Two days after the incident, Alice sat, her back pressed against the familiar tree in the woods—the same one she had leaned on when Shawn had first, seemingly, "casted" her aside. Tears streamed down her face as she replayed her recent actions, a bitter memory that clawed at her heart. Suddenly, a jolt of clarity struck her. She lifted her head, her eyes, swollen and reddened, scanning her surroundings with a newfound intensity. Lines deepened on her forehead as she thought.
"This... this place," she murmured, a growing sense of familiarity washing over her. "Whenever I'm sad, I don't know how, but I always find myself right here, in this particular spot in these woods. Is there some connection?" she wondered aloud.
Her thoughts halted abruptly as she sensed a presence—a supernatural one. A shiver of fear traced its way down her spine. She quickly spun around, and the sight that met her eyes froze her completely.
"Don't be afraid, my child. Come to Mom," a feminine voice called out. Its sweetness resonated like a forgotten melody, surprising Alice. The woman appeared to be in her late 40s, with yellowish-brown hair that cascaded to her waist.
"M-M-Mother?" Alice stammered, disbelief lacing her voice.
"Yes, dear, it's me," the woman confirmed, her smile gentle. There was an undeniable resemblance; the woman was clearly Alice's mother, though Alice herself possessed a youthful glow that seemed to outshine everything around them.
"This can't be. My mother died a long time ago," Alice argued, shaking her head.
"My Lilly, come to Mom," the woman coaxed, and Alice's suspicion flickered.
"What did you just say?" Alice pressed.
"My Lilly. I used to call you that when we were together," the woman explained, her gaze tender.
"But my mom is dead," Alice insisted, still struggling with the revelation.
Without another word, the woman chanted a spell. The large tree before them shimmered, then parted, revealing a hidden passage. "This place isn't safe. Let's go inside, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."