Chapter 53
Lisa’s POV
We continued looking around the ruins for a long time after that. We took our time and we were careful.
We searched every broken piece of stone, every fallen statue and every crack in the ground.
But we didn’t find anything else.
There were no more visions, no more magic, no more answers.
The statue was destroyed beyond repair, and whatever had been hiding here… it was gone now.
Rylan finally stood up and brushed the dirt from his hands. “There is nothing left here,” he said with a sigh. “We should go.”
I nodded, even though my heart felt heavy. “Okay.”
The journey back to Frostbane Pack took several days. The forest was thick and strange, and the air
always felt like it was watching us. I didn’t talk much during the journey. My mind was full of questions. Althea’s voice echoed in my head over and over again.
“I am your mother.”
I still couldn’t believe it.
But I couldn’t forget it either.
When we finally reached the edge of Frostbane territory, my whole body felt like it was made of stone. I
was exhausted. My legs ached. My back hurt. My eyes stung from lack of sleep.
By the time we reached Rylan’s mansion, I could barely keep my eyes open.
“I need a shower,” I whispered.
Rylan smiled and opened the front door for me. “Go rest. You need it.”
I didn’t argue. I dragged myself to my room, peeled off my dirty clothes, and stepped into the hot shower. The water felt like heaven. I stood there for a long time, letting the heat soak into my bones. Then I changed into a soft nightgown, crawled into bed, and fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.
The next morning, the smell of eggs and toast woke me up.
I walked into the dining room and rubbed my eyes.
Alexandra was already at the table. She was munching on a croissant. She grinned when she saw me.” Look who finally woke up.”
“Morning,” I mumbled and slid into the seat beside her.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Rylan said from across the table. He passed me a plate filled with scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit. “You must be starving.”
“I am,” I admitted and took the plate. “Thanks.”
We ate in comfortable silence for a while. The food was warm and comforting. It made me feel like
maybe things were normal, even though they weren’t.
Then Alexandra leaned forward. Her eyes were gleaming with curiosity. “So… how was it?”
I looked up. I was confused. “What do you mean?”
“Nightcrest,” she said. “Did you find anything? Did anything… happen?”
I hesitated.
Rylan cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. “The path was difficult and dangerous. But we
reached our destination.”
“And?” Alexandra asked eagerly.
“Lisa discovered something important,” he said gently. “Something about her parents.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
I nodded slowly. “Yes… I think I met my real mother.”
Alexandra’s mouth dropped open. “Whoa. Wait. What?”
Rylan spoke before I could. “It’s complicated. But that’s why I called the seer. She’s on her way here now. There are things we need to confirm.”
Alexandra blinked. “You called the seer? That old woman?”
“Yes,” he said with a small smile. “That one.”
“Well, good,” she said with a nod. “If anyone can make sense of this stuff, it’s her.”
She tilted her head and looked at me. Her voice softened. “Hey. Don’t look so worried, Lisa. I’m sure she’ll
help. You’ll get the answers you need.”
I tried to smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “I hope so.”
Alexandra picked up her juice. “So is it true?” she asked with a grin. “Was there really a river of blood?”
I blinked, confused. “What?”
“On the way to Nightcrest,” she explained. “Jared said there was a red river that looked like blood.”
“Oh,” I said, glancing at Rylan.
He chuckled. “Yes, there was a red river. But it wasn’t blood. The color came from minerals in the water.
Probably iron or red algae.”
CHAPIT
Alexandra made a face. “Ugh. That sounds gross.”
“It looked worse than it actually was,” Rylan said. “It didn’t smell or anything. But yeah, it was strange. The whole path felt… ancient. Like it hadn’t been touched in centuries.”
I sipped my tea quietly and listened as they talked.
“But the forest,” Rylan continued, “was something else entirely. It changed the deeper we went. It felt like
walking into a dream.”
Alexandra raised an eyebrow. “A dream? Or a nightmare?”
“A bit of both,” he said with a small laugh. “There was beauty… but also danger. We saw wolves with glowing eyes. Heard whispers in the trees. And then, at the ruins…a statue exploded…”
He looked at me.
My heart clenched.
“Lisa saw her,” he said.
Alexandra leaned in. “Who?”
“Her mother,” he said.
I looked down at my hands. “Her name was Althea. I met her just for a small moment.”
There was a pause.
Then Alexandra reached over and touched my arm. “I’m glad you found her. Even if it was just for a
moment.”
I nodded. “Me too. I just wish I had more time with her.”
“Well, maybe the seer will help you learn more,” she said.
“I hope so,” I whispered.
Then Rylan tried to lighten the mood. “You should’ve seen Lisa after the vision. She was glowing.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was not.”
“You were!” he teased. “Like a walking light bulb.”
Alexandra giggled. “Aw, don’t tease her. She has been through enough.”
“I’m just saying,” Rylan said with a grin. “She looked like she had seen the moon goddess herself.”
“I felt like I had,” I muttered.
Then Alexandra smirked. “Well, next time bring me. I want to glow too.”
I laughed softly. It felt good to laugh. Even if just for a moment.
Then we heard footsteps.
Jared walked into the room. His face was serious. “She is here,” he said.
We all turned to him.
“Who?” I asked, though I already knew.
“The seer,” Jared said.
My heart skipped a beat.
“She is waiting for you in the main hall.”
Everything went quiet.
I looked at Rylan. He nodded slowly.
“It’s time,” he said.
I stood up from the table. My legs suddenly felt heavy.
The seer had come.
And I was finally going to get the answers I had waited for my whole life.
Or at least, I hoped I would.
