Evelyn kept staring at her phone, her breathing tight and shallow, her chest locked in a knot of rising panic. Leyla had been gone for hours without a word. The blank screen only made the silence heavier, the emptiness inside her louder.

  Outside, the sky sank into darkness. A cold wind swept through, carrying the first storm clouds gathering on the horizon. Inside the house, the air felt tense, thick with a warning she couldn’t name.

  She’d begged Leyla to stay. But her daughter, stubborn as always, grabbed her bike and rode off toward the Nature Reserve, her secret hideout.

  Evelyn could picture it perfectly: a wide stretch of golden sand splitting the lagoon from the open sea, a dense pine forest rising just behind it, sheltering wild animals in its shadows. A place untouched, almost outside of time. A place where, somehow, everything seemed easier.

  That was where Leyla loved to lose herself, wandering along hidden trails and ducking into birdwatching huts, small sanctuaries where she could disappear.

  Years earlier, Evelyn had left France, where she’d lived with her husband, a man who’d died tragically during a mountain rescue mission just days after Leyla was born. After his death, she’d been left alone with her daughter and her mother, in a small lavender-scented apartment.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  When Leyla’s grandmother passed away, the loss had been too much, a void Evelyn couldn’t fill. So, she’d chosen to start over in Italy, making it their new home.

  Through it all, Evelyn had never broken. At fifty, she carried herself with grace, her tall, lean frame and long dark hair giving her an air of quiet strength. Her eyes, deep and steady, were always the anchor in her daughter’s life.

  Leyla, now nineteen, carried a different kind of strength. There was a spark in her brown eyes, something rebellious, magnetic. She was tall and slender, her long chestnut hair spilling around a face brightened by freckles that came alive every summer. Against her fair skin, they gave her a natural freshness, an effortless beauty.

  ???

  Miles away, Leyla pedaled hard, putting distance between herself and the city’s noise and chaos as she rode toward the Reserve.

  The rain hadn’t started yet, but the sky hung heavy and dark, and a cold current of air announced the coming storm.

  Leyla’s heart raced, caught between hesitation and the thrill of adventure.

  She pedaled faster, joy sparking through her as the wind whipped her ponytail. Ahead, the Reserve spread out before her, offering the promise of freedom. But freedom always carried a price.

  ??? ?????????? ???

  Did you feel Evelyn's worry? ?? Leyla's journey has just begun...

  Don't miss the next developments in "EDENLOST – I Vol. The Borderless City"! Every Saturday ???, a new chapter awaits you, unraveling secrets and adventures. ?

  Join us as the mystery deepens! Follow the story on our social media channels and stay updated on the official book launch, scheduled for November. ??