Chapter 27: Revelations and Reflections (1)

As Olivera pushed open the prison door, a fleeting smile curved her lips, illuminating her face amidst the tempest of emotions that had marked her night. Jeremy, seated on the cold cement floor with his knees drawn up and his hands clasped together in a familiar gesture of nervous energy, looked up at her with a smile that mirrored her own. The sight of him, waiting with an air of patient anticipation, was a welcome balm to her troubled spirit. "Olivera..." Jeremy's voice, filled with genuine warmth, cut through the gloom of the cell. He stood up quickly, his movements more agile than she had expected, considering the exhaustion that had plagued their days. Despite her absence from the fields, having been occupied with the pack doctor’s stringent lessons, her concern for Jeremy’s well-being had prompted her to bring extra food for him. The mere thought of replenishing his strength for the next day’s labor had been one of the driving forces behind her decision to stock up the food. Sh