"Mom?" Aqualina stood at the doorway, her body draped in fresh clothes that still clung lightly to her damp skin. Her long hair trickled with water droplets, sliding down her neck, as if she'd just stepped out from a warm, steamy bath.
She saw her mother sitting alone at the desk in the corner, the soft purple nightgown hugging her curves.
"Hmm? You haven't changed your clothes?" she asked, frowning gently as she noticed Sandra was still in her nightwear.
Sandra, seated calmly on the chair with a subtle air of mystery, turned her head with a soft glance. "Well, I'm kind of... working here," she murmured, lifting an old, nearly crumbling book—its spine cracked.
"Oh... I see..." Aqualina nodded slowly, then tilted her head. Her voice lowered into a curious tone. "Do you know where Aether is?"
Sandra blinked, her face shifting into a mild confusion. "Aether?... Wasn't he in the room? Sleeping?" she asked, her tone too casual, almost forced.
"No. He's not there,"
