The following morning, William sat alone at his office desk, his gaze fixed on the stack of documents before him, though his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts lingered on Elysia—the young woman under Jake's care at the hospital.
Despite the negative DNA results, something about her felt unsettlingly familiar.
Her longing gaze and the word "Father" she'd uttered had struck a chord deep within him, a connection he couldn't explain but couldn't shake.
By mid-morning, his focus had completely faded, the weight of his thoughts too much to bear. He left the office early, his mind restless.
When he arrived at the mansion around lunchtime, he found Sophie quietly setting the table. She noticed his early return and the look of deep reflection on his face, instantly sensing that something was troubling him.
"Something's on your mind," she remarked, her voice soft with concern.
As they settled for lunch, William opened up, sharing his uncertainty about Elysia's true identity and hinting at the growing connection he felt despite the negative test results. Sophie listened intently, her own curiosity sparked by his rare display of vulnerability.
"Why don't I come with you to see her?" Sophie suggested gently. "If she's really in need, I'd like to meet her."
Though William hesitated, he eventually agreed. He was unable to resist the pull he felt toward her, and now he wanted Sophie to experience that same connection—whatever it might be.
That afternoon, they made their way to the hospital together, Sophie's heart pounding with unspoken questions.
---------
When they entered the room, Elysia was sitting on the edge of her bed, her gaze distant, fixed on the window as if lost in thought.
Her delicate features softened by the dim light, and her deep green eyes, full of longing, startled Sophie.
As Elysia slowly turned toward them, her eyes widened in shock, her expression shifting as if something deep within her recognized Sophie.
"Mother?" she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief, as though the sight of her stirred a memory she couldn't fully grasp. The shock in her tone was unmistakable, as if she had found another familiar face, one that mirrored the comfort and warmth she had lost.
Sophie froze, the word mother echoing in her mind, a wave of unexpected emotion washing over her as she looked at William.
The resemblance, the hauntingly familiar look in Elysia's eyes—it all took her breath away. Slowly, she moved toward Elysia,sitting beside her and reaching for her hand.
As soon as their hands touched, Sophie felt an overwhelming surge of warmth, an inexplicable connection that left her both comforted and unsettled.
Elysia watched them with wide eyes, her mind racing with questions. She had awakened earlier to find herself alone, panic filling her as she scanned the room for her father.
Jake had entered just in time to reassure her that William would return soon. William had explained the night before how the woman had called him father.
As she calmed herself, she took in her surroundings—the unfamiliar furniture, the scent of antiseptic, the muted hum of hospital life.
It wasn't until she spotted a calendar on the wall that her world shifted.
The date, a thousand years ahead of her own time, left her stunned. How was this possible? Had she somehow traveled through time? She muttered the words to herself, trying to grasp the unimaginable truth.
Her mind spiraled, each thought blurring into the next. She remembered the man who'd tried to strangle her—the fierce struggle, the suffocating darkness. How had she reached that man? How had she survived? And why did this man, this William, look exactly like her father?
These questions loomed over her, but a part of her mind surrendered to the mystery. Her head ached, and she had no idea what was real anymore.
Lost in her thoughts, Elysia didn't notice Sophie saying something to her. But as she looked up, her heart skipped. Sophie's gentle smile, the warmth in her touch—she could almost believe she was with her mother again.
"Are you feeling alright, dear?" Sophie's voice was soft, steady. To Elysia, it was a familiar and soothing sound, just like her mother's.
Elysia took a breath, trying to quell the emotions stirring within her. She was tempted to believe, if only for a moment, that these people were her real family.
But she quickly reminded herself of the truth. Her parents were gone. She had seen them fall and had buried that pain. This was a new world, these were new people, no matter how similar they looked.
Still, She gripped Sophie's hand, grounding herself in the only warmth that felt familiar in this strange world.
-------------
In the hallway, William's assistant, Charles, appeared, knocking lightly on the door. William excused himself, stepping out to speak with him.
"Did you find anything?" William asked, his tone hushed.
Charles shook his head. "No, sir. We couldn't locate any records of her identity—no missing person reports, no match in the national database. It's as if she appeared out of nowhere."
William's stomach dropped, a surge of shock rippling through him. How could someone leave no trace in the world? The realization unsettled him deeply, filling his mind with questions for which he had no answers.
A few moments later, Sophie stepped out of the hospital room. William noticed the glimmer of tears in her eyes. She tried to compose herself, but the sight of Elysia had touched something deep inside her.
William gently pulled her into an embrace, comforting her as best he could.
He knew exactly what she was feeling—he felt that same strange connection to Elysia, one he couldn't explain but seemed impossible to ignore.
Sophie buried her face in his chest, her voice barely a whisper. "What if... what if she were our daughter?"
The words trembled with the weight of their shared grief, the pain of a loss they had never fully healed from. "Could it be possible?"
William closed his eyes, the question lingering in the air between them. They both wanted to believe it, wanted it more than anything. But the DNA results—they couldn't ignore them. They were negative.
He pulled back slightly, holding her at arm's length, his eyes meeting hers with quiet understanding. "I don't know," he said softly, the ache in his voice mirroring the one in her heart.
"But something about her, Sophie… something about her feels so right," William added.
Sophie nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek, her heart torn between hope and disbelief.
Neither of them could shake the feeling that Elysia's presence in their lives was more than a coincidence—a mystery that demanded to be unraveled.