Thinking about Fionn, a wave of guilt washed over her soul once more. She instinctively closed the ancient book, and as if trying to sever herself completely from the source of her guilt, she stood up from the heavy, dark brown pearwood table with a determined yet measured motion. She placed the old, intricately carved chair back in its place so slowly, it seemed as if she wanted to buy time to sort out the storm of thoughts within her.
“I neglect everyone around me, but I feel like I’ve betrayed Fionn,” she lamented.
The moment she thought of the boy again, guilt was gradually replaced by love and a sense of security—something their families had carefully guarded ever since the very first uncertain, blushing teenage love began to take shape in the souls of every young couple.
“Fionn deserves honesty too,” she decided, and a dreamy smile appeared on her lips as she closed her green eyes for a moment, letting his image form before her.
She and Rhys had kept their tangled experiences a secret from everyone because they themselves didn’t yet understand what they could even say about them.
“Would anyone even believe us?” she wondered. Everyone would think Rhys and I had simply started making up stories about the same topic for fun, then got too caught up in the fantasy.
From her living room, furnished with old, solid furniture, she walked with graceful, effortless steps into the adjacent room on the left of her desk—her dressing room. At first glance, it seemed almost empty except for a small coffee table, four chairs, and a black, palm-sized plaque hanging on the wall. This section had only been partitioned off from her bedroom a few years ago, but if she ever wanted to restore the room to its original size, all she had to do was issue a command to the transformation device in the basement, and the space would revert instantly.
She lightly touched the small plaque on the wall with her palm, and a spiral of pink and golden light flickered into existence in the middle of the room. Aisling turned once, and after a few flashes, the spiral took on her exact likeness.
Normally, she would have carefully planned what to wear to a family and friends’ gathering, trying on multiple outfits using her holographic double, but today she only checked that her knee-length, light-yellow silk dress—chosen earlier in the afternoon after school—was neither dirty nor wrinkled. She had paired it with comfortable white canvas shoes before leaving through the holo-gate to attend the mentor meeting at the Millennial Oak.
She examined her holographic replica from every angle before dismissing it with the same practiced motion.
What mattered now was not keeping Fionn waiting too long. Instead of just sitting in the tablinum, he could have visited her in her personal quarters, as he was no longer bound by the one-year subordination period—he was now an ephemer.
Aisling’s personal quarters were located on the second floor of the current three-story house. Though she usually preferred to use the stairs, this time she hurried to the living room, heading for the holo-gate—a black square set into the floor to the right of her desk, just beside the huge window. She stepped onto the center of the square and, after the usual "Activate!" command, gave her destination:
“House, Hall of Ancestors!”
At first, she felt her body grow heavy, then suddenly weightless. The pink and gold spiral of light wrapped around her, now glowing more vibrantly. After just a few flashes, she was already standing in the Hall of Ancestors.
Though every family member had a personal holo-gate in their own living quarters—usually in the living room—only the Hall of Ancestors, the peristylium, and the basement had fully open access, even for those living in the house. In their private rooms, family members had to first accept a visitor before granting them entry. The holo-gate could also be used to travel to the city's public spaces and communal buildings without requiring an invitation.
The atrium, more commonly known as the Hall of Ancestors, was the most unique part of the house. From here, the traditional front door led to the street, a white marble staircase ascended to the personal quarters on the upper floors, and entrances led both to the tablinum and the peristylium. This was also where they preserved the memories of their long-passed ancestors. Instead of funerary masks, now holographic portraits of the ancestors lined the walls. Alongside, above, and below each image hung significant artifacts they had created, a modern way of honoring the deceased.
The atrium's furnishings and lighting were designed to match the colors of the mosaic floor, an ancient masterpiece made of terracotta, white, black, and blue tiles arranged to depict a carefully crafted lake with swans and water plants. The impluvium, which once collected rainwater, now only provided natural daylight. In place of the old compluvium, a modern fountain—composed of interlocking squares, circles, and triangles—stood.
Barely any light filtered through the impluvium’s glass anymore. Dusk was settling.
“Dusk or dawn… both are thresholds between worlds,” she mused, finding the thought strange.
She turned toward the tablinum, toward Fionn—and perhaps toward safety as well. The boy was sitting beside the reading desk, deeply immersed in a book.
