The woman took a step forward but stopped again when she noticed Orea hadn't moved. Orea studied her fully this time—her tall frame, her Zairan-cultural dress, the dark skin matching her own. Her dark curly hair was pulled into a single braid that fell down her back. The same big brown eyes. The same slim figure, though her face was slightly rounder. Her soft features gave her a youthful glow.
The woman managed a smile despite her unnerving state.
"Have you… come to see me?" she asked shakily.
Orea remained frozen until Valtor touched her arm from behind.
"Are you okay?" he asked, quickly scanning her.
"Yeah," she whispered before turning back to the woman. "I did come to see you."
The woman stepped closer, Orea's heart thudding faster with every inch. Now only a few metres away, her gaze drifted to the boy behind Orea.
"This is Valtor," Orea said quietly.
Valtor gave a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"The pleasure is mine," the woman replied with a soft smile.
Valtor looked between them. "Well… I'll give you both some space."
Orea turned to him, anxious.
"I won't go far, I promise," he said. "You've got this." Then he stepped away.
A moment of silence settled before the woman gently gestured toward the stools.
"Please, sit."
Orea slowly lowered herself onto one of them.
"I'm glad you came back," the woman continued. "You're free to ask me anything."
She drew a breath. "I'll start with introductions. I'm Alora Sarabi… your mother."
Orea inhaled sharply as the words settled.
"When was the last time you saw me?" she asked softly.
"About… seven months ago," Alora replied.
"How did you find out I was missing?" Orea continued.
Alora exhaled. "It was a regular day at home. I'd sent you to the local market for food supplies." She paused, her voice tightening. "You took longer than usual, so I started to worry. I went out to look for you. On the way to the market, I met a crowd—people murmuring bitterly, everywhere was chaotic. While I tried to understand what was happening, a friend rushed to me from the crowd and told me she'd seen you being dragged away by the Vaticans."
Her voice cracked. "I was confused and devastated. We never heard a word about you since then"
Orea stayed silent, listening.
"After the incident, our whole community voiced out to the government, but we didn't receive any real information… just empty promises."
Alora's gaze dropped. "I cried for days, blaming myself for sending you out that day. Your father tried to stay strong, hopeful you'd return someday. But it was hard to explain what happened to your siblings."
"Siblings?" Orea repeated, surprised.
"Yes." Alora gave a soft, bittersweet smile. "You have a younger sister and brother. They were really shaken by your abduction."
"What are their names?" Orea asked, her eyes growing teary.
"Raya and Adriel," she replied. "They're eighteen and fifteen."
Orea bowed her head as a drizzle of tears slipped down her face. She quickly wiped them, struggling to hold the rest in.
Alora watched her painfully, fighting her own tears.
"I'm sorry," Orea said, her voice muffled beneath the tears. "I'm sorry I ran away the other day." She sniffed. "Our memories were wiped after we were taken, so I don't remember anything."
Alora's expression darkened. "Just how many people did they steal away?"
"Six of us from each region, including my friend Valtor," Orea replied. "None of us were above twenty-two."
"Kids!?" Alora's tone rose in disbelief. "What in the world could they possibly want with any of you?" Her voice trembled.
"We were test subjects for the Council," Orea said simply, lifting her head. "They carried out experiments on us… gave each one of us inhuman abilities."
She opened her palm. Her eyes turned grey as the calm breeze suddenly roared to life, kicking up dust and fallen leaves.
Alora's eyes widened, her mouth falling open as she watched Orea just as easily stop the swelling whirlwind.
Orea remained composed, studying her mother's reaction. "The Council needed human weapons to fight the alien insurgency, so they created a team of superhumans… basically," she said with a small shrug.
"We were abandoned in alien-infested zones, left to fight whatever hunted us. The Council called it 'a scientific study.'"
"I can't believe this…" Alora's tears finally spilled over.
She placed a hand over her mouth, shaking. "How could they do this to you… to kids?"
Orea stayed silent, her gaze drifting to the ground.
"How did you find your way back here?" Alora asked softly.
Orea let out a painful sigh. "That's… a wild, long story."