Elif's voice rang out the moment Layla stepped through the front door.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Her tone was sharp and full of disbelief. She stood in the middle of the living room, arms folded tightly over her chest, clearly having waited specifically for this confrontation.
Layla blinked, her schoolbag still slung over one shoulder. She closed the door behind her, a slight frown forming on her face.
"Tell you what, Mom?"
She asked cautiously, unsure of what had sparked her mother's irritation this time.
"About you topping the math test at school!" Elif exclaimed, her eyes wide with a mixture of astonishment and frustration. She stepped forward, her voice rising slightly.
"And not just that! Your homeroom teacher, Mr. Kazim, called me earlier today. He told me everything—how smart you've become, how you've been acing your classes without even trying! You've been playing dumb, fooling your teachers, your classmates... and worst of all, me—your own mother! I thought you said you wanted to be a good daughter, a filial one. Is this what being filial looks like to you?"
Layla stood frozen, her mouth slightly open. She had planned to tell her mother everything—eventually—but she had been putting it off. It wasn't just about being scared; she truly didn't know how to explain the change that had taken place inside her.
After the accident—the one Elif still thought was nothing more than a freak mishap—something inside her had shifted completely.
That day, everything about her had changed.
She used to struggle to keep up, always buried at the bottom of the class rankings, constantly catching colds or falling sick. Her body was weak, her memory poor, and her confidence nonexistent.
But now...
Now she could breeze through the hardest subjects after a single lesson. She could recall entire textbooks word for word. She was stronger—physically and mentally—in ways that no normal human should be.
And it terrified her just as much as it amazed her.
But none of that could be said, not now. So instead, she did the one thing she knew might help her escape the situation—she played the doting daughter.
Layla walked up to her mother and gently wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her head on Elif's shoulder.
"Moooom," she said in a soft, teasing tone.
"Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide anything from you. I just… I didn't want to worry you, that's all."
She gave her a gentle squeeze.
"Mmmh, my lovely mother… Can you really stay mad at your favorite daughter?"
Elif exhaled heavily, the stern lines on her face beginning to soften. A small smile tugged at her lips.
"Of course you're my favorite daughter. You're my only daughter."
Her voice held a hint of playful sarcasm, but her eyes shone with affection.
She turned slightly, giving Layla a mock scowl before patting her hand.
"Okay, okay, let go of me already. I'm not that mad. I was just… really worried. I thought you were struggling so much. I lost sleep over it, thinking you'd never make it to college."
She shook her head and smiled.
"But now that I know my daughter is secretly a genius? That's all that matters."
Layla giggled, finally feeling the weight lift off her shoulders.
"Hehehe! Now that sounds more like my mom."
She leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
"I love you, Mom."
Elif reached out and cupped her daughter's cheek, giving it a gentle pinch.
"I love you too, sweetheart. Now go get some rest. I was only waiting for you to get home. I need to head out to the market."
Just as Elif reached for the door handle, purse in hand, Layla suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, Mom! Wait!" she called out, stepping quickly toward her.
Elif paused and turned around, eyebrows slightly raised in curiosity.
"What is it, Layla?"
Layla hesitated for a beat, then continued,
"I just remembered something important. Asma—she wants to move in with us for a few months, just until we finish preparing for the college entrance exams."
She took another step forward, her tone soft but hopeful.
"She already talked to her mom, and she's okay with it. So… if you don't mind, could she come stay with us?"
Elif gave her daughter a thoughtful look, then a smile slowly spread across her face.
"What's there to refuse?" she said warmly.
"It's great that you girls are taking your studies seriously. Of course she can move in. It'll even be good for you—to have someone to study with and keep each other motivated."
"Thanks, Mom!" Layla beamed, clearly relieved and excited.
Elif chuckled and turned back toward the door.
"Alright then, I'll be back soon. You two better be studying when she gets here, not gossiping all day."
"No promises!" Layla called playfully as Elif stepped out.
She watched her walk out the door, the familiar creak of the gate echoing behind her. Once the door clicked shut, Layla stood still for a moment. Her smile faded into a thoughtful expression.
Her heart felt heavy with secrets—secrets she wished she could share but knew she couldn't. Not yet.
She sighed, walked to the couch, and flopped down with a quiet, tired laugh.
---
Later that night, Layla had another dream.
It was the same recurring vision—the one that had haunted her ever since she came out of her coma. The figure in the dream was always the same: the Holy Daughter. But tonight, the dream felt more intense, more real, like she was no longer just watching from a distance—but reliving it.
The Holy Daughter was running—no, fleeing.
She was being chased by monstrous beings, not exactly human. Towering figures, at least three meters tall, with grotesque faces and the savage air of warriors. Some were thick and bulky, others long-limbed and eerily slim, but all carried deadly weapons—axes, swords, iron rods. The air vibrated with their heavy steps as they pursued her through a landscape that felt oddly familiar to Layla, though she couldn't quite place it.
Suddenly, the Holy Daughter stopped running. She turned and stood her ground, twin sabers gleaming in her hands. A tense silence fell before the chaos erupted.
A brutal clash followed.
She fought fiercely, dancing between her enemies with otherworldly grace. Her sabers carved through the air, striking steel and flesh alike. She was powerful—divine even—but not untouched. Blood trickled from her arm, her steps slowed, her breath became shallow. One by one, she struck them down. The final giant let out a guttural cry as her blade sliced through his chest.
Nine enemies. Nine bodies collapsed around her.
But her victory came at a cost.
Wounded, exhausted, the Holy Daughter stumbled backward toward the edge of a cliff and fell—tumbling into the sea below. Her body was pale, limp, swallowed by the waves.
Layla gasped and sat bolt upright in bed, sweat clinging to her skin, her heart hammering against her ribcage.
For a moment, she stared into the dark room, trying to calm herself, but the truth she had been ignoring finally clicked into place.
These dreams… they weren't just dreams.
They were memories. Fragments. Echoes of a life that once was. Visions of the Holy Daughter—not imagined, but lived. Ever since she woke up from her coma, she'd seen them—sometimes in sleep, sometimes fully awake like hallucinations stitched into reality.
And now, finally, she recognized the place where the Holy Daughter had fallen into the sea. It was the same beach—the one she and Emre had visited, the place where she had drowned.
The memory hit her like a wave. That moment underwater when her lungs were burning, her body fading... she had seen the Holy Daughter. She'd reached out to Layla, her hand glowing faintly beneath the waves.
Then—nothing.
She had woken up in the hospital, her mother sitting beside her, crying, clutching her hand like it was the only thing anchoring her to life.
"What really happened?" Layla whispered into the darkness. "What did she do to me?"
She touched her chest as if searching for an answer beneath her skin.
Was the power a gift? A blessing?
Or was it something more... purposeful?
There was only one way to find out.
"I need to go back," she said to herself. "Back to where it all started."
She glanced at her phone—tomorrow was Saturday. No school. No plans. Just the freedom to follow her instincts.
"I'll visit the beach," she murmured with determination. "I need answers."
She sank back into bed, eyes wide open in the dark, the sound of waves still echoing in her ears.
---