Chapter 6 Whispers in the Shadows

I had never known fear like this.

The kind that crawls into your bones and makes you second-guess every move you make.

But it was happening now, creeping up my spine as I watched my mother stare at me with eyes that were far too calm for my liking.

"Eliaca," she started, her voice smooth like ice. "I know you think you are being clever. Running away, making choices that suit you.

But you are still my daughter, and that does not change just because you walk out that door."

I stood there, frozen in place, but my mind was racing. What was she really trying to say?

Was this a warning? A threat?

I had heard her words a thousand times, but this time they sounded different, colder.

It was not about the things she had said to me before.

The 'You are a burden' and 'You will never amount to anything' had been replaced by something more sinister, something darker.

But what?

I took a deep breath, my chest tightening.

"I am not going back to that life, Mum. I do not care what you think about it. I do not care what anyone thinks anymore. I am making my own decisions now."

Her lips twisted into a smile, but it did not reach her eyes. They remained cold, calculating.

"Do you think this is the freedom you have been searching for? Do you think that little rebellion will actually give you what you want?"

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I do not care about what you want, I care about what I need."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what is that, Eliaca? What do you need?"

The question lingered in the air, like a taunt, daring me to answer.

"I need to live my life. Not the one you or anyone else chose for me."

"Is that so?" Her gaze sharpened. "You really think you can escape all the things that make you... who you are? You think you can change your path without consequences?"

I took a step back, my fingers trembling.

The last time we had a conversation like this, I had ended up in a miserable marriage to a man I did not even know.

My heart raced in my chest, the memory coming back like a rush of cold water.

"What consequences?" I shot back. "What is the worst you think will happen?"

She did not answer right away. Instead, her eyes flickered to the door behind me, as though she was calculating her next move.

And then, she finally spoke.

"You will not be able to hide forever, Eliaca. There is no running from what is in your blood."

I frowned, confusion flooding my mind. "What are you talking about?"

Her smile returned, but it was tight, almost mocking. "You really do not know, do you?"

I shook my head, my heart pounding. "Know what?"

"You do not know what is coming. What has always been coming."

I stepped back again, my mind racing. This was not just about me, was it?

There was something bigger, something my mother was not telling me. But what?

"I will never let you go," she said softly. "I will never let you forget who you are."

I opened my mouth to reply, but the words died in my throat.

Suddenly, a shadow passed over the window, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

I was not alone. I had not been for a while.

The door opened behind me, and I whipped around, my eyes wide.

But no one was there.

I blinked, shaking my head. Had I imagined it?

My mother's expression did not change, but I could see the faintest flicker of something in her eyes. Something dangerous.

"I do not know what you are trying to say," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"But I am not going back to the life you chose for me. Not now, not ever."

Her gaze softened just slightly, but it was only the calm before the storm. "We will see," she said, the words lingering in the air like a curse.

And then, just as quickly as she had appeared, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there in the silence.

I stood motionless for a moment, replaying the conversation in my head.

My mind was a whirlwind, thoughts colliding with each other.

What had she meant by "what is in your blood"?

What did she know that I did not?

I wanted to run after her, demand answers. But something held me back.

A feeling I could not explain. Something was not right.

The weight of her words hung over me like a dark cloud, and I could not shake the feeling that my life was about to change again, in ways I could not even imagine.

I turned away from the door, my hands shaking as I grabbed my bag.

I needed to get out of this house. I needed to clear my head.

But just as I stepped outside, I froze.

Standing at the end of the driveway was a man.

. His back was to me, but something about him felt... familiar.

My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the figure, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

It was as if the world had slowed down.

Every sound faded away, and all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart in my chest.

I did not know why, but I could not move. My feet felt glued to the ground.

He turned slowly, and for the first time, I saw his face.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I had never seen him before. At least, not consciously.

But the look in his eyes, the way they burned with something I could not place, was enough to make my breath catch in my throat.

Who was he?

What did he want?

And why did it feel like I was staring into the face of someone who knew far more about me than I was ready to know?

The man took a step forward, and I instinctively took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Eliaca," he said my name, his voice low and gravelly.

I froze. How did he know my name?

The world seemed to shift around me, everything feeling surreal.

My mind screamed at me to run, but my body would not move.

Who was this man, and why did it feel like my entire life had led to this moment?