Chapter 3: A Strange Envelope
The rain had stopped by the time Mia reached home, but the sky was still heavy with clouds, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Her shoes were muddy, her clothes damp, yet her heart felt strangely warm. The memory of the puppy's trusting eyes stayed with her, echoing in her mind like a soft promise.
This was only the beginning of everything.
She didn't know why the thought came to her, but it did. And for once, it didn't feel foolish.
Inside, the house was quiet. Too quiet. Her mother's voice drifted faintly from the kitchen, talking on the phone in low, tired tones. Mia slipped past without being noticed and went straight to her room. She closed the door gently behind her and leaned against it for a moment, letting out a long breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Her room smelled faintly of old books and laundry detergent. Everything looked the same as it always had — the desk by the window, the stack of notebooks, the small shelf of childhood toys she could never bring herself to throw away. Yet somehow, she felt different inside it now. Like she no longer quite fit into the life she had been living.
She sat on her bed and stared at her hands. They were still a little dirty from the park, tiny scratches on her fingers where the wire had scraped her skin. She hadn't even noticed the pain back then.
Maybe I'm not as useless as I thought, she told herself.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Mia?" her mother called. "Dinner will be ready soon."
"Okay," Mia replied, trying to sound normal.
Her mother didn't come in. The footsteps faded down the hallway.
Mia changed into dry clothes, then sat at her desk. She opened her school bag, pulling out her books, but her mind refused to focus. The words swam before her eyes. Every few seconds, she found herself staring at the window instead, watching the clouds drift slowly across the darkening sky.
She was just about to give up and lie down when she noticed something odd.
A corner of white paper peeked out from under one of her notebooks.
She frowned. "I didn't put that there…"
Mia slid the notebook aside and pulled out the paper.
It was an envelope.
Plain. White. No stamp. No address.
Just her name written across the front.
Mia.
Her breath caught.
For a moment, she simply stared at it, her fingers frozen around the edges. A strange chill ran through her, crawling up her arms and settling in her chest.
She turned it over.
Nothing.
No return address.
Her heart began to beat faster.
Did Mom put this here? she wondered. But her mother rarely entered her room anymore. And if she had, why not say something?
Mia carefully opened the envelope.
Inside was a folded sheet of paper… and something heavy that slid into her palm.
A key.
Old, bronze-colored, with a strange symbol carved into its head — a circle crossed by a thin line.
Her fingers closed around it.
Then she unfolded the paper.
The moment she saw the handwriting, her knees went weak.
She knew it.
She would know it anywhere.
It was her father's.
"Dad…" she whispered.
The note was short.
But every word hit her like a blow.
Mia,
If you are reading this, then it means I can't be there to explain things myself.
Please know this: things are not what they seem. And they never were.
Trust the key. It will lead you to the first truth.
Be careful. And be brave.
— Dad
She read it again. And again.
Her hands trembled.
Her father had disappeared three years ago. Gone for work, they said. Then silence. No calls. No messages. Just emptiness.
And now this.
"How is this possible?" she whispered.
Hope rose in her chest, sharp and frightening.
What if he was alive?
What if he had left this for her?
But another thought followed quickly — darker.
What if this is a lie?
She studied the handwriting again.
No.
It was his.
A knock startled her.
"Mia, dinner," her mother called.
"Coming!" Mia answered quickly, hiding the note and key in her desk drawer.
At dinner, her mother looked tired, older than she should have. Mia watched her quietly, questions burning in her mind.
But she said nothing.
Not yet.
Back in her room, she locked the door and took the envelope out again. She laid the note and the key on her desk, staring at the symbol.
Trust the key. It will lead you to the first truth.
"What truth?" she whispered.
Her eyes moved to a small wooden box on her shelf.
It had been there forever. A simple box with a tiny metal lock.
She remembered her father once saying, "For special things."
Her heart began to pound.
Slow and heavy, each beat echoing in her ears as she reached for the box. She placed it on her desk and picked up the key.
It slid into the lock perfectly.
With a soft click, the box opened.
Inside were a folded map, a small cracked notebook, and an old photograph.
She picked up the photo first.
It showed her father standing with strangers in front of an old stone building, covered in vines. On the back, he had written:
"The beginning."
Her breath caught.
She opened the notebook. Pages were filled with symbols, dates, rushed notes. One line stood out:
"If anything happens to me, Mia must never be kept in the dark."
Tears blurred her vision.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered.
She unfolded the map.
It was hand-drawn, marked with circles. One place was circled with the same symbol as the key.
Not far from town.
Her pulse raced.
This was the first truth.
Footsteps in the hallway made her jump. She quickly locked the box and hid the key in her pocket.
"Mia? Are you okay?" her mother asked.
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Alright. Don't stay up too late."
When the footsteps faded, Mia sat on her bed, heart racing.
Her father hadn't vanished without a trace.
He had left clues.
For her.
That night, she couldn't sleep. The map, the key, the note played again and again in her mind.
Things are not what they seem.
By morning, her decision was made.
She would go to the place marked on the map.
Not yet. She had to be careful. But she knew now she couldn't ignore this.
Her life was no longer just ordinary days and bad luck.
There was a mystery waiting.
And it was tied to her father.
Mia stood by the window as dawn broke.
She looked the same.
But inside, she was different.
Stronger.
Braver.
"This was only the beginning of everything," she whispered.
And this time, she knew it was true.