CHAPTER 3: THE BROKEN LINE BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
No one moved for several seconds.
The wind passed through the street, carrying a heavy silence.
The man slowly stepped forward.
“You’re still alive…”
The woman in the red coat stepped in front of him.
“You are not allowed to come near her.”
“Move,” he said quietly—but firmly enough to silence her.
Clara looked at the child.
“Is your name Elena?”
The girl nodded faintly, eyes filled with tears.
“I… I don’t remember… I just remember being hungry… and cold…”
The man knelt down, his hand shaking as he reached out.
“I’ve been searching for you for seven years.”
The woman behind them clenched her fists.
“She was declared dead in the records! You have no right!”
A truth heavier than silence fell over them.
Clara still held Elena’s hand.
Then she spoke softly:
“No matter what anyone says… I still shared my bread with her.”
The air seemed to break.
The man looked at both children—one born in comfort, one abandoned by the world—and for the first time, his power meant nothing.
He removed his coat and gently placed it over Elena’s shoulders.
“Let’s go home.”
Elena didn’t resist.
For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel invisible.
She had a name.
May you like
A family.
A place in the world.
