*..Chapter One: A Beginning Without a Name.. ————————————————-
Mia and Barton didn't come into the world like other children.
There was no delivery room, no doctor's voice, no one waiting for them.
They arrived on a cold night, the street their only witness.
Their mother was exhausted, lost, carrying a guilt she didn't understand, and a fear she wouldn't admit.
Mia cried… Barton opened his eyes and fell silent.
From that day on, this became the rule: She senses, and he observes. The house was full of people… But empty of security.
Mother came home late, smelling strange, her voice loud. Father was physically present, but spiritually absent.
*Mia quickly learned that silence was safer.
Barton learned that standing up to her was a duty.*
At a young age, they learned things they shouldn't have known.
Not because they were curious… But because there was no one to close the door.
Barton started sleeping close to Mia.
Not out of fear… protectiveness.
Years passed, and they grew up without realizing it.
They played less. Their laughter was rare. Mia became quieter. Barton became tougher than his years.
They learned to be independent: They made simple meals, They cleaned, They helped each other silently.
The world outside was scary. And the world inside the house… was even scarier.*
As Mia grew a little older, the fear became closer. Something broke her inside. From that day on, harassment… screaming… blood. She became afraid of eyes, of voices, of any closeness. Of any man.*
Barton tried to build a higher wall… But some things are bigger than a child.
The police came. People left.
But the pain remained.
And after that, Mia lived with a present body and a hidden soul.
Barton became even quieter. ⸻
Suddenly, a door opened.
Grandpa saw them after all these years.
Not just with his eyes… with his heart.
He didn't ask many questions.
He didn't scold.
He just took them in.
A new house.
Big. Clean rooms. A silence that wasn't frightening.
The first night they slept and didn't wake to any screams.
Mia cried silently.
Barton stayed awake, making sure it was real.
⸻ The school was a shock.
White walls.
A shining floor.
Students laughing for no reason.
Mia felt like an outsider.
Barton sat with her in the back row.
They didn't know how to talk to anyone.
But no one hurt them.
And that in itself was strange.
High school years pass.
They're known for their quiet nature.
Barton defends Mia without a hitch.
One look from him is enough.
Mia doesn't stray from him.
He's her whole world.
Until…
A new person enters.
Noah
Noah wasn't loud.
Nor nosy.
He saw Mia as a person, not as a case study.
He talks to her about her thoughts, about her writing.
Mia laughs a little.
Barton notices.
And for the first time, he feels he might lose her.
Mia starts spending less time with her brother. Not because she doesn't love him… But because she breathes.
Barton returns home.
The rooms are extra spacious.
He feels like he has no role.
Chapter Eleven: The Rain…
A rainy night.
The air is heavy.
Barton arrives at the location by chance.
He sees Mia… He sees Noah… And he sees another girl.
Eliana.
Standing, broken, Trying to speak, Trying to hold on. Tears on her cheeks.
Her voice rises.
The situation becomes tense.
A wrong moment.
A small cut.
Blood.
Barton runs.
Protecting Mia.
He stands in front of Eliana with a sharp look.
Strange glances pass between them…
Barton: "Stay away from her."
He says quietly, looking at Noah and Mia, his sharp features softening as he sees Noah take his place and check on Mia… He remains standing, silent, breaking for a moment.