardened. "He stopped being my brother the moment he chose cruelty over humanity," she said. "He has to face the consequences of his actions." "Rieka," her mother implored, her face wet with tears. "He is sorry. He's shattered. Can't you see how much he is suffering? Isn't that punishment enough?" "No," Rieka said resolutely. "It's not. His suffering doesn't erase hers. It doesn't undo what he did. He doesn't get to escape justice just because he's sorry now." "Please," her mother whispered, falling to her knees. "He's all I have left." Rieka's voice was as cold as steel. "And her? What does she have? What has he left her with? Pain, fear, and memories she will carry to her grave. Do not ask me to forgive the unforgivable." Her mother sobbed, but Rieka remained unmoved. She turned back to Riftan, her eyes cold. "Justice will be served," she said. "You'll pay for what you've done. That's the only way to make this right." Riftan looked up, his face streaked with tears. "I deserve it," he said hoarsely. "I deserve whatever punishment you give me. But Rieka… I need you to know how sorry I am. Not just for her, but for everything. For how I treated you when we were younger. For how I failed you as a brother. I was cruel, and I was wrong." Rieka's face didn't soften. "Your regret comes too late," she said. "You made your choices, and now you have to live with them." She turned and walked away, the girl by her side, leaving her mother sobbing and Riftan staring after her with hollow eyes. --- Back at the palace, Rieka led the girl to her chambers. The girl hesitated in the doorway, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. "You don't need to be afraid anymore," Rieka told her softly. "Nobody will ever hurt you here." The girl looked up at her, tears brimming in her eyes. "Thanks," she whispered. "For everything." "You've had to go through more than anyone should ever have to go through," Rieka said, "but you're a strong girl, and there's so much ahead of you. From now on, you'll have a home here in the palace. You'll have work to do, protection, and the opportunity to try and rebuild your life." The girl's eyes grew wide. "You mean. I stay here?" "Yes," Rieka said with finality. "You'll never have to feel unsafe again." The girl burst into tears, and Rieka pulled her into a comforting embrace. "You're safe now," she murmured. "You're safe."