Chapter 32: The Heart of
Fear
Mira stepped
forward, her heart racing as the mist parted before her. The world around her
darkened, and she found herself standing in a familiar forest—one she had
visited as a child. The trees were tall and dense, their branches reaching out
like dark claws. And at the center of the forest was a figure—her sister, Eva,
standing with her back turned.
“Mira,”
Eva’s voice echoed, distant and sorrowful. “You never came back. You abandoned
me.”
Mira’s
chest tightened. She had left Eva behind when she decided to pursue her
studies, to understand the mysteries of the Luminal Realm. The guilt had eaten
away at her for years. “I didn’t want to leave you,” she whispered. “But I
thought I had to. I thought the world needed me more than you did.”
Eva
turned, her face pale and filled with sadness. “You were never there when I
needed you. You’ve always been too focused on your intellect. You never
understood what I needed.”
The
accusation hit Mira like a physical blow, and she staggered back, feeling the
weight of her choices. “I was so focused on finding answers. But I didn’t
realize the cost. I thought you were strong enough to handle things on your
own, but I was wrong. I was always wrong.”
But as
Mira sank to her knees, the vision of Eva softened. The mist swirled around her,
and she heard a new voice—her own, filled with a quiet but powerful resolve.
“You made
the choices you thought were right. But you’ve come back, and you’re not alone
anymore.”
The mist
around her began to lighten, and the vision of Eva shifted, turning into a
warm, comforting presence. “You’re enough, Mira. You always were.”
Mira took
a deep breath, her heart unburdened. “Thank you,” she whispered.
