The wind howled through the ancient trees, carrying with it the scent of something familiar, something forgotten. Mara stood at the edge of the clearing, staring into the deep, murky waters of the lake. Her feet trembled as they sank into the soft earth. She knew this place—hadn’t she always known it? The memories came in fragments, like shards of broken glass. The fragments were sharp, dangerous, yet strangely comforting.
“You’re sure about this?” a voice asked from behind her.
Mara turned to find him standing there, just as she remembered: tall, with eyes the color of the storm-heavy sky. Kyren. The guide. The one who had been sent to help her retrieve what was lost.
She nodded, her voice catching in her throat. “I have to.”
“Once you step in, there’s no going back,” he warned softly, his gaze steady.
“I know,” she whispered, her fingers tightening around the pendant she’d kept for years—her only link to what was once hers. The token had been hers in another life, another moment long past. It was the key to her soul’s return.
Taking a deep breath, she waded into the lake, the cold water swirling around her ankles, then her knees. With every step, the weight of years seemed to melt away. Time, it seemed, was suspended here, in this place between worlds.
The lake was vast, its depths unfathomable. But Mara had always known where to go.
With every heartbeat, her soul stretched, like a piece of fabric unwinding, a pull stronger than gravity. Her past life, the life she had abandoned so long ago, began to unfurl. She saw flashes: a distant home, laughter shared with someone she could not quite place, a love so pure it left her breathless.
Kyren’s voice echoed through the air, muffled but clear. “Remember what you seek. Don’t let the past overwhelm you.”
But it was already too late.
Mara dove beneath the water, surrendering herself to the depths. She sank deeper, farther, until the surface above her felt like a lifetime away. And then, like a rush of wind in her chest, it came. Her soul, like a wild bird set free, swirled back into her, a rush of memories and feelings and moments that she had left behind.
She felt herself breathe anew, feel anew. The person she had been, the one who had been lost, was finally whole again.
The lake shimmered with light as Mara emerged, breathless but alive, her soul returned.
Kyren stood at the water’s edge, a soft smile touching his lips. “You’ve found it.”
She nodded, eyes shining with recognition. “I have. And now, I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?” he asked, his gaze curious.
“For everything,” she said, her heart full of the love she’d once known and now carried once more. “I’m ready to live.”
Thank-you for reading.
Many blessings to all.
Much Love and light,
Brenda Marie
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