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Fionn didn’t feel like a stranger in the house.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrQrNDhYgK
While waiting for Aisling in the blue room—now used as the family library—he flipped through The History of Water Sports from Aodhan’s collection. He liked reminiscing about his subordination year and the long afternoons spent talking with Aodhan in this very room. Both of them were passionate about water sports.
Here, in the blue room, he waited for the girl. Even if she had only invited him as far as the tablinum, he still wanted to distract Aisling from her exams, even if just for a little while. In her personal spaces, everything now reminded her of studying and the upcoming tests. He had also hoped to exchange a few words with Rhys—his cousin and best friend—before the family gathering. However, Rhys’s parents and grandparents had just arrived through the holo-gate, stepping directly into the peristylium. His family members had already taken their places among Sophia’s relatives. Two of Sophia’s three mentor-peers from her own year had arrived much earlier. She herself, accompanied by Ulf and Thana, was descending the stairs cheerfully, taking the traditional route. Rhys followed them a few minutes later, hurrying after them, but only had time for a quick greeting. Of course, he added a kind, apologetic smile.
Fionn had met all of Sophia’s and Aisling’s mentor-peers and former mentors during his subordination period. Throughout their school years, Rhys had been one of Sophia’s mentors. Fionn had gotten to know Aisling through his growing friendship with Rhys—long before Sophia and Rhys’s mentor-student relationship fully blossomed into a deeper friendship.
Not much time had passed since Lady Lívia informed Aisling of Fionn’s arrival.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrl0Zx1s2ve
Lifting his gaze from the book, he spotted the girl approaching the tablinum.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHelNQw9W5n
At that very moment, the sentence he was forming about water sports fell apart in his mind, the words refusing to arrange themselves into coherent thought.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcydCflHf2
They would have, had the girl not appeared.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRdX1svU4f
Had she not appeared in her knee-length, yellow silk dress, looking so impossibly unreal, as if outside the flow of time itself.
Fionn looked up from his book just as Aisling stepped under the impluvium, where the last rays of the sunset still greeted her.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOj9X8sdv4
Something about the sight both enchanted and unsettled him.
"Are these moments of presence or of loss?" he mused, thinking, of course, about the sunset.
Even though he lowered his eyes back to the book, the half-formed sentence about water sports faded into the melancholy darkness of oblivion, vanishing with the last light of the setting sun.
The girl was already approaching the Ancestors’ Altar.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f6uS1YLq6
As soon as Fionn arrived, he had placed fresh flowers on that simple marble altar.
"She’s noticed the flowers, but she would have gone there anyway," he thought with a small smile.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2Cr0km6jh
During his subordination period, he had come to know Aisling’s habits well. He knew she never passed by the marble altar without pausing for a few respectful moments in silent tribute to her ancestors.
He knew that the flowers placed upon the Ancestors’ Altar had brought her joy.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Iuq9h3OEs
Proud and content, he stepped toward her and quietly took her hand.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSoqpzduEu
She looked at him with gratitude. No further greeting was necessary.
Fionn glanced at the altar.
"The way of transition," he thought, sensing something inexplicable—something dark and tangled within.
“Hey, kids! You haven’t seen Rhys around here, have you?”
Both of them flinched at the sudden arrival of a whirlwind—a red-haired, medium-height, curvaceous woman with gentle hazel eyes, radiating both charm and unwavering determination.
If anyone always looked surreal in both presence and attire, it was Daphne—forty-eight years old, Sophia’s mother, Lady Lívia’s sister-in-law.
