Unexpected visitor

In the dimly lit room, Zia's eyes widened as she beheld the figure before her, draped in an imposing black robe. The silhouette stood tall, its features concealed within the shadows cast by the hood. Zia felt a mix of fascination and unease, her curiosity battling an underlying sense of apprehension at this unexpected encounter.

"I always wanted to meet this person, but not like this," Zia thought, her gaze fixed on the mysterious figure. The room seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with anticipation, as both individuals stood in a silent standoff, each contemplating the other's presence in this peculiar moment.

(A few hours before)

In the midst of the library's hushed ambiance, Will's voice cut through the air with a gravity that caught Zia off guard. "You want to know more about Althea's death and about the Wall of Death that is connected to your mom's death in some way, right?"

Zia's silent nod confirmed her curiosity. Charles, standing nearby, interjected, "Is it the book?"

"Follow me," Will instructed, gently taking Zia's hand as they navigated the library's corridors. With purpose, he led her to a seemingly inconspicuous wall.

"Everyone, leave!" Will's authoritative command echoed, prompting an immediate and silent exodus from the room.

Confusion etched across Zia's face as Will opened a concealed passage, revealing a secret room exuding an ancient allure. In the room's center lay a book, emanating an aura of enigmatic importance.

"This is a book that holds all the secrets of this world, including everything about the Wall of Death. However, no one has succeeded in unlocking its contents," Will explained, emphasizing the book's impenetrability.

Perplexed, Zia scribbled a single word in her own book: "Why," displaying it to Will in an attempt to

Intrigued by Will's revelation, Zia's eyes widened, absorbing every word he spoke. "The Will of Dr. Phillip... only the right heir can actually open it," Will's explanation held an ancient weight, adding layers of mystery to the enigmatic tome. He continued, "It's our duty to protect it until the right heir emerges. There are many outsiders searching for this, hence the utmost secrecy."

As he mentioned the seal affecting those near the book, Zia felt a strange pull, as if an invisible force tugged at her very being. Unbeknownst to her, she had ventured closer to the tome, the allure of its secrets drawing her in.

The book's cover bore dark stains resembling dried blood, with a circular lock adorned by a symbol both ancient and cryptic. Will's description of the symbol's similarity to the emblem of a new cult sent shivers down Zia's spine. There, amidst the subtle differences, lay an unsettling connection that hinted at a deeper, darker conspiracy.

Silence enveloped the room, thick with the weight of untold secrets and the foreboding presence of the locked book, waiting for the rightful heir to unveil its mysteries.

In the hidden room, an eerie stillness settled as Charles and Will recoiled in shock, witnessing Zia standing unscathed within the seal's influence. Their astonishment was palpable.

"How did you go inside the seal without getting affected?" Charles' voice trembled with concern, echoed by Will's bewildered expression.

Reacting instinctively, both men attempted to approach the book, but a sudden wave of agony seized them. They doubled over, gasping in pain as blood stained their lips, the seal's magic repelling them with brutal force.

Zia rushed to their aid, her worry evident. "What happened?" Charles questioned, trying to make sense of the inexplicable.

"I don't know," Will muttered through gritted teeth, struggling to comprehend Zia's immunity to the seal's power. "I can't seal it again today," he confessed, his weakened state apparent from the loss of blood.

"Why isn't Zia affected by the seal?" Charles's concern deepened.

"I don't know," Will admitted, while Zia helped them both out of the room and into the library, their steps heavy with the weight of the unknown.

Sitting in the library, a sense of foreboding hung in the air. Will spoke with urgency, "Zia, this has never happened before. No one has ever come close to the book, let alone being unaffected by its seal. It's a magical barrier specifically for that book. We need to be more cautious from now on. If anyone discovers this, Zia, you'll be in danger."

Their expressions reflected the gravity of the situation, signaling the start of a more perilous phase in their quest for truth.

In the hospital room, Amber lay recovering, her discharge date just a week away. Aidan remained a constant presence by her side, their bond deepening with each passing day.

Meanwhile, Adar and Nora revisited the bustling market, scouring for any overlooked clues. Will, sensing an opportunity for Adar and Nora to bond, orchestrated their joint expedition, while Noah, understanding the importance, stepped back this time.

Determined to uncover more about the cult, Will and Noah redirected their focus to Henry's room, hoping for hidden clues within his personal space. With a shared purpose, they delved into the room, searching for any remnants that might shed light on the mysteries they were chasing.

Back at the school, Will's orders were explicit. Zia and Charles were to remain, keeping a vigilant watch. Will's concern for Zia's impulsive tendencies led him to instruct them to stay put, especially to prevent Zia from recklessly rushing off if something significant was found in Henry's room. Their task extended beyond mere observation – guarding the enigmatic book nestled within the school's confines became their responsibility.

For Zia, the urge to explore and unearth secrets clashed with the need to heed Will's cautionary instructions. Charles, too, felt the weight of the responsibility bestowed upon them, understanding the delicate balance between curiosity and safety in their quest for answers. The quiet school corridors held an air of anticipation as Zia and Charles stood guard, torn between the allure of discovery and the cautionary directives given by Will.

