The woods continued endlessly before Aveline, a composed yet powerful complex of very big trees and lovely leaves. She moved aimlessly, her boots hitting over twigs and fallen leaves, her thoughts as disturbed as the branches above. The note from her father was folded tightly in her pocket, its words replaying in her mind like a complex holdback: "I did it to save you."
She had come to the forest to clear her thoughts, but the forest's silence only increased her confusion. Her father's betrayal, Gabriel's revelations, and the secret prophecies all increased the troubles on her like an unbearable burden.
"Aveline," a familiar voice called out, breaking the silence she was experiencing in the woods.
She turned around, her heart racing. Coming out from the shadows was Antonio, his amber eyes shining with a mixture of warmth and caution.
