EPISODE 55

KEILAH

I hesitated, clutching the thread tightly. "This?" I asked, my voice wary. "What do you want with it?"

The woman's eyes softened, but urgency lingered in her gaze. "It's a key," she explained, her voice gentle yet insistent. "Without it, I can not help you fully. Trust me, Keilah."

The fact that she knew my name without an introduction should have alarmed me, but instead, it brought a strange sense of reassurance. Still, I couldn't ignore the nagging doubt that lingered. "How do I know I can trust you?"

She stepped closer, the mist of the shower parting around her like a curtain. "Because I am the only one who can see the threads that bind your destiny to Ralph's. And because I want to help you untangle the mess Dahlia has made."

I took a deep breath, weighing my options. Finally, I unwrapped the thread from my wrist and held it out to her. Her fingers brushed through mine

A relieved smile crossed her face as she tied it around her wrist, and the transparency vanished, revea