Between shadows and hopes: The quest for truth

to move away from Antoine's workshop and her stuffy secrets. She needed a moment to breathe, to think. H

of colorful fruits, handicrafts and sea trinkets. An elderly woman cried out to attract customers to her home

an old friend of her mother, known to

malicious smile. You have become a real foreigner! It's

Élise, trying a smile. I

r eyes, as if she

. Does something bother you? You know

ract information from Mireille? The old woman alway

thing strange at the port l

ned her head

rling. It seems that a man was seen around the abandoned h

? Do you kno

ged with an en

ul. When the waves are too calm, th

tion and curiosity. Mireille was perhaps just a

ne library. It was an old building, almost forgotten by modern inhabit

t man with round glasses and a s

rprise. What can I

ng for ... old cards. Mari

k questions. He guided Élie towards a shelf f

ast century. Maybe you will find what you are

n. It showed the sea routes around Rivemarine and neighboring ports, but what struck it

n mean? She mentally noted to com

assmate from his secondary school. He wore a dirty cap and a worker uni

, what a surpris

mile, little humor to c

-Luc. How

ll that ... and you, then? I heard you w

umped s

old you

you," he replied with a wink. Y

uncomfortable. Was s

he had found the cash register. She had taken care to make sure she

prise, the hangar seemed to have been cleaned. The boxes ha

nd her made

be here," sai

een before. He was large, imposing, and wore a worn lea

a firm tone, although she fee

sketched

message. Stay far from thi

sappeared as quickly as he had appe

al that seemed to have neither beginning nor end. Antoine, Mireille, Benoît, Jean-Luc, and now this stranger

truth. But a part of her began to wonder if she

sea itself was aware of the secrets that Élise was trying to dig up. The spirit still weighed down by her recent discoveries,

answers, but so far, he had only revealed fragments, fuzzy clues that left him more questions than certainties. However, she w

e elbows placed on her lap and her gaze fixed on the horizon. He seemed lost,

oice betraying an emotion

ched it for a moment

would come,

r him to speak, but he seemed to fight against his own demons, his fingers playing nervo

said finally. Whe

her for a moment,

hispered. Of Thomas. Bef

struck Élise

mas? she asked, he

ut he didn't ans

a while. But I never told her

ou there? re

e gathered the courage to say w

rted. The people for whom I worked had interests ... in what the seawater was transp

heart getting

d you tr

shook h

... Caisses with strange symbols, documents that I could not unders

by a whirlwind of emotions

s, Élise. They didn't want

alking about? W

e who control more thing

d, eyes fille

help him. I should have.

le. Élise felt a wave of anger and sadness inva

helping me now? s

up, his gaze p

replied gently. You want the

left Elise

uddenly, breaki

d. Someone who could help you. But be

knew she couldn't ignore what Samuel had just told her. He had given him a new track, but