Class ended later than usual, and Elena stepped out of the lecture hall with a sigh of relief. Her brain felt like it had run a marathon, and she wanted nothing more than to breathe fresh air.
Amy bounded up beside her, full of her usual over-the-top energy.
"Park?" she asked, already knowing Elena wouldn't say no.
Elena nodded. "Park."
They walked through campus, talking about nothing and everything gossip from class, a lecturer who kept mixing up students' names, Amy's current obsession with some new series. Outside the gates, the sun was gentle, the breeze cool enough to make the day feel soft.
The park wasn't far. By the time they got there, children were running around the open field, parents chatting on benches, and teenagers lounged under trees pretending not to see each other.
Elena and Amy picked a quiet spot under a large mango tree.
"Honestly," Amy said, stretching her legs, "this is what I needed. Air. Space. A moment without assignments trying to choke me."
Elena laughed. "You're the one who procrastinates everything."
Amy gasped dramatically. "You dare accuse me of such—"
She stopped mid-sentence when a tiny blur ran toward them.
Before Elena could process what was happening, a small boy maybe four or five threw his arms around her waist with the force of a rocket.
"Mommy!" he squealed, burying his face into her stomach.
Elena froze.
Amy froze.
Everyone froze.
"Oh—uh—hi?" Elena stammered, hands hovering awkwardly before gently placing them on the boy's shoulders. "Sweetheart, I think you're mistaking me for someone else."
The boy looked up at her, eyes wide, brown, and full of trust.
"You are mommy," he said with full confidence.
Amy slapped her hand over her mouth to stop a laugh.
Elena, caught between shock and amusement, crouched down to his level. "What's your name?"
L
"Liam!" he chirped. "Mommy left me and now you're back!"
Amy leaned closer, whispering, "I think his misses his mom. Look at his grip. You're a full-time mother now."
Elena shot her a glare.
But Liam didn't let go. If anything, he hugged her tighter, resting his head on her shoulder like he'd known her forever. There was something oddly calming about the child. Innocent. Warm. Trusting.
"Amy, what do I do?"
"Adopt him."
"Amy!"
"I'm kidding!" another laugh "Okay, okay, just keep him calm until whoever he belongs to comes."
And like magic, a frantic male voice called out from across the playground.
"Liam! Liam, where are—"
He spotted them immediately.
A man in his early thirties jogged toward them, relief flooding his face. "Oh thank God."
He reached them and crouched down. "Liam, buddy, you can't run off like that. You scared me."
Liam reluctantly stepped away from Elena, pointing at her with excitement.
"Uncle Jake, look! Mommy came back!"
The uncle's expression twisted—pain, surprise, and something unspoken. He gave Elena an apologetic smile.
"I'm so sorry," he said softly. "His mom…passed away last year. He still…confuses strangers sometimes, especially when they resemble her."
Elena's chest tightened.
"Oh," she whispered, understanding flooding in. "No, it's okay. He's sweet."
Liam clung to her hand one last time before his father gently lifted him.
"Say bye-bye, Liam."
"Bye mommy…" he murmured sadly.
Elena waved, heart aching as they walked away.
Amy blew out a breath. "That was…wow."
"Yeah," Elena whispered.
She hugged her knees to her chest, still shaken by the way the child had clung to her. There was something symbolic about it—something she couldn't name.
Her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
Mom.
A smile touched her lips. Probably calling to ask if Maya behaved at school.
She answered. "Hi, Mom—"
The voice that came through wasn't calm.
Not warm.
Not steady.
Her mother's voice shook. "Elena?"
Elena sat up immediately. "Mom? What's wrong?"
Amy's smile faded, noticing the shift in her tone.
"Elena," her mother whispered urgently, her breath uneven, "listen to me very carefully, okay?"
Elena's heart pounded. "Mom, what's happening?"
On the other end, there was a sound like a door being slammed shut, hurried footsteps, and then silence except for her mother's heavy breathing.
"It's her," her mother choked out. "The mistress. The one I told you about. The one I said was…dangerous."
Elena's blood turned cold.
"What about her?"
"She's trying to silence me," her mother said in a trembling whisper. "She knows I heard and knows something—something I shouldn't have. She wants me gone, Elena. She wants me out of the way."
The world around Elena blurred. The laughter in the park became distant. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Mom…where are you? Are you safe? Tell me where—"
"No," her mother cut in sharply. "If I tell you anything, they might trace the call. Elena, listen to me."
Tears pricked Elena's eyes. "Mom, please—"
"If anything happens to me," her mother continued, voice now breaking entirely, "you take your sister and you leave. You hear me? Leave this country. Do not look back. Do not trust anyone in that house. Promise me."
Elena felt her soul splitting apart.
"Stop talking like that!" she cried, the panic bursting out of her. "Mom, nothing is going to happen to you. Just tell me where you are, I'll come—"
Her mother inhaled sharply, fear thick in her breathing.
"Elena…my sweet girl…promise me."
"No," Elena whispered, shaking her head as tears spilled freely. "I'm not making promises like that. You're coming home. You're going to be okay."
There was a long silence.
Then her mother's voice came again, soft and heartbreaking.
"I love you. And I'm so proud of you."
"Mom—"
A crash.
A scream.
Something heavy falling.
"Mom? MOM?!"
"Elena…run," her mother whispered, voice tiny, fading, terrified. "Please…run."
The line went dead.
Elena stared at her phone like it had turned to stone in her hand.
Amy grabbed her shoulders. "Elena? Elena, what happened?!"
Elena didn't hear her.
She couldn't hear anything.
The world around her dissolved.
Her mother's last words echoed in her skull like thunder—
Run.
Leave.
They're trying to silence me.
Her heart broke.
And she knew, without needing confirmation…
Nothing about her life would ever be normal again.