Chapter 29. Starting Point

The letter I read stirred emotions I didn’t even know I could feel for a woman I barely knew. Lyra. The name felt foreign on my tongue, yet somehow familiar like a long-lost lullaby I couldn’t remember but still felt comfort in. I clutched the book to my chest and let a single tear fall. Then another. And I cried for the woman I was meant to call mother. The woman who gave me life.

I felt Aries’s warm hand slip into mine. His eyes locked with mine, silently asking if I was okay, if I needed anything. But all I could do was turn to Robin, my voice shaking with disbelief.

“She died?” I asked, my words more of a plea than a question.

“She gave it all up to protect you,” he said, his voice low, burdened with weight. “That’s why we need to go back together,so her sacrifice won’t be in vain.”

“What does the letter say?” Lucy asked softly, stepping closer.

“I’ll read it out,” I replied, gripping the journal tighter. But before I could begin, Aries gently