Chapter 7: The Light of Truth
The aftermath was quiet. The villa was cleared, and the Syndicate’s network was dismantled by authorities who had been waiting for the signal to strike. We moved to a new city, under new names.
I still sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, reaching out to make sure the face I see in the morning is my real mother’s. The vision I regained had cost me my innocence, but it gave me the clarity to see the world for what it truly was. We sat in the garden of our new home, the sun warm on my face. My mother was laughing, a sound so genuine it brought tears to my eyes.
"You're staring again," she said, gently touching my hand.
"I'm just making sure," I whispered.
May you like
"I'm here, Ella. I'm not going anywhere."
I looked at the world around me—the vibrant green of the trees, the deep blue of the sky—and I finally let go of the fear. The shadows were gone. I was finally, truly awake, and for the first time, I wasn't afraid of what I would see when I opened my eyes. We were safe, and the nightmare was nothing more than a ghost of the past.
