CAUGHT BETWEEN GUILTY AND LOVE

She walks slowly and stops at the front of the house. Standing there, she looks at the door, her mind racing. For a moment, she hesitates, thinking to herself: It's so late. How can I explain this to my parents? They must be worried and searching for me by now. Why didn't I think about this earlier? What excuse can I even give them?

As these thoughts fill her mind, she notices something in the flame—a magical sight. Santa Claus is sitting in his sleigh, pulled by four reindeer flying in front. The sleigh suddenly moves past her, flying to her right. Startled, she quickly turns her head to the right, sensing something.She sees someone standing there, wearing gloves. On the center of glove, in the middle of the palm, a small red magic circle glows faintly. She realizes he's the one who created the scene she just saw. Slowly, he lowers his hand, and as he does, the magic fades away, the glowing Christmas scene vanishing into the air.She stood frozen after realising that's her father. He wasn't angry; his expression was almost normal. But her face betrayed worry, and after seeing him, she felt a sudden shock. How is my father outside at this time? she thought, realizing she hadn't prepared herself for this moment. Nervousness washed over her—her heart raced, her palms felt clammy, and she struggled to think of how to manage the situation.

Her father's voice broke the silence. "My dear princess, why are you so late? Your mother has been so worried about you," he said calmly, but his words carried emotion and energy, not in a tense way, but with genuine concern.Before he could say more, she interrupted him nervously, avoiding eye contact and staring down at the ground. Her voice was shaky as she said, "Dad, I know… I know it's my fault. I should've informed you earlier. But, um… I went to my friend's birthday party, and I lost track of time. I didn't realize how late it was until it was too late. I'm really sorry, Dad. Please don't be angry with me. Just… forgive me," she said, her words filled with sadness and guilt.

In her mind, she was thinking, I don't know how to manage this situation. I had to lie because if I told the truth about what happened… Her thoughts raced. If I told him that people were killed in that place, he wouldn't believe me. He'd panic, and even if he reported it to the higher magic sorcerers, they wouldn't believe it either. What I witnessed there wasn't normal—it was something entirely different.

As she tried to calm herself, lost in her own thoughts, her father interrupted again. "Hey, are you listening?" he asked, his voice curious but firm.

"Huh, I'm listening, Dad," she said softly, her voice low and guilty. She kept her head down, unable to look at him.Her father let out a sigh and said, "This is definitely your fault. You should have told us, right? But since you said sorry and explained everything, I'll let it go. Still, you know your mom—she's not like me. She won't let this slide so easily."

He paused, then gave a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll manage her for you this time. But tell me—where did you get this coat? It doesn't look like yours."She froze for a moment, then glanced at the coat. I forgot about this coat, she thought. After a short pause, she answered, "Oh, this coat? It's my friend's. She's the one who dropped me off since it was late, and it was so cold outside. She gave me her coat, and I forgot to return it. I'll give it back tomorrow."

Her father raised an eyebrow and teased, "Oh, I see. For a moment, I thought you had a boyfriend or something."Her face turned red instantly. "Dad, don't say stuff like that!" she said, feeling nervous and embarrassed.

Her father chuckled, but as he watched her, his expression changed slightly. He noticed her nervousness, the coat, and even the wet spots on her dress. His mind started to wander. She's acting a bit strange. And those wet spots… is she hiding something from me? But why would she? She's not the type to keep secrets. Maybe I'm just imagining things.

Shaking his head, he decided not to say anything else and smiled. "Alright, let's go inside. I'll deal with your mom. Honestly, I feel like I'm going into a battle,"As her father moved toward the door, ready to open it, she stood still, feeling overwhelmed by guilt. He believed me… but everything I said was a lie. Am I doing something wrong? Am I really doing this?

She hesitated for a moment, her heart heavy. Just as he reached for the door, she nervously called out in a soft, low voice, "Dad..."

He stopped and turned his head slightly, his expression calm. "Hmm? What is it?" he asked, his tone normal, almost casual.She avoided looking at his face, staring at the floor instead. Her voice trembled as she said, "I… I lied, Dad. I wasn't going to any party."Her father's face changed subtly. At first, he seemed surprised, but his expression quickly softened, "Oh, you lied?" he said.She couldn't hold it in any longer. "Dad… Dad…" she repeated, her voice breaking. She covered her face with her hands and sank to the floor, sitting down with her knees tucked close. Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she cried softly.

"I… I…" she tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat.