Aubree took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.
The heavy silence in the room felt suffocating, her body poised for battle, ready to cast a spell the moment the door revealed an unwanted guest.
But to her surprise, it wasn't the Church.
A beautiful girl with short golden hair—so much like her own—stood at the entrance.
Her blue eyes widened in shock at the mess in the room, her hands tightening around the basket full of strawberries she had just set down on the table.
It was Aurelia.
"W-What happened, Mother?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.
Aubree exhaled in relief, her shoulders sagging slightly. Her daughter was safe. She was here.
"The Church has found us," Aubree said, her voice quiet but firm. "We need to leave. Now."
Aurelia quickly shut the door behind her, her expression tense. "Are we teleporting?"
Aubree shook her head. "They'll track us too easily if we do. But I'll leave a mana stone behind to mislead them."
