The wind dragged the letter for a long, long time, even after Naria had been overwhelmed by the waters of the pond.

It dragged it over woods, hills, mountains and valleys, until it reached an open sky immersed in the night. The salty air of the sea had joined the scent of jasmine of the fae, holding it as in an embrace.

Some leaves had been trapped in the gentle swirl, and when the letter was finally left free and fell on the wooden bow of a ship, the leaves also followed it.

A young woman sat there on the ground with her eyes fixed on the horizon, in the direction from which she had come. She could never go back, she knew, and awareness choked her heartbeats.

When the letter touched the ground near her, the girl stared at it with eyes wide open.

She breathed heavy, because she knew what it was, she would be foolish not to imagine it. That yellowish paper sealed with black wax, though, scared her. No, it wasn't, it was the idea of what she'd find inside to scare her.

Trembling she stretched out her hand and, having touched the paper gently, as it might unravel before her eyes, she grabbed it, bringing it quickly to the chest. She knew that everyone on the ship was asleep apart from her and the cabin boy, and that no one would bother her - except Captain Navid - but she didn't want to risk it.

Turning her back on the below deck she studied the letter in vibrant silence, only the lapping of the waves in the background.

A sad smile drew the corner of her lips, while the sea breeze lifted her brown locks. She felt her eyes tingling.

It was all her fault.

With her heart sinking into her stomach, Ofelia broke the black seal and began reading the letter.