Chapter 45 - Free again.

I couldn't believe I had finally made contact with my mother. The realization hit me in waves, first disbelief, then a fragile burst of joy so sharp it almost hurt. For years, I had wondered if she was even still alive, if the bond that tied us had faded completely or had just been buried under layers of silence and time. And now, hearing her voice through the mind link felt like touching something sacred, like reaching across the void and brushing the edge of a dream I thought I'd lost forever. My breath had caught in my throat as her thoughts brushed against mine, hesitant, trembling, and achingly familiar.