Zara sat in her room her mind in turmoil. Her father's legacy, the thing she once thought would be her key to understanding him, now seemed like a weight she couldn't bear. The lies, the secrecy, the manipulation—it was too much to process. She had trusted the wrong people.
The knock on the door made her jump. It was Lila, her presence always a mix of mischief and lightness.
"Hey, is your life as dramatic as the latest episode of The Reaper Chronicles?" Lila said, leaning against the doorframe with a grin. "Because, if so, I'm ready to pull up a chair and grab some popcorn."
Zara managed a small smile, though it felt more like a grimace. "Not the time, Lila."
Lila stepped inside, uninvited as always, and flopped down onto Zara's bed. "Seriously though, what's going on? You look like someone just told you the world was ending."
Zara sighed, her fingers tracing the edges of the artifacts. "It might as well be, Lila. I don't know what to believe anymore."
Lila raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about your dad, Jake, or... what? Because you know you can't keep living in this cloud of mystery and guilt. Come on, I'm not about to let you mope around like a tragic heroine. Tell me what happened."
Zara hesitated. Her thoughts were scattered, and she didn't know how to explain everything to Lila without feeling like she was betraying herself. But the way Lila was looking at her—half concerned, half playful—made her crack a little.
"My dad was part of all this... mess," Zara said, her voice shaking. "And I just... I can't trust anyone. Jake, Adeyemi, Walsh—they've all been lying to me."
Lila nodded, giving Zara a sympathetic look. "I know, but it's Jake, right? He's the one you want to punch in the face and kiss at the same time, huh?"
Zara looked at her friend, surprised despite herself. "What?"
"Don't look at me like I'm crazy. It's obvious." Lila sat up, suddenly more serious. "Zara, you've been into Jake for ages. Even if he screwed up, there's something there. But don't let it blind you. Whatever's going on with him—it's not about you. It's about him and his issues. You need to focus on you for a while."
Zara blinked, feeling like Lila had just delivered a punch to her chest. She was right, but it didn't make the betrayal sting any less.
Before she could respond, the door swung open. Clara stood in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face. "Zara, honey, are you okay?"
Zara felt a flicker of frustration rise. Her mom had been distant lately, more preoccupied with her own struggles than with Zara's. But this time, there was a softness in Clara's voice that Zara hadn't heard in a while.
"I'm fine," Zara said quickly, not wanting to burden her mom. "Just... thinking about everything."
Clara stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "I know it's hard, but you don't have to go through this alone. We're a team, Zara. You and me. You've always had me, and you always will."
Zara's heart ached at her mom's words, but she couldn't bring herself to open up. She didn't know how to explain the depth of her hurt, or how she was questioning everything she had once believed.
"I'll be okay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Clara gave her a long look, then sighed. "I don't know what's going on, but I know you're stronger than you think."