While most of the family and their social circle adhered to traditional clothing styles, integrating modern technology only for comfort and practicality, Daphne She wore a Greek-style top made of shimmering, translucent fabric that shifted between pale gold, silver, and deep indigo depending on the light. She had tucked this lightweight garment into a high-slit white skirt. Around her waist, she wore a sturdy belt adorned with Thracian symbols. Her light sandals, reinforced with metallic accents above the ankles, completed the look. On her wrist, she wore a simple, delicate bracelet that changed color with her mood—a piece she never removed. It rarely reflected anything other than balance, love, and joy. Though her tastes and personality resembled neither her mother, Callista, nor her father, Rhesus, nor even her sister, Euxena, this charming yet resolute woman was beloved by all.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqqJ6tcSq7 Everyone enjoyed her company—especially the youth and children.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrI4GNieyD Daphne’s question didn’t linger in the air for long. The colors on her bracelet hinted at mild agitation. "About half an hour ago, I saw him hurrying toward the peristylium while I was waiting for Aisling," Fionn responded readily.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcXn0tKyyp Aisling, intrigued, waited to learn what had unsettled the usually cheerful Daphne—and how exactly it involved Rhys. "Didn’t he come down with Sophia? Didn’t he stop to talk to you, even for a moment?" Daphne pressed on, though her eyes now studied Aisling instead. Aisling’s open gaze and composed posture seemed to nudge Daphne back toward her usual balance and warmth. The colors on her bracelet softened slightly. "No, Sophia arrived with Ulf and Thana. Like she does everywhere these days," Fionn stated. He sensed that Daphne had detected the scent of some impending trouble and was now investigating with purpose—hoping to prevent it before it could unfold. She had an uncanny ability to sniff out problems before they fully formed—and she never let them escalate. She meddled in everything, but no one ever resented her for it—because it always led to good outcomes. "You two haven’t been spending as much time together lately. Is everything alright?" Daphne asked, abandoning all pretense of discretion. Aisling hesitated for only a moment before the lie became irreversible. Fionn met her gaze with unwavering confidence.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeFahFipdY "I last saw Rhys at lunch," Aisling fibbed, gracefully turning her left palm upward.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuX34SkDbHc Daphne’s scrutinizing, doubtful gaze lingered on Aisling before shifting to Fionn with a kind, sympathetic expression. Fionn stepped slightly closer to her. His calm, attentive stance helped ease the swirling tension in the air. "Yes, that much I know," Daphne cut off Aisling’s explanation. The way she emphasized that suggested she was aware of the obvious—but that something more important still remained hidden. For now. Guilt over keeping a secret.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpF6qPxUC6 Daphne’s mysterious agitation seemed to subtly reshape the tones of unease within Aisling. "Is everything alright between you two?" she repeated more gently.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuoSKz2CoN Fionn sensed Aisling’s growing tension from the smallest of signs. "Things will change after the exams," he intervened smoothly.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjhbSz44eW A lively, colorful group approached from the direction of the peristylium. The curly, dark-blond, freckled boy was quietly telling a story, while the black-haired girl with long locks gazed at him adoringly and laughed. The thin, short, auburn-haired girl watched the stairs with wide eyes.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2GSykOWe4 Standing next to Daphne, they all seemed rather casually dressed. Ulf, as always, wore a light tunic with a leather-like texture, almost completely plain except for the white geometric patterns edging the sleeves. Around his wrists, as usual, he had thin, braided synthetic leather bracelets, handmade by his sister—he had worn them everywhere since. Sometimes, he highlighted his Viking or Greek heritage with different pendants, but today, he wore no necklace at all. Thana was dressed in a simple, black, long gown made of fine fabric, leaving her shoulders and back bare. Of course, this was just another way for her to emphasize her hair, much like the numerous hair ornaments and headbands she alternated between wearing. Today, however, nothing about her appearance hinted at her Etruscan-Vandal ancestry. Sophia, as always, expressed herself through colors. She had chosen her favorite light green blouse, paired with a cream-colored, long, delicately pleated skirt. Her slender waist was accentuated by a simple, braided black belt. "Have you seen Rhys?" Daphne tried her question again. Sophia laughed, pointing toward the stairs, though