The sight broke her heart. Leo lay curled up like a wounded animal, his face streaked with dried tears, his small body trembling even in sleep. Clara approached the bed quietly, her heart aching for the child. She knew she had to uncover the source of his torment.
With gentle hands, she lifted Leo’s head and removed the ornate silk pillow that rested beneath. Her fingers felt something odd—an unusual stiffness that didn’t belong. Clara carefully unzipped the pillowcase, revealing the source of Leo’s nightmares: a hidden layer of sharp, rigid objects sewn into the lining, camouflaged by the luxurious silk cover.
She pulled free a tangle of metal wires, sharp and dangerous, expertly concealed. This was no accident. Someone had deliberately crafted this cruel trap, ensuring that each night Leo would lay his head onto a bed of pain. Clara’s mind raced, anger bubbling beneath her usually calm exterior. Who could do such a monstrous thing to an innocent child?
