**Confronting the Demons of the Past**

Maya's eyes gazed into Eric's, her expression somber, as if a weight was bearing down on her. "Eric, I need to tell you something," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Eric's brow furrowed in concern, and he pulled her closer, sensing that whatever she was about to reveal would be difficult for her to share. Maya took a deep breath, her shoulders trembling. "It's about my biological father, Kermit," she began, her voice hesitant. Eric's eyes widened, intrigued, and he nodded for her to continue. Maya's eyes dropped, and she fidgeted with her hands, as if trying to gather the courage to reveal a long-held secret. "Kermit hated me," she said, her voice cracking. "He hated me for who I am – a Kryptonian, a Banshee, with chaos magic, and a Shadowhunter." Eric's grip on her tightened, offering what little comfort he could. "He couldn't accept that I was different, that I had abilities he couldn't understand," Maya continued, her voice laced with pain. As she spoke, Maya's eyes welled up with tears, and Eric could sense the weight of her memories bearing down on her. He pulled her closer, trying to offer what little comfort he could. "He was abusive, Eric," she whispered, her voice trembling. "He would whip me, burn me, and break beer bottles over my back. He thought it would 'purify' me, make me more 'human'." Maya's hands began to shake, and Eric could feel her body trembling. She reached up, and her fingers danced over her skin, tracing the scars that crisscrossed her body. "I had to put a glamour rune on these scars to hide them," she said, her voice cracking. "But I want to show you, Eric. I want you to see what I went through." As she spoke, the glamour rune began to fade, revealing the gruesome scars that covered her body. Eric's eyes widened in horror, and he felt a surge of anger towards this Kermit person. He pulled Maya closer, trying to comfort her, but she shook her head. "No, Eric, I need you to understand," she said, her voice firm. "I need you to know what I've been through." Eric nodded, his eyes locked on the scars, his heart heavy with empathy. Maya's voice dropped to a whisper. "He sent me to Project Cadmus," she said, her eyes welling up with tears. "They used kryptonite on me, Eric – the one thing that can kill me." Eric's grip on her tightened, and he felt a wave of rage wash over him. How could someone do this to another human being, especially to a child? As Maya cried, Eric held her close, trying to offer what little comfort he could. He knew that he would do anything to protect her, to keep her safe from the demons of her past. And as they sat there, wrapped in each other's arms, Eric knew that he would face whatever challenges lay ahead, as long as Maya was by his side.