When I finished, Emery was silent for a long moment, processing everything I had said. I could see the conflict in her eyes—the struggle to reconcile the sister she knew with the one sitting before her, telling her of a future that hadn’t yet happened.
Finally, she squeezed my hand and nodded. “I believe you. I don’t know how or why, but I believe you.”
Her unwavering faith in me brought fresh tears to my eyes, but this time, I didn’t let them fall. I had cried enough.
“Thank you, Emery,” I whispered, pulling her into another hug. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
After a while, Emery pulled back, giving me a small smile. “We’re in this together. But for now, you need to rest. You’ve been through a lot.”
I nodded, knowing she was right. But as she left the room, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.
The hot spring in the forest had always been my sanctuary, a place where I could escape the world and find peace. It was secluded, known only to a few, and I hadn’t visited it in years.