Raya's dream began with an echo, a soft, familiar voice calling her name from the shadows of a wall that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. "Raya..." The voice sent chills down her spine, yet it wasn't fear that she felt. It was a pull—something deep, compelling her to follow. She turned, trying to locate the voice, but the woman who called her name stood just beyond the corner of the wall, her figure barely visible. "Raya..." The voice sounded again, and without thinking, Raya took a step toward the figure. But the closer she got, the farther the woman moved, her form slipping in and out of sight like a shadow playing tricks on the mind. "Wait!" Raya called out, her pace quickening. She chased the woman through twisting paths, her surroundings morphing and shifting until she found herself in an open field. The woman had disappeared, leaving Raya alone in the vast expanse of green. She spun around, heart pounding, eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of the mysterious figure. Then, under a tree in the distance, Raya spotted her. The woman was setting a picnic cloth on the grass, her movements calm and deliberate, as though waiting for someone. Raya hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked closer. As she approached, the woman lifted her head, and Raya's breath caught in her throat. It was her mother. Her heart nearly stopped. It had been so long, too long, since she had seen her mother's face, her warm smile, the softness in her eyes. Her mother's arms stretched open wide, her smile growing even bigger. "Come here, my love," her mother said gently, her voice carrying a peace that seemed to fill the entire field. Raya didn't hesitate. She rushed forward and fell into her mother's embrace, wrapping her arms around her as tightly as she could. It felt so real—her mother's warmth, the softness of her touch. It was as if time had stopped, and for the first time in so long, Raya wasn't afraid. She wasn't overthinking. She just... existed, wrapped in the pure comfort of her mother's arms. Tears welled up in her eyes, but they weren't out of pain. They were tears of longing, of a love that she had been missing for so long. She didn't want it to end. She wanted to stay here forever, held in this place where there was no fear, no hurt, only peace. "I miss you, Mom," she whispered, her tears spilling onto her mother's shoulder. Her mother didn't say anything, just held her tighter, as if understanding all the things that didn't need to be spoken. But then, in the blink of an eye, the warmth of her mother's arms disappeared. Raya's eyes flew open, and her mother was gone. The field was empty, the picnic cloth vanished. She was alone again, standing beneath the tree, the sense of peace slipping away like grains of sand through her fingers. "Mom?" Raya called, her voice trembling. "Mom, where are you?"But there was no answer. Only silence stretched before her. The soft breeze that had once felt comforting now seemed hollow, and dread began to seep into her heart. "Raya..." A distant voice called her name, pulling her back. The sound grew louder until it broke through the dream entirely, snapping her back into reality. She gasped, her eyes fluttering open as she woke, her body aching all over. The dull pain in her limbs reminded her that the peace she had felt in her dream was gone. "Raya! Thank God, you're awake!" Cassey's worried face hovered above her, tears brimming in her eyes as she bombarded her with questions. "Are you okay? Can you hear me? How do you feel?" Raya blinked, trying to make sense of it all. Her head felt heavy, her body weak, but Cassey's frantic voice kept her grounded. She looked around and realized she was in a hospital bed, white sheets tangled around her legs. "Cassey... what happened?" Raya whispered, her voice raspy. "You've been in a coma for three days," Cassey explained, her voice cracking. "You... you were hurt so badly, and I was so scared. I thought I might lose you." She reached for the call button, summoning the doctors. "They need to check on you." Moments later, the doctors entered, running their routine checks and confirming that Raya would need to stay in the hospital for at least a month. Her hand was broken and would need to be casted, and her body was still weak from the trauma. Raya wanted to protest—she didn't want to be a burden to Cassey any longer. "I don't want to stay. I can't afford this," Raya muttered weakly, trying to sit up. But Cassey wasn't having any of it. "You're staying, Raya. Don't even think about it," she said sternly, crossing her arms. "You need time to heal, and I won't let you go anywhere until you're ready." "Cassey, I don't want to cause you any more trouble. I'll find a way to pay back the hospital bills—" "You don't need to worry about that right now," Cassey cut her off. "You need to get better. I already made sure your dad can't find you. I'll take care of everything else." Raya's eyes softened, knowing that arguing with Cassey was pointless. She closed her eyes, exhaustion pulling at her once again. "I'll make it up to you," Raya whispered, more to herself than anyone else. A few days later, Cassey revealed a plan she had set into motion. She had contacted Raya's Aunt Maggie in New York—her mother's younger sister. Though Aunt Maggie had tried to take custody of Raya after her mother passed away, she had lost the battle due to not having a stable job at the time. "I called her," Cassey said, "and she's ready to take you in now. She has a stable job and a good home. You'll be far away from your father, where he can't hurt you anymore." Raya felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had been given a second chance, and though the future still felt uncertain, she knew that with people like Cassey and her Aunt Maggie by her side, maybe—just maybe—she could find the peace she had felt in that dream. Even if her mother was gone, the love she left behind was still here, holding her together.