Chapter 8 - The Mother's Blessing
Elena returned to the safehouse to find Rosa cooking a warm stew.
The bruises on Rosa's neck had faded to a dull yellow, but the memory remained sharp.
Elena sat down, suddenly feeling the crushing weight of the last four years.
"Mom, I'm taking everything away from them," Elena confessed quietly.
Rosa stopped stirring the pot and walked over to her daughter.
She gently took Elena's face in her rough, calloused hands.
"When a snake bites you, you don't politely ask it to leave, Elena."
Rosa looked deeply into her daughter's eyes.
"You cut off its head so it can never bite anyone else again."
Elena felt a powerful surge of strength rush through her veins.
Her mother was not a weak, fragile peasant.
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She was a survivor who had raised a warrior.
Elena hugged her mother tightly, finally ready to deliver the killing blow.
