The faint rustle behind her spurred Sera into action. Someone must have noticed her absence and raised the alarm. She clutched Delena's hand tighter and urged them both upwards, their pace quickening as they climbed the treacherous mountainside.
"Mother, I'm tired," Delena panted, tugging at Sera's hand.
"Let me help you," offered the veiled figure, his voice a low rumble.
Sera hesitated, unsure of his intentions. Yet, Delena's growing weariness weighed heavily on her. With a silent nod, she surrendered her daughter to the stranger's arms. As he took Delena, a fleeting sensation of familiarity washed over Sera. His build, the glint in his eyes, even the way he cradled her daughter... something vaguely echoed in her memory. Before she could delve deeper, the man began their ascent, Delena's head resting peacefully on his shoulder.
The climb was arduous, every step a struggle against fatigue and the biting wind. An hour later, a narrow stone path materialized amidst the tangled foliage and scattered boulders. Recognition dawned on Sera. This route led to the abandoned mine, a hidden passage through the mountain's heart. The path snaked around a massive rock, and with a dramatic flourish, the mountain seemed to swallow them whole.
They had entered the mine.
"Just a moment's rest, please," Sera pleaded, collapsing onto a rough stone slab, her lungs burning.
"Such a fortunate coincidence, wouldn't you say?" the veiled figure replied, his back turned to her. Delena remained asleep, oblivious to the tension that thrummed in the air. "You chose the very spot I intended for your daughter's slumber."
Confusion clouded Sera's mind. Then, as if a veil lifted, understanding dawned. The man turned; his face revealed. A cold glint flickered in his eyes as he held a knife poised at Delena's neck. The once-concealing scarf now hung loosely around his shoulders.
"You stole everything from me, Sera," he rasped, his voice filled with cold fury. "And now, I'll take everything from you."
The man's face contorted into a mask of rage, and Sera recognized him with a chilling certainty. It was Resi's husband, his eyes filled with a grief that had morphed into a horrifying, twisted vengeance. In that moment, Sera knew the path before her was not just a way out of the mountain, but a descent into a darkness that threatened to consume them both.