Grandma Netli's gaze locked on mine, her eyes suddenly shadowed with something deeper—something almost ancient. Her tone shifted into something darker, sharper than before.
"Serena," she said slowly, as if weighing each syllable, "be careful. It's better to back off… because you—"
"Serena!"
A voice from the doorway snapped the moment in half.
Maria stood there with her parents, all smiles and warmth. The tension vanished in an instant, like smoke swallowed by wind.
"Mom! Dad!" Oshwin squealed, running into their arms.
"Serena, what a pleasant surprise!" Maria's mother chimed, her voice gentle as a breeze.
"Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, how are you both?" I asked, trying to gather myself.
"We're extremely well, dear. And you?" Mr. Harrison replied kindly.
"I'm fine," I said with a forced smile, still feeling the weight of Grandma Netli's unfinished warning press against my chest.
"Come on, Serena," Maria said quickly, "let's go to my room."
"Wait… Grandma Netli was just about to tell me something," I said, turning to look back at her.
Maria shot her a sharp glance—almost a silent plea.
"Oh, nothing, my dear," Grandma Netli replied, her voice now sugar-sweet again. "Just an old woman's nonsense. I forgot what I was saying."
You didn't forget. I wanted to say. But before I could, Maria took my hand and gently tugged me upstairs.
"I'll get some cookies and coffee for you two," Maria's mom offered as we left.
The moment we stepped into Maria's room, she shut the door behind us with a quiet click. The air changed—charged with tension.
"What is it? Is everything alright?" she asked, concern flashing in her eyes.
"Yeah…" I hesitated, then exhaled. "I'm here to thank you—for yesterday."
"You don't have to thank me. We all played our part," she replied with a smile, trying to brush it off.
"No, Maria. I'm not thanking you for support or company. I'm thanking you for saving my life."
She tilted her head, pretending not to follow. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't act naive, Maria," I snapped, unable to hold it in any longer. "You knew I was getting pulled into a portal. You knew Rodulf was trying to drain my energy. And you—you—got me out just in time. That wasn't luck. That wasn't a guess."
Silence. A heavy, telling silence.
"Who are you, Maria?" I asked, my voice quiet now, firm like the calm before a storm. "Really… who are you?"
There was a pause. Her eyes dropped to the floor. And then it hit me—I was being cruel. Too harsh on someone who had done nothing but protect me. My anger melted into guilt.
I stepped forward and hugged her.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, voice shaking. "I didn't mean to shout. My life has become something I don't recognize anymore. One day I'm worried about grades and college applications… and the next, I'm running from dark forces I can't even name. Uncle Ben is gone, and part of me refuses to accept that. I keep pretending I'm fine, pretending I'm strong—but the truth is, I'm lost."
I broke. Everything I had bottled up cracked and spilled out. My voice trembled, my body shook. I wasn't strong right now—I was just… human.
Maria held me close, her embrace grounding me like roots to the earth.
"It's okay," she said softly. "I feel your energy. You don't need to explain."
She gently wiped my tears away and looked me straight in the eye, the way someone does when they're about to rewrite your entire reality.
"Do you really want to know who I am?" she asked.
My breath caught. This was it. The moment of truth. My skin prickled with goosebumps.
I nodded.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone," she said firmly.
"I promise," I whispered.
Please don't be a witch. Please, anything but a witch, I prayed silently.
But deep down, I knew—whatever she was about to tell me… it was far beyond what I was ready to believe.