The silver shimmer of the lake rippled like a mirror under the morning sun. Nerine stood at its edge, the hem of the dress brushing her ankles, her reflection dancing in the water like a stranger she wasn't sure she recognized.
Alicia's hand brushed her arm gently. "Go on, dear. The waters here are not ordinary. They will welcome you, cleanse you… perhaps even awaken what sleeps inside." Her voice was warm, confident, but Nerine caught the faintest glimmer of knowing in her mother's—no, this younger Alicia's—eyes.
Nerine swallowed hard. The idea of stepping into something that might reveal more about herself both thrilled and terrified her. She hesitated, toes curling into the damp earth. Alicia must have noticed, because she laughed softly, the sound like wind chimes.
"You are doubting," she said kindly. "But there is no need. This lake has held my secrets for years. It will hold yours too. Trust it. Trust me."
