Lilia struggled to catch her breath, gasping for air as her chest heaved. The cool night air seemed to weigh heavily on her, thick and oppressive, pressing down on her like a suffocating blanket. Her skin prickled, and her pulse pounded in her ears, a constant reminder of the fear crawling up her spine.
Her voice came out in a shaky whisper, barely audible against the eerie silence of the night.
"I felt someone....," she said, her words trembling. "I felt someone watching me."
Her mother's eyes narrowed with a cold, calculating intensity, a sharp glint flashing across her face like the flash of a dagger. The temperature in the air seemed to drop, the moment heavy with unspoken judgment.
"You felt who?" she demanded, her voice low but laced with venom. "What on earth are you doing here in the middle of the night dressed like this? Are you telling me you felt someone? What kind of sane person feels something like that and decides to go investigate?"
Lilia stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. Her mind raced, but the words caught in her throat. She felt foolish now—like the characters in those ridiculous horror movies she used to watch, the ones who wandered off into the dark for no good reason, only to regret it later.
Her mother's grip on reality seemed tighter than ever, and the fear in Lilia's chest twisted into something darker. How could she explain what she felt? How could she make her mother understand?
Her mother fingers dug into Lilia's skin, her hold firm and full of disdain. The pressure sent a jolt of pain through her body.
"Wait till your father hears about this," her mother hissed, her tone ice-cold, dripping with anger.
No, not her dad.
"I'm not lying," Lilia stammered, her voice small and trembling. "I promise... I'm not lying."
"Don't you dare swear!" her mother spat, her eyes blazing like twin flames of fury. "Why can't you ever be like your sister?"
A bitter smile tugged at Lilia's lips, but it was gone almost as quickly as it came, replaced by the sharp sting of her mother's words. Sabrina. Always Sabrina. Her twin, the perfect one. The one who never caused trouble, who always obeyed. Lilia had spent most of her life being compared to her—no matter how much she tried to distance herself from that impossible shadow. The comparison always stung, but tonight, it felt like a knife being driven deep into her chest.
Her mother yanked her forward, causing her to stumble. The hard pull of her mother's grip on her arm was like a reminder of every harsh word and cruel moment from her childhood, a constant barrage of criticism and disdain. Her mother's voice dripped with bitterness as she continued.
"You should know better than to wander around at this hour," she sneered. "And here you are, telling me you felt someone? Don't worry, you'll explain yourself soon enough."
Lilia's stomach churned as she entered the house. The harsh tone in her mother's voice was like a heavy weight pressing on her chest. Her mother scrutinized her, her eyes sharp and unforgiving, as if trying to peel away every layer of innocence, every shred of truth Lilia might be clinging to. The words that followed were sharp, cutting through the air like knives.
"Are you performing some kind of ritual?" her mother asked, her voice laced with accusation.
'Ritual?'
"Mom, I didn't—I.... I didn't!" Lilia protested, her voice breaking as the guilt weighed her down.
"Shut up!" her mother screamed, her fury erupting like a volcano. "You didn't what? You think I don't know what's going on? Are you sneaking around to meet one of the servants? Or maybe a security guard? Is that why you're out at this hour? Good thing I caught you!"
Lilia's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest. The words stung like acid, but the shame they sparked inside her was far worse. How could her mother think so little of her? Was this how she saw her? A child who couldn't be trusted, someone willing to sneak around for some secret rendezvous with a servant or guard?
Her body trembled as she opened her mouth to explain, but before she could utter a word, her mother's hand swung through the air, landing a sharp slap across her cheek.
"Maybe this will knock some sense into you," her mother spat, the venom in her voice making Lilia's stomach twist.
Tears prickled in Lilia's eyes, but she fought them back with everything she had. This wasn't fair. How could her mother jump to such cruel conclusions? How could she dismiss her fear, her honesty, like it meant nothing?
"No, Mom," she whispered, her voice shaking, "I'm telling the truth. I felt something. I'm not lying."
"Liar!" her mother hissed, her voice low and menacing. "Say another word, and see what happens."
Lilia's chest tightened, as if a blade had pierced her ribs. The pressure in her lungs made it hard to breathe, and she could only watch helplessly as her mother's fury built. The room felt smaller, as though the walls were closing in on her. Her mother's words cut through the air like a whip, each syllable a lash of anger.
"Go to your room. Now."
"Mom, I can't," Lilia pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper, trembling in fear. "I can't go back there. Someone—"
"Who?!" her mother snapped, her voice dripping with scorn. "Who do you keep feeling, you foolish child? You've lost your mind!"
"I'm not lying....," Lilia begged, her voice breaking, tears threatening to fall. "Please, Mom, you have to believe me. Someone's out there..."
"And yet you can sneak out to meet your lover boy in the dead of the night?" her mother mocked, her tone icy and sharp, cutting through Lilia's fragile resolve like a knife.
Lilia froze, her heart stalling in her chest. Lover boy? The words hit her with the force of a physical blow, and they sank deep into her soul, leaving a raw, gaping wound. How could her mother think this of her? How could she twist Lilia's fear into something so cruel, so unrecognizable?
Before she could speak, her mother's hand swung again, landing another slap across her face. The force of it left Lilia dizzy, her head ringing, the sting of the slap lingering like a brand on her skin.
"Upstairs. Now," her mother commanded, her voice cold and final, leaving no room for argument.
Lilia's legs felt like lead as she took one unsteady step forward, then another. The weight of her mother's accusations, the fear gnawing at her insides, the anger swirling around her like a storm—it all pressed down on her like a suffocating weight. The tears she'd been holding back finally spilled over, but she didn't wipe them away. She didn't care. She couldn't care.
Just then, a deep voice shattered the tense silence.
"What's going on here?"
Lilia froze her lips trembling, her heart leaping into her throat. She didn't need to see him to know who it was. The cold, commanding tone was unmistakable. Her father had arrived.
And now she was in bigger trouble.