The House of Ash and Guilt
My ghost trembled on the verge of unraveling.
I was dead. I'd been sold to the brothel, tortured beyond measure, devoured by dogs until nothing was left of me. And all of it—every last shred of suffering, every ounce of guilt I'd carried for "killing" my brother—had been one colossal, sick joke.
A tidal wave of absurdity and bitter rage crashed over me. My spirit screamed in silence, howling, splintering apart.
But when the crying was over, all that remained was a hollow, unfamiliar calm.