Maria sat quietly on her mattress, her mind heavy with thoughts about the nightmares that had been haunting her lately. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make sense of them.
Were they mere dreams? If so, why were they happening so frequently, and why now, of all times?
Questions swirled relentlessly in her head, and more than anything, she wished for some kind of answer—something to ease the gnawing fear inside her.
Flashback
She remembered that day so clearly.
Maria had been in her room, curled up with a good book. After finishing it, she wandered into the living room to find her parents, but the space was empty.
It wasn't unusual—they often retreated to their room to talk privately. Smiling to herself, she decided to check there, hoping for some playful time with them.
But as she approached their door, voices reached her ears, low and urgent. She stopped mid-step.
At first, she was going to turn away, but then she heard her name.
