Selena Roslin stood at the edge of Mistwood, her dark hair flowing in the breeze as the towering trees stretched far beyond her vision. The forest, thick and untouched, seemed to whisper to her, its ancient secrets hidden deep within its darkened depths. The faint scent of pine and damp earth mixed with the crisp morning air, reminding her why she returned to this place day after day. It was more than just the beauty of the trees and plants—it was the feeling of being connected to something larger, something untamed, that made Selena feel at peace.

Her mother, Violet Roslin, had often warned her not to wander too far into the woods. "There are things in there, Selena," her mother would say, her voice tinged with both caution and fear. "Things that have been there long before any of us. It's not a place for a girl to wander alone."

But Selena had always been drawn to Mistwood, its mysteries pulling her deeper with every passing day. The forest was unlike any place she had ever known—wild, untamed, and alive in ways no one seemed to understand. She often felt a sense of belonging here, as though the forest was her true home, despite the small cottage on the outskirts where she had spent her whole life.

As Selena gazed into the mist rising from the forest floor, a thought crossed her mind. How many others had stood here, at the threshold of this vast, untamed wilderness, wondering the same thing? What was beyond the trees? What could be learned from the land, if one truly listened to it?

She didn't have answers yet, but she was determined to find them.

Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had had with her mother that morning. Violet was as unyielding as ever. Selena had tried to broach the subject of going to the city to study botany again. She had carefully rehearsed her words, rehearsed them a hundred times in her mind, as though the right combination of words would finally convince her mother.

"I don't understand why you can't just help around here, Selena," Violet had said, her tone clipped and sharp. "We're not wealthy. We can't afford for you to go off to some faraway school. There's work to be done. Your place is here."

Every time Selena brought up her dream of studying plants and discovering the world's hidden wonders, her mother responded in the same way—dismissive, cold, and final. Violet had never understood Selena's fascination with the natural world. To her, life was about survival, about making do with what you had. Dreams of the future were a luxury that people like them could not afford. There was no place for adventure, no place for aspirations beyond the limits of their small farm.

But Selena couldn't give up. She had seen what was out there, beyond the small confines of their property, beyond the village. The forests, the fields, the wildflowers—there was so much beauty and knowledge waiting to be discovered. She was determined to leave. To learn. To grow.

But her mother—her mother stood in the way of that dream.

Selena turned away from the edge of Mistwood, heading back to the house. The wind had picked up, and the clouds had darkened, hinting at the possibility of a storm. She would have to hurry if she didn't want to be caught in the rain.

As she walked back through the field toward their cottage, she glanced toward the small, weathered house in the distance. Her mother was inside, no doubt preparing the evening meal. Violet was always busy, always working to keep the small farm running. She didn't seem to notice how the years had worn her down, how her once-strong frame had grown frail, how her once-bright eyes had become clouded with bitterness and regret. Selena's father had passed away when she was young, and since then, Violet had taken on the weight of everything—the farm, the finances, the loneliness. Selena had learned from an early age to keep to herself, to carry her own burdens, just as her mother did.

Inside the house, the smell of freshly baked bread filled the air as Selena opened the door. Violet stood at the stove, her back turned. The faint sound of a clock ticking echoed through the quiet room.

"You're late," Violet said without turning around. "Dinner's almost ready. I don't know why you wander off so much. You're not a child anymore, Selena."

Selena took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. It was always the same. Always the same passive-aggressive remarks, the sharpness beneath her mother's seemingly calm exterior.

"I was just in the woods," Selena said, her voice softer than she intended. "I wanted to look at the plants again—study them."

"Study them?" Violet scoffed, finally turning to face her. Her eyes narrowed. "You should be helping me, not wasting your time out there. The farm won't run itself."

"I know, Mother. I always help." Selena's tone softened further, but her words held a firm edge. "But I want to learn more. I want to do something more than just this. I want to—"

"You want to what?" Violet interrupted, her eyes flashing. "Leave? Go to the city? You think we can afford that? You're dreaming, girl. We don't have the luxury for your silly ideas. You can't just abandon everything here for some foolish notion of education."

Selena's chest tightened. She had heard this all before. The dreams her mother dismissed as "silly ideas" were the very things that kept Selena going. The possibility of leaving, of exploring the world, of doing something meaningful—it was all she had. She couldn't give it up, not now. Not when the world was so wide, and she was so young.

"Maybe we don't have much, but we can still dream," Selena said quietly, her voice trembling. "I want to study the plants. I want to help people understand the world better. I want to learn."

Violet's face hardened. "You'll never leave, Selena. You're mine. You'll help me here, like you always have." Her voice, once filled with maternal affection, now held a biting edge.

Selena said nothing more. She knew better than to argue further. There was no changing her mother's mind, not now. Not when Violet's heart was locked away, buried beneath years of hardship and loss.

With a quiet sigh, Selena turned away and began setting the table for dinner. The warmth of the fire in the hearth did little to ease the chill she felt in her heart. Her mother's words echoed in her mind, but Selena refused to let them define her future. The dream was still there, hidden deep inside, and she wouldn't give up on it.

As the evening went on, the wind outside howled louder, and the rain began to fall in heavy sheets. Selena sat by the window, staring out at the darkened forest. Mistwood, shrouded in the haze of the rain, seemed to beckon her once more.

And though her heart ached with the weight of her mother's refusal, she couldn't help but feel a small flicker of hope. One day, she would find a way to leave. To follow the path she had dreamed of for so long.

The storm raged on, but Selena knew that no storm could extinguish the fire of ambition that burned within her.