Chapter Hundred fourty-nine

Anita POV

The next morning, I rose early, my nerves tingling with anticipation and a hint of fear. I’d set my sights on answers, and Maya had shown me the way. After a quick call to let her know I was heading out, I drove one of the palace cars to the address she’d given me. Following her directions, I found myself at the edge of a deserted village, a place that seemed lost in time, shrouded in an eerie quiet.

As I drove deeper into the village, the empty houses around me gave off an unsettling feeling, each silent as if holding its breath. I parked and looked around, wondering where everyone was. Finally, I spotted a lone figure—an old woman seated on a worn wooden chair. She seemed fragile, yet her presence commanded attention. She stood as I approached, as if she had been waiting for me all along.

“I knew you would come, Anita,” she called, her voice both warm and chilling, as though she spoke directly into my mind. “Though I did not expect you so soon. You were up before dawn, I f