A MIX OF TWO WORLDS

As the crowd dispersed, Alex lingered at the edge of the courtyard, his mind a storm of questions he didn't know how to ask. He had always felt like a stranger to his own past, but today's revelations made that distance all the more overwhelming.

A cousin? He couldn't wrap his head around it. How much more about his family had been kept from him?

"Alex," came a soft voice from behind him.

He turned to see Rina approaching, her silver hair gleaming under the sunlight. She wasn't smiling, but her expression wasn't harsh either. There was something kind about the way she looked at him, an unspoken understanding that set her apart from the others he had met in this strange world.

"I thought we could talk," she said simply. "Do you have a moment?"

Alex hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah… I guess."

She gestured toward a quieter corner of the courtyard, away from the lingering groups of students. They walked in silence for a moment before she stopped and leaned lightly against a low stone wall, watching him with a mixture of curiosity and warmth.

"You look like her," Rina said after a pause.

Alex frowned. "Like who?"

"Your mother," Rina replied, her voice soft. "I can see it in your eyes. She had the same look, sharp but kind, like she was always trying to figure out the world."

Alex shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to respond. "You knew her?"

Rina let out a small laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Knew her? She was my aunt. She disappeared before you were born, but I remember her well. She was strong, smart, and always had a mind of her own. She wasn't the type to follow orders blindly. That's why…" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "Never mind."

Alex stepped closer, his curiosity sparked. "That's why what?"

Rina's smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. "That's why her disappearance was such a shock. One day she was here, part of the pack, and the next, she was gone. No word, no warning. Just… gone."

"She left when she was pregnant with me," Alex said quietly, more to himself than to her. "Didn't she?"

Rina nodded. "She did. No one even knew she was carrying you. When she left, it was like she took a part of the pack with her. There were so many unanswered questions, and for years, we didn't know if she was alive or dead. And then… we found out about you."

"How?" Alex asked, his voice low.

"It took time," Rina admitted. "Your mother was good at covering her tracks, but the pack always has its ways. We've known about you for a while now, but there were… complications. Your mother made it clear she didn't want you found. No one knew why."

Alex stared at the ground, a dull ache forming in his chest. He had grown up believing his mother's absence was normal, that it was just how things were. But now, learning that she had hidden him deliberately, that she had kept him away from this world… it hurt in ways he didn't know how to explain.

"Why would she do that?" he muttered. "Why would she hide me?"

Rina's gaze softened, and she reached out, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "We don't know, Alex. But I want you to understand something. Whatever her reasons were, I'm sure they weren't because of you. Your mother loved you I can tell just by looking at you. Whatever choices she made, she believed they were the best ones for you."

Alex glanced up at her, searching her face for any hint of dishonesty, but all he saw was sincerity. For a moment, the tension in his chest eased, though the questions still loomed.

"Do you know anything about her?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Anything at all?"

Rina hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly on his shoulder. "Not much. But the pack is looking into it now. You being here changes everything. They want to understand why she left and why she kept you hidden. It's not going to be easy, but I promise you, we'll find answers."

Alex bit his lip, unsure of what to say. He wanted to believe her, but a part of him was still wary. Everything about this world was new and overwhelming, and trusting someone especially someone tied to the family he barely knew felt like a leap of faith.

"Hey," Rina said gently, crouching slightly so she was eye-level with him. "I know this is a lot. You've been thrown into a world you didn't ask for, and now you're being told you have a whole family you never knew existed. But you're not alone in this. I'm here, and I want to help you. We're family, Alex. That means something."

Her words struck a chord in him, and for the first time since their conversation began, Alex felt a glimmer of hope. He still didn't know what the future held, but having someone like Rina, a cousin who seemed to genuinely care made the uncertainty a little easier to bear.

"Thanks," he said quietly. "I think… I think I'd like that."

Rina smiled, a real, warm smile that lit up her face. "Good, because I'm not going anywhere and neither are you."

They stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of their shared connection settling between them. For the first time in what felt like forever, Alex felt a little less alone.