The palace had never felt more suffocating to Alina. Days passed, but the weight of the truth refused to lift. Every time she saw Raelynn—her supposed mother—smiling that cold, calculated smile, Alina's chest tightened.
Elric noticed. Every glance, every pause in her words. He saw her fighting a storm within.
One evening, under the star-lit sky, Alina finally spoke.
"Elric… if everything you said is true… if my mother was Lily… then why did she leave me?"
Elric took her hand gently. "She didn't leave you, Alina. She had no choice. Raelynn tried to kill her. Lily thought you'd be safer here… but she underestimated how deep Raelynn's hatred went."
Tears brimmed in Alina's eyes. "And now… she doesn't even know I'm alive, does she?"
"No," Elric whispered. "But I will find her. I promise."
---
Meanwhile, deep in the castle library, an old maid named Marna, who once served Lily, discovered a hidden box buried beneath floorboards. Inside were torn pieces of Lily's journal—pages she had hidden in desperation before fleeing.
Marna gasped. The truth… it's all here.
With shaky hands, she brought it to Alina in secret.
---
That night, Alina read every word by candlelight.
> "I am forced to leave my daughter in the care of the monster who used to be my friend. If anyone finds this… please protect her. Please tell her the truth one day."
The words cut deeper than any blade. But they brought clarity.
"My mother loved me," Alina whispered. "She never abandoned me."
And from that moment, she made a silent vow:
I will find her. I will bring her back. And I will make Raelynn answer for everything.