Entangled Hearts: A Tale of Twisted Affection

Aria's husband, Elara's father, was someone Elara never really got to know. She was just a little girl when he left, and that was what she had been told to believe. Aria always held onto the hope that her husband would return, thinking that things could change, but their last encounter only made things worse. Elara sensed her mother's discomfort whenever she brought up her father, so she chose not to ask. It wasn't that she wasn't curious; she just knew her mother didn't want to lie to her and also didn't want her to feel sad.

Early in the morning, the birds were singing a melodious tune, creating a beautiful rhythm that matched the peacefulness of the day. "Yawn," Elara stretched as she sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands. She climbed down from the big bed she shared with her mother, knowing that Aria was likely in the kitchen preparing breakfast for them. As she walked into the kitchen, she brightened up when she saw her mother. "Mummy," she said with a smile. "Good morning, mummy!"

"Morning, my angel. Did you sleep well?" Aria replied, her voice warm and inviting.

"Yes, mummy," Elara answered, her adorable smile lighting up the room.

"Alright, dear, go take your bath. I'll be done in a jiffy, and make sure to brush your teeth well because of germs," her mother instructed, gently patting her head. She then lowered herself to Elara's level and kissed her forehead. Elara giggled at this and ran off to do as she was told. Aria watched her daughter leave, a sad smile on her face, her green eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

Aria knew what was coming for her daughter, and she couldn't help but feel guilty for the challenges her daughter would face. After cleaning up, Elara returned to find her mother preparing dinner. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she rushed to her side and took a seat. "Thanks, mummy! You're the best!" she exclaimed in a sweet, melodic voice. Her mother chuckled at Elara's adorable behavior.

"Ela, I'm heading to work now. Make sure you don't go outside or open the door for anyone, and also don't—" Elara interrupted, finishing her mother's sentence, "hurt yourself, mummy. Don't worry, I've got this. After all, I'm your child," she replied in a surprisingly mature tone, prompting her mother to blink in surprise, quickly replaced by a smile. "Of course you are. I'm off now. If you get hungry, I've made your favorite, so you can serve yourself. I'll be home a bit late, okay?" Aria said.

"Alright, mummy! I'll keep myself busy. Bye!" Elara watched her mother leave, then finished her meal and did the dishes. After that, she walked to her room, bent down to look under her bed, and pulled out a storybook her mum had bought for her. "Okay, let me read this... Once... Upon... A... Time... In a king... Kilin... Kining... How do I pronounce this? K. I. N. G. D. O. M. Kingdom," she said, finally getting it right. Despite some difficulties, she persevered and continued reading the story.

Elara faced some challenges while reading, but she didn't give up. She worked through the tough parts and eventually finished the entire story. It was about a kingdom that was known for its peacefulness until a villain appeared to disturb that peace. However, a brave lass stepped up to save the village and restore harmony.

As Elara read about the lass's courage and determination, she thought to herself, "I wish to be like her." The story inspired her, making her feel a connection to the character and motivating her to be brave and kind, just like the heroine of the tale.

As she read, Elara could picture herself as the brave princess in the story, going on adventures and facing challenges. She loved how the characters were strong and kind, just like her mother. It made her feel a little closer to Aria, even though she missed her while she was at work.

After a while, Elara put the book down and looked around her room. She thought about how she could make the day special. "Maybe I can draw a picture for mummy," she said to herself, feeling inspired. She got her crayons and paper, ready to create something beautiful to surprise her mother when she came home.

Elara's heart was full of love for her mum, and she wanted to show her just how much she appreciated everything she did. Even though she was just a little girl, she understood that her mother worked hard and sometimes felt sad. So, she decided to make a colorful drawing of them together, smiling and happy.

As she worked on her masterpiece, Elara felt proud and excited, knowing that her mummy would love it. She couldn't wait to show it to her when she returned!

She had kept herself busy with everything she was doing for about five hours, and when she finally decided to take a nap, she was just about to lay down when she heard a knock on the door. Knowing it couldn't be her mother—who had the key with her—she chose to ignore the person, hoping they would come back later. However, the knocking continued. Curious and a bit uneasy, she made her way down the stairs to check through the closed window. When she looked outside and saw no one there, she assumed the person had left. Feeling relieved, she went back upstairs to finally take her nap.

She was woken from her short nap by a knock on the door. Having only slept for about half an hour, she was unsure of what to do. She knew she couldn't open the door for the person knocking, so she decided to wait. Her mother had told her she would be back in three to four hours, so she felt it was best to remain quiet.

As the knocking continued, it became more forceful, almost urgent. When she heard a voice say, "Open the door, it's me," she recognized it as her mother's voice and felt a wave of relief wash over her. She got up to open the door, but halfway there, she suddenly remembered her mother had mentioned she would be coming home late and that she had the key. She also recalled that there was a spare key hidden in a vase outside, well out of sight.

Realizing that something felt off, she quickly ran upstairs and curled up in the corner of her room, hugging her knees to her chest. The fear of the unknown gripped her as she waited in silence, unsure of who was really at the door. The tension mounted as she tried to calm her racing heart, hoping that everything would turn out alright.