"When she comes back," Jin Di replied softly.
"You don't know where she is or when she'll return?" Jin Yang pressed.
"That's enough," Grandma Li cut in. "You'll meet her when the time is right."
"I miss her," Huang Yuyan added quietly. "I hope she comes back soon."
Jin Di stroked Ice Cream's fur, his gaze distant.
"She will. She promised."
And in the silence of his heart, he called out to her once more.
Baby… where are you? Please come back. I miss you.
Zürich, Switzerland;
Elena jolted awake from yet another nightmare.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling as though winter had crawled beneath her skin. Cold sweat soaked the sheets. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs, as if trying to escape.
"I'm alright… It's just a dream… I didn't do it… it's not me…"
She repeated the words under her breath like a mantra, clutching the blanket with white-knuckled fingers until the racing in her chest gradually slowed.
The nightmare was always the same.
Screams.