In the serene embrace of the garden, Zia sought a fleeting moment of peace, her mind weighed down by the relentless pursuit of the unknown. She closed her eyes, letting the gentle breeze and the soft rustle of leaves momentarily soothe her restless soul.

Suddenly, a voice broke the tranquility, calling out her name. Her eyes fluttered open to behold a figure clad in a flowing black robe, his face uncovered. There was a weathered wisdom etched into his features, a familiarity that tugged at the corners of her memory.

Instinctively, Zia reached for her small book, swiftly jotting down the question that hung in the air, "Do you know me?" His response was met with a gentle smile, an air of recognition in his demeanor as he confirmed, "Yes, I know you very well."

He settled beside her, exuding an aura of calmness that juxtaposed her unease. Zia's cautious nature prompted her to edge slightly away, her pen swiftly tracing the words, "Who are you?" His reply held a tenderness that felt both reassuring and disconcerting, "I am someone very close to you."

Struggling to reconcile the unfamiliarity with the sense of connection he seemed to evoke, Zia's skepticism surfaced in her writing, "I don't know you." Then, in a moment that felt surreal, he disclosed a truth that reverberated through her being. With deliberate pen strokes, he inscribed the words, "I am your father, Eren."

The garden seemed to hold its breath as the weight of his revelation settled around them, the implications unfolding in the air. Zia's heart raced with a myriad of emotions—shock, disbelief, and an overwhelming desire to comprehend the sudden emergence of her father amidst the enigmatic circumstances that had engulfed her life.

In the quiet sanctuary of the garden, Zia's world shifted with the sudden appearance of her father, Eren. Startled, she stood her expression a tapestry of surprise and caution, her guard instantly rising at his unexpected presence.

"I wanted to see you," his voice held a gentle plea, attempting to assuage her wariness. But for Zia, his appearance out of nowhere triggered a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

"I won't do anything to you, so sit down," his words, while reassuring, couldn't fully dispel her apprehension. Slowly, she settled beside him, her posture a mixture of uncertainty and guarded curiosity.

"How are you?" His attempt to bridge the gap with a simple question met a wall of silence from Zia. Her silence was a testament to the complex emotions churning within her. Her mind raced, grappling with the abruptness of his arrival. "[What is he thinking of coming here like this?]" she wondered, her thoughts a tumultuous storm of confusion and disbelief.

His next words sliced through the air, leaving a searing mark on her already tangled emotions. "I can see that you are doing well, so well that even digging about your father," his casual observation hit a nerve, stirring an inferno of anger within her.

The audacity of his knowledge about her endeavors struck a chord, igniting a firestorm of emotions within Zia. Anger surged, entwined with surprise and frustration, as she wrestled with the implications of his intrusion into her world of secrets and mysteries.

Zia's world shifted as her father, Eren, appeared, his presence a jarring disruption to the peaceful sanctuary. She stood, a mixture of shock and caution coloring her expression as she faced him, the very fabric of her reality shaken by his unexpected arrival.

"[You are not my father.]" The words reverberated in her mind, a tumultuous storm she yearned to unleash but found herself paralyzed by disbelief and fear. Eren's figure loomed before her, at once familiar and strangely foreign, unraveling a truth that felt beyond comprehension.

"Do you want to see your mom?" His question was a lightning bolt, jolting her with a mix of hope and anger. Rising abruptly, Zia's stance radiated defiance. "She is dead," her scribbled words, torn and flung toward him, symbolized the shattered fragments of her emotions.

Yet, his response defied her reality, his words laden with a promise she couldn't fathom. "No, she isn't," his assertion tore through her grief, dangling an impossible offer of resurrecting her mother.

"How?" Her written inquiry carried the weight of her disbelief, mirrored in the suspicious gaze of Noah standing nearby.

His knowledge of the elusive book unsettled her deeply, raising a flurry of questions. "[How could he possibly know about the book?]" Her mind spun with the inconceivable revelation, grappling with the implications.

"I need that book," his plea grew more desperate, but Zia's resolve remained steadfast, her head shaking in determined refusal, echoed by Noah's unwavering distrust.

"Think about it," his urgent plea echoed in the garden's quietude before he summoned forth a haunting figure from the shadows. A woman, draped in the same ominous black robe, emerged—a haunting apparition of Althea, Zia's mother. Half of her face bore scars, the remnants of burns, her eyes vacant and lifeless.

Torn between despair and yearning, Zia surged forward, enveloping the motionless figure in an embrace. Althea, a statue of stillness in her arms, evoked a torrent of tears streaming down Zia's cheeks.

"She is just like a soulless doll," her father's desperate words sliced through the emotional tempest, painting a haunting picture of her mother's existence.

As Eren retreated into the shadows with the inert Althea, Zia stood amidst the fading tranquility of the garden, caught between the haunting promise of reunion and the unsettling, otherworldly reality that loomed before her.