TIDES OF FATE

ever, it only exacerbated her sense of isolation. The events of the previous day lingered in her consciousness-haunting memories of the forest, coupled with the peculiar energy that surged through

ut there was an absence of warmth in her smile today. Lila didn't need to ask to perceive that something was amiss. "Morning, Mom," she greeted, mustering

going on?"

addressed. The last time she'd heard anything regarding him was during her childhood, when her mother had dismissed every inquiry with finality. "You've been concealing something," Lila asserted, her voice rising, burdened by the weight of the truth she believed was being withheld from her. Her mother raised her gaze, her eyes weary yet resolute. "I've been protecting you."

she extended her hand towards the handle, she caught a fleeting glimpse of her mother's frantic expres

ened t

which he uttered her name suggested an unsettling familiarity. "Who are you?" Lila inquired, her voice quivering despite her efforts to maintain composure. His gaze momentarily shifted to her mother, who had emerged from behind her, standing just beyond her line of sight. "I'm someone who knows considerably more about your father than you might wish to know," he replied, his words eliciting a shiver along her spine. Lila's

mobilized in the threshold, the air saturated with tension. Her mother's presence behind her felt like an oppressive burden. "What did he mean?" Lila murmured, her voice barely discernible. Yet her mother remained silent. She simply stood there, her complexion ashen, her eyes clouded with the same dread that had nestled in Lila's chest. Lila pivoted toward her mother, her heart

could feel the encroaching darkness closing in, the pull of the forest and the tension of the stranger's words haunted her every step. However,

as watch