When her family turned their backs on her, Maria had only one path left: she understood how dangerous this river was, but she had no idea that something far more terrifying than the raging current awaited her on the other side

Maria stood on the cold riverbank, water dripping from her clothes, her breath still uneven after the struggle. The baby in her arms stirred weakly, wrapped tightly in the same blanket she had carried out of the only home she had ever known. Behind her lay the village, silent now, its people already turning away as if the scene had never happened.

In front of her, everything felt uncertain.

The man who had pulled her from the river remained a…
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