Vaelora gently guided Liora to the expansive mirror closet that dominated one corner of the room, its surface reflecting the flickering candlelight. "It's concealed from the naked eye; only when danger approaches does its true form reveal itself," she explained, her voice low and serious. Liora turned around, the weight of the revelation settling heavily on her shoulders.
"Listen carefully," Vaelora continued, her tone a mix of caution and urgency. "No one must learn about that woman. You must remain the sole witness; there has to be a reason you are the only one able to perceive her." Vaelora leaned in, pressing a feather-light kiss on Liora's forehead, a gesture meant to soothe and instill confidence. "You must act as though everything is normal. To protect yourself, you must promise me this." The gravity of her words carried an unspoken warning, a hidden message layered beneath the surface. "That's the only way she will make herself known to you."
Liora nodded, her mind racing with questions, yet she felt a sense of clarity settling within her. "But why can't she reveal herself now?" she asked, her brow furrowing with uncertainty.
Vaelora chuckled softly, a mysterious glimmer in her eyes as she summoned a swirling portal, the air shimmering like heat waves. "Belyra waits until her enemies are at their most vulnerable," she said with an enigmatic smile before stepping into the portal and vanishing into thin air.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Liora sank onto her bed, the soft fabric cradling her. She crossed her legs and felt the pulse of her thoughts racing in an endless loop. With careful fingers, she began to braid her hair into two neat ponytails, the rhythmic motion helping her calm her racing heart. "Damn, it feels like I've been run over by a train," she muttered to herself, the chaos of the day weighing heavily on her.
Just then, Nyra emerged, stretching as if awakening from the most rejuvenating slumber. "I miss my Moonbud," she said with a playful pout, eliciting a chuckle from Liora. The lighthearted moment was a brief respite from the onslaught of revelations, but soon silence fell between them, heavy and contemplative. "That was an awful lot to take in all at once," Liora remarked, her thoughts swirling like autumn leaves caught in a gust of wind. She nodded slowly, her mind drifting back to the fragments of her family history that felt like pieces of a puzzle lost in time. "I've never asked Mum about our lineage. The only things I know are that she and Dad got married when they were just 20, and they faced fierce opposition from our family."
Her voice softened as memories washed over her, a bittersweet tapestry of love and loss. "They severed ties completely, and after I was born, no one from our family ever visited. Not even after Dad passed away." A wave of sorrow washed over her at the thought of her mother's loneliness, and she wondered how much heartache her mother had endured in silence. "But discovering that I'm an Elarinoth—part of royalty! Why didn't Mum ever tell me?" Liora's mind raced with confusion and frustration, grappling for answers that remained just out of reach.
"Perhaps she wanted to shield you from Belyra's dark influence," Nyra suggested gently, her voice soothing like a balm on Liora's troubled heart. "Keeping you safe was always her top priority." Liora nodded, a sense of understanding dawning upon her as she absorbed the comforting words, grateful for the bond she shared with her sister.
Moments later, the bedroom door burst open with a loud creak, and Maeve rushed in like a whirlwind, her arms outstretched and her face radiating a mixture of relief and joy. "My baby, my baby is awake!" The warmth of her mother's embrace enveloped Liora as she flung herself into Maeve's arms, holding on tightly as if afraid to let go. "Oh, Mum, I missed you so much," Liora exclaimed, feeling the familiar comfort that only her mother could provide.
Maeve gently pulled back, her brow furrowing with concern as she scanned Liora's face and body for signs of distress. "I was so scared when I saw you on the ground," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly with the remnants of fear. In that moment, Liora could see the worry etched into her mother's features, the lines of anxiety softened only by the love shining through her eyes.
Liora felt a rush of conflicting emotions swell within her. "I know, Mum, it was...." She hesitated, the conversation she'd intended to have fading into the background as she recalled the warning from both Vaelora and Lumari. "What was that? Why were you on the ground?" Maeve pressed, her voice thick with urgency and concern.