now her expression was not one of surprise but of confusion. "There he is, Mom! He just changed. Put on some hideous thing." The "hideous thing" in question was a patched-up pair of pants and a rough linen shirt. "What are you presenting to us today?" Daphne asked, now struggling to contain her own laughter. "You’ll see," Rhys winked at Aisling, who looked stunned. Aisling didn’t laugh. She recognized Kaelen from the dream-image Rhys had sent her not long ago. Guilt. Shame. Shock. And as if the threads running toward the future carried a faint, formless, dark, and foggy message trying to reach her. Or perhaps it was the past, struggling to take shape in her thoughts? These tangled emotions felt as distant as possible from the current merriment. Rhys performed poetry and songs beautifully—ones he had written himself. He had dressed up for such performances before. To everyone else, his appearance seemed amusing rather than strange. Even Daphne found it funny. Only Aisling felt otherwise. "Your parents and grandparents have arrived," Sophia informed Fionn matter-of-factly. "Well then, we can head back to the others," Rhys said, turning to Daphne with a smile. Daphne nodded in agreement. "We’ll wait for our mentor-partners. Aisling, are you staying too?" Sophia asked in a tone that made it clear that even if Aisling had wanted to join the others, it would have been rude to leave her cousin behind with Thana and Ulf. "Of course. My mentor-partners are arriving with yours," she agreed easily. "See you outside," she added, glancing at Fionn. Daphne, moving at a relaxed but determined pace, linked arms with the two boys and started toward the peristylium as if shielding them from some insidious danger creeping between them. Although the holo-block had been lifted for all invited guests in the house’s communal areas, only family members and future family members proceeded straight to the peristylium. The others were received in the Hall of Ancestors so they wouldn’t feel out of place or uncomfortable if they weren’t yet entirely familiar with the family. This was the custom. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ9jup1lW8 Sophia glanced once more at the retreating figures. The earlier cheerfulness had not disappeared from her face. Ulf, too, watched them with a broad grin and looked at Aisling—who was still wearing a stunned expression—as if she had just told him a particularly amusing story. Only Thana remained inscrutable. "Aisling, Mom thinks you and Rhys got together!" she announced with a laugh once she was sure that the ever-watchful Daphne and the boys, who were completely oblivious to the heavy suspicion hanging over them, were out of earshot. "It's time to confess. Since everyone already knows, you might as well admit it," Ulf added, forcing a stern tone. At the absurd accusations, all the weight lifted from Aisling’s soul. She let out a frustrated laugh. "Fine, I admit it. It’s time. I’ve been neglecting everyone because I’ve fallen in love with Rhys." She shrugged nonchalantly, then added quietly, "You can’t be serious. You really can’t." They weren’t serious, of course. Aisling made a comical sight, summoning all the power of the falsely accused as she defiantly squared off against the grinning Ulf and Sophia. She even put her hands on her hips for effect. "Sophia knows exactly what the two of you have been up to," Ulf teased the indignant girl in the yellow dress. To illustrate his point, he pulled the quiet, serious Thana into a half-embrace. Thana didn’t laugh. Her restraint felt forced, unnatural. Normally, she would have joined in on the teasing and laughter. "Yes, Aisling, I know exactly what you’ve been up to in secret. You and Rhys have been writing stories for each other," Sophia cut off any further grumbling. "I know that much, but Mom and Lady Livia were just discussing, near the swan statue, how they have to talk to you two now. Mom started looking for Rhys because she noticed you weren’t around either." Sophia turned fully toward her cousin. "We were sitting on the bench behind the statue, and we couldn’t believe our own ears. We followed right after Daphne, just in case you two were together, so she wouldn’t make a scene," Ulf added swiftly, cutting off Aisling before she could protest. Thana, still caught in his embrace, now looked as if she had just seen a ghost. Aisling crossed her arms in defiance. "You know what I think of this assumption? If they believe this about me, then they deserve to spend the entire day spying on us. I’m not explaining myself to either of them." She hadn’t expected their innocent secrecy to spiral into a full-blown family conspiracy. It stung that her mother and Daphne hadn’t even tried to talk to her. Instead, they had resorted to hints, theories—and, of course, snooping. "I read your stories. They’re very creative. I think you should continue them," Sophia tried to soothe her still-annoyed cousin. Now, their small group once again fit the solemn atmosphere of the Hall of Ancestors. "It’s a great joy to find companions for creativity. I’m sure Lady Livia and Daphne will be thrilled to learn what you two have been hiding," Ulf added with a sudden seriousness, finally releasing Thana. The girl nervously adjusted her long black hair, her gaze fixed on Aisling’s purple bracelet. Aisling didn’t mind that their secret was out. Softening a little, she grew curious. "You read them?" "Only I did. I found them on Rhys’s desk, and..." Now Sophia hesitated, suddenly flustered. She didn’t want to seem like Lady Livia or Daphne—whose distrust she had just laughed at so openly. "...and she took a little peek at them. Stuck her pretty little nose right into them," Ulf finished bluntly. Sophia shot him a grateful look. Ulf had a habit of interrupting her, cutting her off mid-sentence, and generally being an infuriating, freckled Viking—but over the years, he had become an honest friend and a protective, unofficial brother. "I hope others join your creative circle—especially those whose main talent is storytelling. Your stories are really good," Sophia steered the conversation back toward creativity. "What are the stories about?" Thana finally spoke, her curiosity genuine. The ghost that had haunted her seemed to vanish. "Mirael and Kaelen’s adventures in the world of Nexoria, during the rule of Drakthor," Sophia summarized concisely. Thana stepped closer to Aisling with understanding. "It connects to your exam topic too. Don’t be too mad at Daphne and your mother. You know how much parents protect their children’s first mutual teenage love," she said, her expression once again unreadable. Ulf wasn’t only skilled at teasing and provoking others—he also had a knack for finding solutions. "You don’t need to explain yourselves to your mother and Daphne. I have a better idea. Tomorrow, invite Fionn over, and you two present your stories to them," he suggested. Ulf had developed his problem-solving skills during his troublemaking years. It was his greatest strength. "I like the idea. This way, Aisling and Rhys won’t have to explain themselves openly, and our parents won’t feel too humiliated for snooping, spying, and jumping to conclusions," Sophia agreed. Seeing the support from her friends, Aisling relaxed her defensive stance. She let her arms drop from their protective fold. "They didn’t mean any harm, they just... Parents overthink everything," Thana smiled for the first time since the topic of a possible love triangle had surfaced behind the swan statue. Across from the Altar of the Ancestors, the holo-gate had begun to flicker faintly in golden and pink hues. "Let’s go to the Millennium Oak instead. Your stories are beautiful, and they deserve to be shared. We can introduce your new creative companions to the community," Sophia expanded on Ulf’s peaceful resolution. "Or—just for fun—you could play a little prank on them today. Sophia, you invite Fionn over, and Aisling, you slip away to discuss the story with Rhys," Ulf suggested mischievously. "Perfect! Tomorrow we’ll clear everything up, but today we’ll have some fun. If they’re going to be suspicious, they deserve to be a little confused," Aisling seized the opportunity for playful revenge. Now, she was grinning too. "The others are coming," Thana warned. Their waiting broke the conversation. As Aisling stood among her friends, she found herself reminiscing about her very first day of school. There had been no older children in her family, so she and Sophia had only vague ideas about school, drawn from family stories. Despite their parents' encouragement, both had been terrified of that first day. "No, Aisling, if you and Sophia sit with the same holo-mentor, you’ll have fewer friends, fewer mentors," Lady Livia had tried to convince her tearful daughter. A floor above, in Sophia’s space, the same conversation had played out. The next day, the two cousins had stepped through the gate together. The holo scanned their health, and then—inside the vast building—they parted ways for the school day. Aisling sat down beside a silver-haired girl named Velia, who became her first acquaintance. Soon, Sibius and Solveig joined them. That same day, Sophia met Thana, Ulf, and Baalit. That day, they also met their mentors. The four of them, who had sat around the same holo-mentor, received four mentors from the year above them and four more from students two years older. It was a simple system: first-time mentors were chosen from those sitting closest to them. The same applied to the older group—the nearest available students became their mentors. From the beginning of the fifth year, students sat around the holo-mentors based on their inclinations and abilities, but this didn’t change anything about the mentor system. Aisling had an inclination for studying history and an ability for storytelling. From the beginning of the fifth year, she spent her lessons alongside three other students with similar inclinations and abilities. Her classmates changed, but her mentor-partners did not. "Our parents were right. If Sophia and I had sat together, I wouldn’t be mentor-partners with Velia, Solveig, Sibius, and the others now. I wouldn’t have befriended my own mentors either. Or I wouldn’t know