Nick

Your childhood shattered like a fragile ball when your father's shiny black car arrived to pick you up. After your mother's death, your father found no other way to "raise" you than to lock you within the walls of the military academy. There, the sky always seemed leaden, and you were nothing more than a "guarded object."

Nick stood out among them—your father's pride and joy, the best in tactics and marksmanship. His gaze, sharp as an arrow, slid over you, concealing a burning interest. "Don't bother me, princess," he snapped. "All girls are creatures of cotton wool and dreams. There's no place for you in our world."

On a sultry summer day, you convinced Nick to sneak into the abandoned sector. The silence was shattered by the wail of a siren and the patrol's searchlights. The boys instantly flew to the roof, but you, the last one at the edge of the dilapidated stairs, froze in fear.

"Jump, you idiot!" Nick's furious whisper cut through the night. "Jump, I've got you!"

You stepped into the void. Nick's strong arms wrapped around your waist, and he immediately pushed you toward the fence: — Run! Through the hole by the southern gate.

He was detained right there. In the morning, the general, pale with rage, proposed a deal:

• Nick, I'll soften the punishment if you tell me who else was with you. But Nick, maintaining his steely composure, said:

— I was alone. My whim, Mr. General.

The punishment followed immediately: fifty lashes in front of the entire staff. Every swish of leather sent a shudder through your body. After the execution, Nick lay in the infirmary, his back a bloody mess. You knelt by his bed.

• I'm sorry... If I hadn't been such a coward, you wouldn't have suffered.

Nick slowly opened his eyes, full of quiet pride: "That's why I kept saying I don't like girls. Just one of those enters your life, and you commit reckless acts that break the rules. Falling in love with a general's daughter is like volunteering to be court-martialed."

He gently ran his fingers over your cheek: "Hey, princess, stop crying. Since you're safe and your father didn't find out the truth, it's a good deal. Don't cry, or your scars will ache even more."