I left your allowance on the counter.Remember—your studies matter most. That’s your future.—Mom

  Nora stared at the note, a storm of emotions churning inside her.

  This was the mother she knew: furious words spoken in the heat of the moment, followed by guilt, then a quiet gesture of atonement.Over and over again. The same cycle.

  In the past, it made her ache.But today—for some reason—it felt… oddly real.

  She glanced at the clock. Almost late. She shoved a few bites of breakfast into her mouth, grabbed her things, and was about to head out when—

  Her gaze caught something.

  Her mother's bedroom door... was open.

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  Elaine never left that door unlocked—not even while sleeping. That room was off-limits.A forbidden zone.

  Almost against her own will, Nora walked closer. She paused at the threshold, hesitated… then slowly pushed the door open.

  The air inside was unnaturally cold.

  Everything was neat, perfectly arranged. Not a thing out of place.But there was a pressure in the room—like every unsaid word had been sealed up in here, waiting to erupt one day.

  Nora stood still, torn between affection and distance. She loved her mother. She also wanted to escape her.The contradiction made her dizzy.

  She turned to leave—But froze.

  Something under the bed was glowing. Just faintly.

  A chill ran down her spine.Every instinct screamed at her to back away.But her feet moved forward anyway.

  She crouched down, barely breathing, eyes locked on the space beneath the bed.

  There it was: an old wooden box.

  Its surface was scratched and worn with age, but the layer of dust looked recently disturbed.

  Then—just as suddenly as it had appeared—the glow vanished.

  Nora’s fingertips trembled.What was her mother hiding?

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  She hesitated, then reached out and touched the box.

  There was no lock. Just a simple latch.

  She swallowed hard, heart hammering in her chest, and carefully lifted the lid.

  Inside, she found a collection of old baby clothes and towels, a faded notebook, and a small box.

  Her fingers brushed the lid of the box. She opened it.

  Inside was a necklace—a silver chain with a pendant shaped like a fox’s tail, orange and silver intertwined.

  Her breath caught.

  This… this was what she had been looking for.

  But where was the girl who wore it?

  Could it be... her mother?

  Her mind reeled, trying to piece together the truth.

  She picked up the notebook. The pages were blank. But as she flipped through them, a slip of paper fell out.

  She caught it and read the words scrawled across it:

  “Your pen is your cure. Your art is your answer. Your disappearance is my rebirth.”

  Nora gasped. She quickly placed everything back where it had been and slid the box back under the bed.The words echoed in her mind:My pen is the cure…? My art is the answer…?

  Something clicked.She stood up abruptly, closed the bedroom door, and bolted out the house toward school.

  The bell had already rung when she burst into class, sweating and out of breath.She dropped into her seat just in time.

  Alex, sitting behind her, nudged her with a smirk. “Hey, you’re late.”

  Nora didn’t answer.She pulled out a blank sheet of paper and began drawing frantically.

  All day, she stayed locked in her own world, her pen moving nonstop across the page.She didn’t hear a single word the teachers said.

  Alex noticed the shift, but didn’t press.He glanced at her sketch—just chaotic lines and patterns.

  When class ended and it was finally club time, Alex walked over, concern in his voice.

  “You okay? You’re all quiet and scribbling like mad. You fight with your mom or something?”

  Nora shook her head but stayed silent.

  Alex fished something out of his backpack. “By the way, I found this weird note stuck inside my textbook today. Has something to do with you?”

  He handed it to her.

  Nora unfolded it—and froze.

  “Her pen is her cure. Her art is her answer. Your disappearance is my rebirth.”

  Her eyes widened.“Oh my god…” she whispered.

  Just then, Lucas and Jake ran over.

  “Finally found you guys!” Jake called out. “We’ve been looking all morning.”

  He held up a slip of paper. “Lucas and I found these in our textbooks too. Weird, huh?”

  They unfolded them—identical words. Same handwriting. Same message.

  Nora’s mind raced.

  She shoved the blank paper aside and pulled out the same old textbook she’d used before.Clutching her pen tightly, she focused.

  The pen glowed faintly.

  And then—it moved.

  On its own.

  All four of them leaned in, holding their breath.

  The tip trembled, then began to glide smoothly across the page.

  Lines formed, fast and precise.

  A fox’s head emerged from the blank sheet, perfectly drawn, as if guided by an unseen hand.

  Around it, four circles appeared—connected by straight lines.A symbol.A ritual.A message.

  And whatever it was…It was only just beginning.

  Thank you for reading.

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