y home was grand more than I could ever imagine. The architecture was older, classical, yet elegant, w

an family. The house was full of echoes of laughter and life, bu

said, her voice comforting, though I could s

that spoke of a family lineage, names and faces I didn't recognize. As I stood th

urged gently. "Let

lace, was a woman who looked... older. Her face was lined with age

r eyes widened with disbelief, and she stood up quickly. "Luciana..

the way she spoke the name with such pain made my heart lurch. I

d out toward me. Her eyes filled with tears. "My God... Luc

ound came out. I was caught between

ath shallow, like she was waiting for some kind of confirmat

y was this name haunting me? I wanted to say

't know..." he muttered, his eyes darting from the woman to me, still unsure of what to think. "It can't be... Luciana's gone. We

d, but everything was

g my face. "No, it can't be," she whispered, her eyes desperately searching

omething, anything, but th

I'm sure, but..." He looked me over again, this time with something li

"No. We can't just assume that. This... this is too much." Her voice rose slightly with worry. "Wh

s no way to know for sure unless we ask the one person who can give us answer. And you know w

intensity, nodded slowly, her expression

ce steady but filled with emotion. "We need t

the air. Everyone seemed to know who Mateo was, and whatever had happe

m into this." Her voice shook with fear, and she stepped forward,

round. "We need answer

She gazed at Mirabel for a long moment before speaking in a quiet, resigned voice. "I must

ore, but the frustration and

of everything. I didn't know who this Mateo was, but the look in everyone's

trait on the wall, a large, framed photograph that seemed to capture the entire family in a m

or. Her features, her expression, it was like I was looking at myself. I couldn't te

n't sure what I was seeing, but the resemblance was too unc

run down my spine. Co

together, but I had no more time to think. The

has a

e man who held all the answers, th

ut I didn't know whether t

what was he going t