Lucia couldn't move.
The letter remained open in her hands, but the words no longer seemed like ink on paper.
They felt alive.
Her mother's memories.
Her mother's pain.
Her mother's truth.
Everything she had believed about Vanteen had shattered in a single night.
The world had called her a monster.
But the woman Lucia knew from the letter was someone who had sacrificed everything.
Someone who had loved.
Someone who had chosen.
Lucia slowly lowered the letter, her mind drowning in questions.
Who was Jaden really?
Why did he betray her mother?
And why did everyone believe Vanteen was the villain?
She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed the sound of footsteps approaching.
A gentle knock echoed through the room.
Before Lucia could answer, the door opened slightly.
An elderly woman peeked inside with a warm smile.
"Come, dear. Breakfast is ready."
Lucia quickly wiped away the tears she hadn't realized had fallen.
The woman noticed the letter in her hands but said nothing.
Instead, she smiled softly.
"Come on, Princess Lucia."
The title still felt strange.
Princess.
She had spent her whole life in a prison, hidden away from the world.
Now strangers were calling her royalty.
Lucia carefully folded the letter and placed it beside the bracelet.
"I'll come back," she whispered.
She wasn't sure if she was speaking to the letter...
or to her mother.
The woman led her through the unfamiliar halls.
The house was nothing like the castle she remembered.
It wasn't cold or frightening.
It was warm.
Sunlight entered through large windows, flowers decorated the walls, and the smell of freshly prepared food filled the air.
It was peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
When Lucia entered the dining room, she stopped.
Two men were sitting at the table.
One was young, with dark hair and sharp features. He looked up immediately, his eyes studying her carefully.
The other was older, with silver hair and a calm expression. Unlike the young man, he smiled when he saw her.
"There she is," the older man said. "The girl who survived the impossible."
Lucia became cautious.
"Who are you?"
The old woman placed a hand gently on Lucia's shoulder.
"Lucia, this is Elder Alaric."
She pointed toward the younger man.
"And this is Kaelen."
Kaelen gave a small nod.
"Princess."
Lucia frowned.
"Please stop calling me that."
The three of them exchanged glances.
The old woman looked surprised.
"Why?"
"Because I don't feel like one."
The room became quiet.
Lucia looked down.
"I spent my whole life in a dungeon. My mother was taken away from me. I don't know anything about this world."
Her voice softened.
"So don't call me something I don't understand."
The older man studied her for a moment.
Then his expression softened.
"Your mother said you would be like this."
Lucia immediately looked up.
"You knew my mother?"
Silence.
A heavy silence.
The kind that carried secrets.
Elder Alaric slowly nodded.
"Yes."
Lucia stepped closer.
"Then tell me."
The old man looked away.
"Not yet."
Her expression hardened.
"Not yet?"
"There are truths that can destroy a person if they discover them before they are ready."
Lucia clenched her fists.
"I think I have already discovered enough."
Kaelen, who had remained silent, finally spoke.
"She has a point."
Everyone looked at him.
He continued:
"After everything she lost, she deserves answers."
The old woman sighed.
"You have your mother's determination."
Lucia froze.
"My mother?"
The woman smiled sadly.
"Yes."
A strange warmth filled Lucia's chest.
For the first time, someone said she was like Vanteen...
and it didn't feel like an insult.
After breakfast, Lucia returned to her room.
The letter was still waiting.
But before she could open it again, the bracelet on her wrist suddenly began glowing.
Blue light surrounded her hand.
Lucia stepped back.
"What is happening?"
The room became colder.
The air shifted.
Then a voice whispered.
Soft.
Familiar.
Impossible.
"Lucia..."
Her eyes widened.
"Mother?"
The light grew brighter.
The bracelet reacted as if it had been waiting for her.
A symbol appeared on the floor beneath her feet.
An ancient symbol.
One she had never seen before.
But somehow...
she knew what it meant.
A summoning spell.
Lucia stared at the glowing circle.
Her heartbeat quickened.
The letter had said the bracelet would guide her.
But it never said it could call something back.
Or someone.
The voice whispered again.
"My little light..."
Lucia took a step forward.
"Who are you?"
A pause.
Then:
"The one who has been waiting for you."
The magic exploded.
And Lucia disappeared.