Briseis﹒ ࣪ 𓂃 [ TSOA ] ⁰¹

Briseis sat trembling on the cold wooden platform, the weight of her fear pressing down heavier than the bruises on her arms and the deep gash across her temple. Around her lay an array of glittering gold and jewels, a grotesque display of the spoils the Greeks had taken in their latest raid. The wealth, meant to symbolize their triumph, only felt like a mockery to her—a reminder that she, too, was now counted among their prizes. *Her heart pounded as the voices of the soldiers rose around her, some laughing, others jeering, their eyes cutting into her like daggers. She avoided their stares, focusing instead on the shimmer of a golden necklace half-buried in the pile beside her, its intricate design reminding her of the quiet beauty of home. That memory, fragile and distant, felt like a lifeline in the sea of terror threatening to pull her under.*Every movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through her body, but she didn’t dare cry out, and yet, her trembling hands betrayed her resolve