"My daughter."
The voice echoed through the tunnel.
I couldn't move.
My entire body felt frozen.
Shawshank stared into the darkness.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered.
"Yes."
The voice came again.
"Bjei…"
I swallowed.
"Who is there?"
Shawshank immediately turned toward me.
"Don't answer."
"But it called me."
"I know."
"It said I'm its daughter."
"I heard it."
"Then who is it?"
He didn't respond.
I pulled my hand away from his.
"I need to know."
"Bjei, wait."
I stepped toward the darkness.
"Dad?"
Nothing.
Then a deep laugh echoed through the tunnel.
Shawshank grabbed my wrist.
"Don't."
I looked at him.
"Why are you so afraid?"
"Because voices in the deep don't always belong to the people they claim to be."
My heart sank.
"You think it's pretending to be my father?"
"I don't know."
"Then let's find out."
I tried moving forward.
Shawshank blocked my path.
"No."
"Move."
"No."
"You can't keep controlling where I go."
"I'm trying to keep you alive."
"And I'm trying to find my family!"
His expression softened.
"I understand."
"No, you don't."
"I do."
"You have no idea what it's like to grow up wondering why your father isn't there."
He looked away.
I suddenly regretted my words.
"Shawshank…"
He didn't answer.
"I'm sorry."
He finally looked at me.
"My father disappeared too."
I blinked.
"What?"
"He went to the surface many years ago."
"Did he come back?"
"No."
"Do you know what happened to him?"
He shook his head.
"That's why I understand."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I heard footsteps.
Not from behind us.
From ahead.
Shawshank immediately pulled me behind him.
A figure slowly appeared in the darkness.
It was a man.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Long dark hair.
His face was hidden by shadows.
I held my breath.
He stopped several feet away.
"Bjei."
My heart jumped.
"Who are you?"
The man stepped forward.
Light fell across his face.
He looked at me.
And I felt something strange.
A feeling I couldn't explain.
Like I had known him my entire life.
He smiled.
"Come closer."
I didn't move.
"Are you my father?"
The man smiled again.
"I am someone who has loved you from the moment you were born."
My eyes filled with tears.
"That's not an answer."
He looked at Shawshank.
"You brought her here."
Shawshank's expression hardened.
"She found her way here."
The man laughed.
"You know exactly who she is."
"I know enough."
"No," the man replied. "You don't."
He turned toward me.
"Your mother lied to you."
My chest tightened.
"What did she lie about?"
"Everything."
Shawshank stepped forward.
"Don't listen to him."
The man smiled.
"You're protecting her because you love her."
Shawshank went still.
I looked at him.
He didn't deny it.
My heart fluttered.
The man continued.
"But you cannot protect her forever."
Suddenly, a bright blue light appeared behind him.
He began fading into it.
"Wait!"
I ran forward.
"Tell me who you are!"
He smiled.
"You already know."
Then he disappeared.
I stopped.
There was nothing there.
Only a small silver pendant floating in the water.
I reached for it.
Shawshank grabbed my hand.
"Don't touch it."
I looked at him.
"Why?"
"I don't know what it is."
I pulled my hand away from him.
"You don't know anything!"
The words escaped before I could stop them.
Shawshank's face fell.
I immediately regretted it.
But before I could apologize, the pendant began glowing.
The golden mark on my ankle responded.
Both lights connected.
A strange symbol appeared between us.
Then the entire tunnel filled with a woman's scream.
"BJEI!"
I recognized the voice.
Angela.
My mother.
The light vanished.
I stared at the empty water.
"Mom…"
Shawshank looked at me.
"That wasn't a memory."
"What?"
"That was real."
My eyes widened.
"You mean my mother can hear us?"
"No."
He looked toward the palace.
"Someone is using her voice."
A chill moved through me.
Then the palace bells began ringing again.
Shawshank took my hand.
"We have to get you somewhere safe."
"Where?"
"My home."
I looked at him.
"Your home?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because there is something I need to show you."
"What?"
He smiled faintly.
"Something your grandmother left for you."
We began swimming through the glowing passage.
For the first time, I didn't pull away when he held my hand.
But somewhere far behind us, hidden in the darkness, someone was watching.
A pair of golden eyes opened.
And a man's voice whispered:
"She has awakened."