Thana, Ulf, Baalit... and of course Rhys… Fionn. It’s a great custom that parents don’t allow family members of the same age to sit with the same holo-mentor," she thought with satisfaction and agreement. "Today, the ones coming to discuss the mentor farewell with me are the same ones I sat with at the holo-mentor on the first day of school," she mused further, raising her eyebrows in amazement as she realized that the number twelve had accompanied her throughout all her school years. "There were twelve of us on the first day. Twelve of us on the last day. Twelve of us when we were mentees, and twelve of us when we were mentors. The Twelve... and in the first and last years, the circle is the most perfect. The beginning is the end, only in between, there are countless experiences and lessons," she reflected. The athletic-built, long silver-blonde-haired girl walked straight to Ulf. Aisling admired Velia’s traditional, refined attire once again—the ankle-length white linen tunic with red, blue, and gold Scythian embroidery, where only the upper part was colored. Even on the long sleeves of the tunic, only at the ends could one find tiny red griffins. "Velia and her griffins," she looked at the girl fondly. Even on the first school day, she had a griffin pendant on her necklace and griffin motifs on her bracelet. Only on her earrings did the griffins never appear. She always wore elongated, teardrop-shaped earrings. "Maybe it was her refined taste and the griffins that drew me to her on my first day," she smiled. "Hey! The others are coming too!" She didn’t make a big deal out of her arrival. She stood next to Ulf and waited for Baalit’s form to take a definite shape in the flickering lights of the holo-gate. "Why wasn’t Baalit here with you today?" Aisling asked curiously. Thana had just finished staring at Velia. Once again, she looked like someone who had been startled by ghosts. "He spent the day with Fabia’s family. He’s starting his subordination period, and they were discussing the Martyrs’ Celebration," Sophia informed them about their mentor-partner’s program. Now Thana was also watching Baalit’s arrival. Out of the entire mentor-circle, Thana was the peculiar girl who had never fallen in love. The Martyrs’ Celebration, held almost immediately after the school farewell, didn’t concern her. After the celebration, the school’s graduates began their year of subordination in their peers’ families. "Baalit hasn’t changed much since we first met," Aisling remarked. "And neither have you, Velia. You always choose your Scythian clothes and griffins. Baalit still wears knee-length tunics with purple embellishments." "Two predictable people," Ulf interjected with a playful tone. Baalit’s slim, athletic figure, symmetrical face, and high forehead were now fully visible. Yes, he was still wearing a knee-length tunic with an open upper part, adorned with purple embroidery and cinched with a silver belt decorated with geometric patterns. "Why did you all go silent?" he inquired with mock grumpiness instead of a greeting. "You weren’t talking about me, were you?" Baalit was half-Punic, like Rhys, and half-Phoenician. His parents gathered creative partners around them who had an inclination for landscape painting. Eshmun and Elissa had been lesson-partners throughout their school years. Ulf, ever the hospitable one, clarified for their mentor-partner. "Well, you got that right. Aisling was talking about your love life and your clothes." Aisling furrowed her brows and fixed the Viking—who was even more of a gossip than she was—with a sharp, unwavering stare until he looked away. "Ulf is exaggerating. We were just talking about how you and Velia haven’t changed your tastes much," she corrected. "If I hadn’t changed at all, I’d still be staring at you during breaks," Baalit retorted. Thana didn’t give them time for more teasing. "Now that we’re all here, we could go to the Swan to discuss the mentor farewell." "You’ll find me in the peristylium," Ulf bid farewell to Velia. Thana walked a few steps ahead of Sophia, Baalit, and Ulf. She didn’t even glance back at Velia and Aisling. The space behind the Swan statue was their favorite place. Whenever it was Sophia’s turn to host either the mentees or the mentors, they always spent their time there.
None of her three daughters had inherited Daphne’s bold style.
Her personal spaces were always filled—not only with Sophia’s, Aine’s, and Thya’s mentor-peers and students but also with young people and children beyond their immediate mentor circles.
He had been so lost in thought that he had only managed a friendly wave as Rhys rushed after Sophia’s group.
Daphne, however, looked at her as if she were the very source of whatever trouble lay ahead.
"After lunch, as you know, I went to the Millennium Oak..."
Shame for the small lie just told.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhB1kQfXsch
Both emotions pulsed in the air, almost visible.
"Lately, you haven’t spent much time together."
"Right now, Aisling is focused on her research."
The trouble lurking around them drew Sophia, Ulf, and Thana’s attention.
