Kiera

Quote: "Running away will never make you free"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTQSBm5A_FI *
In the village of Turmus, nestled between undulating hills and ancient olive groves, time flowed like the gentle stream that meandered through its heart—slow, patient, yet always moving forward. The sun dipped low on the horizon each evening, casting a golden hue over the cobblestone streets and whispering secrets to those who dared listen. It was here that Starlight was born, not beneath a blanket of stars but amidst the dust of labor and quiet acceptance.

Starlight was named not for her celestial brightness but for her mother’s fleeting dream—a wish for something more than their existence. Her mother had been a slave before her; generations had known only servitude in this sun-baked land where life clung stubbornly to tradition. Yet within Starlight’s heart lay an ember of contentment that flickered defiantly against the shadows of despair. She found joy in her daily tasks: sweeping the cool stone floors of their modest home, tending to the family garden with hands stained by earth and toil, and weaving colorful threads into patterns that danced like laughter on fabric.

Her master, an elderly man named Elias, bore no malice toward his slaves; rather he saw them as extensions of his own weary spirit—an old soul tethered to memories both bitter and sweet. He often sat on his porch overlooking the fields at dusk, recounting tales from long ago when his ancestors roamed free under vast skies. Starlight would listen with rapt attention as he spoke of love lost and battles fought—not realizing until years later how these stories shaped her understanding of freedom.