Ayna stood in silence, her eyes fixed on the vision before her. The woman standing there had a tender but weary expression, her hair cascading in soft waves over her shoulders. It was her mother—just as Ayna remembered her on the last day they were together.
“Mother…” Ayna whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself.
The vision began to move. The woman stepped forward, and each movement seemed to leave a trail of light behind her. She said nothing, but her gaze was more expressive than words could ever be.
“You left me,” Ayna suddenly said, her voice growing stronger, though pain resonated in her words. “You walked away and left me alone in that cold, empty world.”
Her mother stopped. Her expression remained unchanged, but the echoes around them grew louder, forming a chaotic symphony of words Ayna had heard before:
“She’s too weak.”
“She’ll never have the strength to survive on her own.”
“It’s only a matter of time before she breaks.”
Ayna covered her ears with her hands, but the words continued to seep into her mind. She felt old wounds reopening, the forgotten pain flooding back.
“No!” she cried out. “It’s not true!”
Her mother finally spoke. Her voice was calm and warm, yet there was an underlying sternness to it:
“Why do you still carry this pain, Ayna? Why do you let the past keep you trapped?”
Ayna looked at the vision, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“I was afraid they were right,” she admitted. “That I wasn’t strong enough to keep going.”
“But you are here,” her mother said, her tone softening. “You found a way, even when it seemed there was none. The strength has always been within you, my child.”
The echoes began to fade, and warmth filled the space around them. Ayna stepped forward, reaching out toward the vision. It started to dissolve, but before it vanished completely, her mother looked at her one last time and whispered:
“You are no longer alone.”
When the vision disappeared, Ayna felt a wave of relief wash over her. She turned to Tarik, who had been silently watching everything unfold.
“That was hard,” she admitted, wiping away her tears.
“But you did it,” he said, his voice filled with quiet respect.
The path before them shifted again. Instead of branching into crossroads, it transformed into a single road stretching into the distance. It shimmered with light, as if inviting them to move forward.
“We’re closer than ever,” Tarik said. “But something tells me the hardest part is yet to come.”
Ayna nodded. Together, they stepped onto the new path, ready to face whatever lay ahead.