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Mina lost everything the day she was betrayed but destiny gave her a new chance and this time she's going to win
Chapter 1 Operation find Mina
Mina, where are you?"
The house answered with silence, except for the soft creak of old floorboards, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Her mother's eyes narrowed. Mina was many things-quiet wasn't one of them. This kind of stillness always meant trouble.
A sigh slipped from her lips as she paused in the hallway, one hand pressed to her hip, the other massaging her temple like she could already feel the headache blooming.
"Mina, sweetheart, if you're stuck in a cupboard again, I swear-"
No response. Just the faint hum of the house settling.
Her mother's footsteps quickened as she checked the living room, the kitchen, even peered into the half-shut laundry room. Nothing.
Her voice sharpened now, not quite angry-but laced with the familiar thread of worry.
"Mina, answer me! Don't make me call your full name, young lady!"
Finally, a faint voice floated down from somewhere above.
"I'm upstairs, Mom!"
The attic. Of course.
Her mother groaned, already making her way up with the heavy determination of someone who'd danced this dance too many times.
"What did I tell you about that attic? It's old, the ladder's barely hanging on. What if you fall? What if-" She stopped herself. "You think I've got time to visit you in the hospital every weekend?"
When she reached the attic, Mina was perched cross-legged on the wooden floor, half-swallowed by shadows, flipping through a weathered box of old photo albums.
"Found something," Mina said, her voice unusually quiet, almost reverent. "Did you know Grandpa used to have a motorbike?"
Her mother crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow, but something about the way Mina clutched the old photographs gave her pause.
"I also know Grandpa used to have a daughter who didn't sneak into places she wasn't supposed to."
Mina looked up, a spark of mischief in her eyes, but there was something else too-like her mind was still half-lost in whatever she'd just discovered.
"Yeah? She sounds boring."
"It was peaceful," her mother tried to scold, but her voice softened as she caught the distant look in Mina's eyes.
"What else did you find in there?"
"Just... stuff." Mina dusted off her jeans, but her fingers lingered on a particular envelope, one she quietly slipped back into the box when her mother turned away.
Her mother shook her head, already walking toward the stairs. "Well, since you love the attic so much, you're officially on dust duty for the week."
"What?!" Mina scrambled after her. "Unfair!"
"House rule: you find the dust, you clean the dust."
Mina groaned dramatically, but her grin betrayed her. As they descended, her mother's voice trailed back to her.
"Seriously though, if you find something strange up there-something that doesn't feel right-you tell me, okay?"
Mina blinked, startled. "Why wouldn't it feel right?"
Her mother hesitated, then smiled a little too quickly. "Oh, you know. Old houses. Weird energy. Nothing to worry about."
But Mina's curiosity had already latched onto the idea like a puzzle piece out of place.
They made their way to the kitchen, swapping playful barbs about chocolate bribes and curry scents, but the attic's quiet secrets lingered in Mina's thoughts.
That evening, as Mina sat on the porch steps, letting the cool breeze brush her face, she finally felt the weight of the day lift.
"Freedom," she sighed, stretching out like she'd escaped a life sentence.
"Freedom from what?" came a familiar voice.
Mina's heart jumped in recognition.
"Jeremiah!" She scrambled to sit up as he approached, hands stuffed in his pockets, the evening light catching his messy hair.
"What did you do this time?" he asked, settling beside her. "Caught sneaking into forbidden zones again?"
"Attic duty. My mom's form of medieval punishment."
Jeremiah smirked. "You mean you got caught... again."
Mina elbowed him. "I was exploring! The attic practically called my name."
"Yeah, and your mom practically called the police looking for you."
"She didn't," Mina mumbled, but the way her mother's worry had sounded in those walls... it had been more than the usual.
Jeremiah's grin faded just a little, his voice quieter now.
"You know... I think your mom likes chasing after you. I mean, she notices when you're gone. Mine barely glances up when I walk out the door."
There was something weighty in the way he said it-like maybe he'd spent too long being invisible.
Mina nudged his shoulder again, gentler this time. "Hey, I like your company. Even if you do steal my fries every time we hang out."
"Sharing is friendship."
"No, it's theft."
Jeremiah leaned back, watching the sky darken, his smile returning but softer now.
"Promise me something though. Next time you hear the attic calling, you'll let me come with you."
"Why? Afraid I'll find something without you?"
"Exactly. You find all the weird things first."
"Like what?" Mina asked, watching him carefully.
He paused, his eyes distant. "Like... things that aren't meant to be found."
A shiver chased down Mina's spine, but Jeremiah's lazy grin returned before she could ask.
"Besides," he added, "if we're gonna uncover ancient attic secrets, someone's gotta bring snacks."
She laughed, but the question still tugged at her.
What exactly had she found up there today? And why did part of her feel like... something had been waiting?
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