Aria didn't sleep after hearing the voice.
She lay on her bed, frozen. The candle had gone out by itself, though no window was open. The door was shut. No breeze. No footsteps. No movement.
Just that one voice.
You shouldn't be here…
The words echoed in her mind over and over again.
Was it a warning?
A threat?
A memory?
She didn't know.
But her pendant had glowed so brightly in that moment, like it was scared too. Now, it was warm against her chest. Quiet, but still alive.
---
When morning came, Aria sat up slowly. Her head ached, and her body felt weak. But she knew this was not from sickness. It was from something else — something deeper.
She dressed quickly and tied her hair back. As she looked into the mirror, she didn't fully recognize her own face.
She was changing.
Not on the outside… but somewhere inside.
---
Downstairs, the inn was quiet. Elara stood behind the counter, pouring tea. Her soft eyes widened when she saw Aria coming down the stairs.
You look pale,Elara said gently.Did something happen last night?
Aria sat down at one of the small wooden tables.
Yes.
Elara brought over a cup of tea and sat across from her.
Aria looked into her eyes. I heard a voice. In my room. After the candle went out.
Mira's fingers froze halfway around the teapot.…What did it say?
Aria's voice was quiet. It said… 'You shouldn't be here.That's all.
Elara looked around, making sure no one else was listening, then leaned in.That wasn't just a dream,she whispered. That was an Echo.
Aria blinked.An Echo?
Mira nodded slowly.They're pieces of the past. Sometimes memories. Sometimes spirits. But always connected to someone or something powerful.
Like me?
Mira stared at her. Yes. They only come when your soul starts to remember.
---
A cold silence fell between them.
Aria picked at the bread in front of her, but she wasn't hungry.
She didn't want to eat. She wanted to understand.
> Why now?
Why her?
She reached for her pendant and held it in her hand. It was still warm — still watching, still feeling.
---
Later that day, Aria returned to her room.
As she pushed open the door, something felt… off. The air was heavier. The shadows longer.
On the floor, right at the center of the room, was a piece of paper.
No sound. No knock. Just… there.
She picked it up slowly.
It was folded once, with no name. No symbol. Nothing.
She opened it with shaking fingers.
> "If you want answers, come to the old chapel by dusk.
Come alone.
No one must follow."
Her hands tightened around the paper.
The old chapel.
That was the same place Elara once mentioned — the one with the old painting. The one where she saw the name Arielle.
Her heart began to race.
> Was this a trap?
> Or was this the next step?
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the message. The room felt smaller, tighter, like the walls were closing in.
She wanted to run… but her feet didn't move.
She had to go.
Even if she was scared.
Even if it was dangerous.
Because somewhere deep in her heart, a part of her already knew—
The answers she needed… were waiting for her in that chapel.
---
As the sun began to fall, painting the sky orange and purple, Aria wrapped herself in her cloak and stepped out.
The village was quiet.
People were closing up shops, heading home. Lamps were being lit one by one. The world was settling down.
But inside her, a storm was rising.
She walked alone, through the narrow path Elara had described, leading toward the forest behind the village.
Each step felt heavy.
The wind blew softly, carrying the scent of earth and leaves.
Her pendant glowed faintly beneath her cloak, lighting her path just enough.
And then, in the distance…
She saw it.
The chapel.
Old stone walls, half-covered in ivy. A broken bell tower. A heavy wooden door that looked like it hadn't been opened in years.
Aria stood before it, her hand on the door handle.
She took a deep breath.
And pushed it open.
---
💫 Author's Note:
> Thank you for reading Chapter 7! 🌕
Things are slowly getting deeper for Aria — and what she finds in the chapel may change everything...
If you're enjoying the story so far, don't forget to add this book to your library 💖
❓Question for you:
If you were Aria, would you open that door… or walk away?