**Chapter 1: Shattered Innocence**

I stormed out of the imperial palace, the heavy wooden doors slamming shut behind me. The argument with Hange, the dragon emperor and my boyfriend, still lingered in my mind like a festering wound. My head throbbed with a dull ache, a constant reminder of the brain injury that had left me vulnerable and sensitive. I felt like a fragile doll, easily broken and shattered. As I walked through the city streets, the cool breeze did little to soothe my frazzled nerves. I had always been a bit...different, ever since the accident. My thoughts were jumbled, and my emotions were raw, making me react like a child. Hange tried to be patient, but even he had his limits. I knew he didn't mean to hurt me, but his words had cut deep. I wandered aimlessly, trying to clear my head. The sounds of the city – the chatter of pedestrians, the clang of pots and pans from the food stalls, and the distant roar of dragons – created a cacophony that overwhelmed me. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of noise. Suddenly, a hand clamped over my mouth, and I was dragged into a dark alleyway. I struggled and kicked, but my attacker was too strong. He spun me around, his eyes glinting with malice, and I saw the fear in his eyes turn to lust. I tried to scream, but his grip was too tight. He hit me, and everything went dark. When I came to, I was lying on the ground, my body throbbing with pain. I was naked, and my clothes were scattered around me. I remembered the man's face, twisted in a snarl, and his body looming over me. I had cried and screamed, but no one had come. The police sirens had been the only thing that had brought me back to reality. The sound of sirens grew louder, and soon, the police were surrounding me, speaking softly and trying to comfort me. They wrapped me in a blanket and called for an ambulance. I was rushed to the hospital, my mind reeling with horror. The police had informed Hange of what had happened, and he was already at the hospital when I arrived. I saw him standing by my bedside, his eyes blazing with fury and concern. He looked at me, and his face crumpled. "My princess," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I'm so sorry. If we hadn't argued, none of this would have happened." I lay on the hospital bed, trembling and crying uncontrollably. My body ached, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I felt like I was shattered, like I could never be whole again. The trauma was suffocating me, and I regressed severely, unable to process what had happened. Hange's face blurred, and I saw only a faint image of him. I weakly whispered, "Daddy...I'm scared." My words hung in the air, and Hange's expression softened. He sat beside me, holding my hand and whispering softly, trying to comfort me. But I was lost, adrift in a sea of fear and pain, unable to find my way back to shore.