Revelations Under Tension

Miria sprinted through the streets until she reached Elma's sister's house. Her heart pounding, she frantically knocked on the door, her short breaths betraying the urgency of her visit. After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened to reveal a woman with a surprised look.

— Miria? she said hesitantly. What are you doing here? Is there a problem?

Miria nodded, trying to catch her breath.

— I… have something to tell you. But first… may I come in? I need to rest for a moment.

The woman seemed to hesitate, studying Miria's face, then finally stepped aside to let her in.

— Of course. Come in.

Miria sat down on a chair while her host disappeared into the kitchen. When she returned, she handed Miria a glass of water, which she drank in one gulp before setting the empty glass on the table.

— Now, tell me what's going on, the woman asked, crossing her arms.

Miria stared at her for a moment before saying in a calm but firm tone:

— Aunt Elma…

The woman's face immediately hardened.

— Don't call me that, she corrected sharply. I am not Elma. I'm her sister. We look alike, yes, but…

Miria smiled slightly, amused by her reaction.

— Funny… You look so much alike that you even have the same tattoo on your neck.

The woman flinched almost imperceptibly, but Miria continued:

— Not to mention that burn on your hand… A burn you got while protecting me years ago when boiling water almost spilled on me.

She crossed her arms and added with a sarcastic look:

— So? Do you still want to make me believe you're someone else?

Elma, unmasked, let out a long sigh before slowly sitting down across from Miria. Her gaze darkened as she murmured:

— You should never have come here. You're putting yourself in danger, Miria.

Miria let out a bitter chuckle.

— Danger? Oh, I'm already quite familiar with it. I've been attacked twice in the past few days by people looking for a certain grimoire.

Elma jolted, her eyes suddenly wide.

— Did you just say… a grimoire?

Miria slowly stood up and nodded.

— Yes. That's precisely why I came to see you. I tried to get answers from my mother, but she refused to tell me anything. So now, I'm constantly living in fear of…

Elma abruptly interrupted her, looking increasingly worried.

— Wait… Wait a minute… Are you telling me you spoke to Katrina? That you told her you were attacked?

Miria hesitated for a moment before lowering her gaze slightly.

— Actually… no. I didn't tell her about the attacks. I only tried to learn more about my father…

Elma closed her eyes and rubbed her temples before exhaling in exasperation:

— Why? Why didn't you tell her anything?

Miria remained silent, unable to come up with a satisfying answer.

— Where is Katrina right now? Elma finally asked.

— On a business trip, Miria replied.

— When is she coming back?

— In three weeks…

Elma froze before repeating in disbelief:

— Three weeks? Impossible! You're in danger, she needs to be near you!

She abruptly stood up and turned toward the window, lost in thought. Then, as if a detail had suddenly come back to her, she turned to Miria.

— How did you survive these attacks?

— A young man… Miria replied after a moment of hesitation. His name is Asher. He's the one who saved me.