UNKNOWN | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 4)

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"Dumbledore, I—"

"Elliot," Dumbledore stops him. She could sense the unease in her father's voice. "She's a strong girl. She will understand your reasons, I assure you," he told her, offering the younger man some glimmer of hope. His voice suddenly became low as he went on, "You do know that the longer you draw this out, the harder things may become. He is on the move and this time we may not be able to conceal her like before."

"I know..." Elliot replies.

"She will understand. She's your daughter after all," Dumbledore reassures him and Aine blinks back to her surprise, realizing that they might have been referring to her all this time. 

Just what was her father hiding from her? What was the secret he has been keeping from her all these years that even her Headmaster had known? What is it that Elliot had done to seek her understanding? Just what is the truth that he has been so desperately trying to bury? 

She knew that her father had secrets kept from her. A brother she only know of last year when he had come out and revealed to her on his own record. She did wonder why her father had kept Aion's existence away from her ears. She knew there was a reason he had kept it from her but she didn't question him. Even at certain times, when her father had acted differently, it had stunned Aine too but she kept quiet because she trusted her father to tell her the truth in time.

Was it merely a consideration for her father? Or was she just scared of the truth? 

Her perception of her father was fracturing, was he not what Aine had thought he was? Just the idea made her scared and her trust was cracking. She was slowly having her doubts. 

There were secrets kept from her. Everyone had secrets they want others to know not. Secrets that they want to keep hidden deep down within them. And just like everyone, Aine had secrets too—

But there were lies fed to her as well. Perhaps it revolves around more than just her life; her identity.

And it was something she couldn't overlook easily anymore. Deception.

What is real and what is false... Aine was slowly having trouble differentiating them both. 

"Don't you want her to be free? Aren't you willing to protect her?" Dumbledore asks him.

"With my life!" Elliot retorted without a single hesitation, making Aine's heart skip a beat. She could hear the determination in his unwavering voice even outside. It left her both feeling flabbergasted and greatly overwhelmed

"Then tell her the truth, El. Because of the truth... It can protect her too..."

Footsteps suddenly neared Aine and she panicked, realizing she was literally eavesdropping a moment ago on a conversation that should have been hidden. She blinks awake from her daze and looks around, finding a way to act as natural as possible. Then her eyes laid on the doorknob, it was slowly twisting even though the door was already opened.

She lets out a gasp as if astonished to see her Headmaster. "Professor!" she greeted brightly, plastering a smile on her face but the ends of her lips were twitching.

Dumbledore's shot her a bewildered look as he layers on a grin to hide his surprise. "Aine, dear!" he greeted back, his eyes curling into crescents behind his half-moon glasses. "How lovely to see you."

"It's wonderful to see you too, professor!" she replied cheerfully.

Her father came out behind him, his face solemn and deep in thought but when he caught a glimpse of his daughter at the doorway. He immediately threw his sullen look away, lathering on a quick smile to Aine. "Sweetheart! Wh-What are you doing here?" he asks, flustered. His heart palpitated quickly, wondering if she had overheard their conversation earlier.