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The first child of mine to truely to break free of my illusions.
I think it was after the 150th solestice.
As the sun rose on the summer solstice, Jack sat on the porch of his small cottage, staring out at the fields beyond. He had always been an early riser, but on this day he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his stomach. Today was the day his only daughter, Emily, was to become an adult. Or at least, that's what he had always thought.
It had been 60 years since Emily had disappeared, taken by the Blood Witch, one of the mysterious and powerful 6 Witches of the Scorching Sands. Jack had searched for her tirelessly, but she was never found. He had eventually accepted that she was gone, and moved on with his life as best he could. But the memory of his beloved daughter never truly left him.
As the day wore on, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. He felt a tug at his heart, a sense that Emily was somehow still with him. And then, as the sun reached its zenith, he saw a figure walking towards him from the fields.
At first he thought it was his imagination, but as the figure got closer, he realized with a start that it was Emily. She looked exactly as she had the day she disappeared, unchanged by the passing of time.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Jack ran to embrace his daughter. She hugged him back, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm so sorry, Daddy," she said. "I didn't mean to be gone so long."
As Emily told her story, Jack learned of the Blood Witch's true nature and the purpose of her "school". He also learned that Emily had managed to break free of the Witch's illusion and return home, finally able to reclaim her life and her memories.
In that moment, Jack knew that no matter what the future held, he was just grateful to have his daughter back by his side.