Some legacies are not passed down. They simply wait until we are ready to discover them.
Silence had settled over the room. Sophie hadn't moved, still shaken by what Aria had just told her. Aria, meanwhile, was looking away. Talking about her parents had reopened something she had long preferred to keep at a distance. But beneath the pain, another thought was taking hold now. Perhaps her mother hadn't left her only memories.
Aria took a deep breath, like she was switching gears.
"A week ago…"
She hesitated for a fraction of a second.
"I found—along with her old notebooks—my mom's external hard drives."
Sophie raised her head slightly.
"Hidden at my grandma's. Data she wanted to protect."
"She was researching the nature spirits."
Sophie frowned.
"Seriously?"
"She completely rejected the official story."
Sophie held her gaze.
"Everything Kaissa says."
Silence.
"She knew things."
Sophie sat up a little.
"You think they use all that to manipulate people?"
Aria hesitated.
"It's possible."
Something shifted in Sophie's eyes—sharper.
"Aria… come look."
She pointed to the window.
"You can see the Wall from here."
Aria moved—and winced.
"Hold on…"
She grabbed her IV drip and stood. Her legs shook, but she held herself up. Her eyes didn't waver. They were locked in.
"If we want to understand…"
A pause.
"We have to go there."
Sophie turned toward her.
"Into the forest?"
A shiver passed through her.
"Where it all starts?"
Aria nodded.
"With the crack… for the first time, we might actually have a chance. My mom went there a lot."
Sophie's mouth twitched into a small smile.
"Like always… great minds think alike."
Aria didn't answer. In her head, thoughts clicked into place like a forbidden puzzle.
"My mom talked about something…"
Aria hesitated.
"Three worlds."
Sophie frowned.
"Like what?"
"Not worlds like you imagine."
Aria searched for words.
"More like… realities. Truths we don't even imagine. Things they never taught us at school, or in our families."
Silence.
"Yeah. Three worlds. Ours."
"Another… where spirits live."
"And a third… way older. Like a source."
Sophie stared at her.
"And she really believed that?"
"More than that. She proved it."
Something had changed. Aria straightened, stronger.
"She said Kaissa was lying."
"About what?" Sophie asked.
Aria lifted her eyes.
"About everything."
Their eyes glinted. They looked at each other and smiled—same idea, same moment.
"Forward into the forest, toward the truth."
Aria pressed on.
"And I'm going to finish what she started."
Suddenly, a vibration sounded. Sophie's phone.
She jolted and looked at the screen.
All color drained from her face as she read Jazz's message out loud.
Total emergency.
They're taking your mom to psych (psychiatric hospital) RIGHT NOW.
"No…"
Her voice cracked.
"That's not possible…"
Aria put a hand on her arm.
"Go. We'll talk later."
Sophie clenched her teeth, eyes bright, and ran out. The door slammed.
Aria stayed still, facing the window, facing the Wall.
The crack out there pulled at her, not just like danger, but like a real answer.
One beat, then another. The pain was still there, but behind it… something stronger and clearer.
She inhaled slowly.
"That's where it all started… I'm sure. And that's where I'll find the truth."
Her fingers tightened on the windowsill. This time, she wouldn't look away. This time, she would act…
The Guardian Angel: Aurelia, Aria's mother, searched for truth through science… but when she took her work to its limit, she touched something else. Something far older. A world where everything is alive. Where everything watches. Where everything answers. Where everything has a soul…
Unfortunately, that world… doesn't let itself be approached without consequences.
To be continued… ❤️🔥