On the other side of town, Zara finally reached the place she had been hurrying toward — an abandoned warehouse district she'd tracked down after weeks of quiet digging. The air was heavy, the silence unsettling. Her heart pounded harder with each step.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" Her voice trembled. "Tell me about him now!" she yelled, her desperation breaking through.
From the shadows, a voice echoed back, deep and unfamiliar.
"Hello, my dear… I'm here."
Another voice followed, closer this time, almost too close.
"I am your uncle, daughter. Please… come to me."
Her breath caught. "What…?" The word slipped out, barely audible, as her shock froze her in place.