Chapter 5

Elena

Amid that impenetrable darkness, there was no glimmer of light, not even the faintest spark. It was an abyss, an unending sea of obsidian, gripping me in its inescapable vice. The claws of this darkness were dangerous, scary, and strange.

Then, a glimmer, a beacon in that sea of shadows—I saw it.

My room, nestled in a forgotten corner, bathed in the gentle glow of two lamps. My old room, a sanctuary I'd occupied before my world changed, before I was reduced to a slave, marked with a sinister and damning moniker—the Traitor's Daughter.

With deliberate, languid steps, I ventured towards that room, my haven. The door creaked open suddenly, and I jumped in surprise, wind whipping through the room, tousling my hair.

Inside the room, two figures emerged from the recesses of my memories, my younger self and my father. The sight of them took my breath away.

In surprise, I watched my child self play with my father. A surreal feeling washed over me—one that I hadn't felt in years.

I had