Chapter 5: The Unspoken Secret
I sat in the corner of a small café in downtown Eldoria, letting a cup of warm tea cool slowly in my hands. The day was bright, and outside the window, the murmur of passersby filled the air. But my mind was elsewhere—drifting back to that strange dream and the pendant at my wrist.
That necklace still intrigued me.What did that black smoke mean? And why did this unsettled feeling persist, as if something remained unresolved?I gripped the necklace tighter, absentmindedly stroking its emblem.
"Hmm… that necklace… it's quite fascinating," a soft voice suddenly said beside me—gentle yet enough to startle me.
I looked up immediately. My eyes locked on a woman cloaked entirely in black, her hood concealing most of her face. Her steps were measured as she approached, as if she cared little about my evident surprise.
"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, furrowing my brow to mask my nervousness.
The woman offered a faint, enigmatic smile before drawing a chair to sit in front of me without waiting for my invitation. With her hands folded on the table, her cloak shifted slightly, yet her face remained hidden beneath the hood.
"I know that necklace," she said, her gaze fixed intently on the pendant at my wrist.
Instantly, I clutched the necklace tighter, wary. "How do you know about it? Who are you?"
"Interesting question," she replied, dismissing the suspicion in my tone. Slowly, she removed her hood, revealing the face of a young woman with silvery-white hair contrasting sharply with her pale skin. Her eyes, deep black and unblinking, held an unsettling emptiness.
"My name isn't important," she continued before I could ask further. "What matters is that I know this necklace… is more than just a piece of jewelry."
I leaned forward slightly, curiosity mingling with caution. "What do you mean? What do you know about it?"
She gave a small, heavy smile—one that seemed to bear secrets she wasn't ready to reveal. "That necklace is part of something far greater. Something you might not be ready to understand yet."
"Try to help me understand," I pressed quickly, unsatisfied with her vague answer. "What is your connection to this necklace?"
She paused, scrutinizing my face before slowly raising her hand. Hanging from it was a pendant similar to mine, yet different—the emblem identical, but hers shone in a bold red with sharper contours compared to the gentle blue of mine.
"I have one too," she murmured. "It's an heirloom left by my sister."
"My sister?" I echoed, bewildered. "Then who are you really? What brings you here?"
She chuckled lightly, but there was no warmth in her laughter. "You ask too many questions, Aria. Not all answers are given freely."
Frustration rising, I demanded, "At least explain… why is this necklace so important? What do you mean by 'something greater'?"
"The secret—" she replied in a more serious tone, "is something only you can discover for yourself. But I can give you a clue."
I watched her every move, waiting.
"If you wish to know more about this necklace," she said as she slowly rose from her chair, "you must leave Eldoria. The outside world will help you understand what you hold in your hand."
I stood abruptly, trying to stop her. "Wait! Don't go! Explain more—Who is your sister? What does all this mean?"
She halted and turned to face me with a mysterious smile. "That isn't something you need to know right now. But remember this, Aria—chasing secrets can bring either light or devastation. The choice is in your hands."
"Is that a threat?" I asked, struggling to grasp her meaning.
"Not a threat," she replied quietly as she began to move away. "Just a warning."
Her form slowly faded away—like smoke carried off by the wind. I stood there, stunned by her final words.
I stared at the pendant on my wrist as a tide of curiosity swelled within me. The outside world… I had never really considered it before. But if the answers lie beyond these familiar streets, perhaps I must seek them out.
I gazed at the spot where she had stood, still hoping that her disappearing form might reappear. "Where did she go?" I muttered in frustration.
Without wasting a moment, I left the café. My eyes scanned the crowd on Eldoria's busy streets, searching for a hint of a girl with silvery hair and a black hood—but there was nothing.
My pace quickened, anger and curiosity merging into one. I roamed the streets, trying to recall which direction she might have taken. Yet, despite asking several passersby, no one recalled seeing a girl matching her description.
"It can't be… she didn't just vanish!" I shouted, kicking at the gravel in frustration. Grabbing my phone, I called Erma.
It took a few rings before she answered. "Hello, Sis? What's up?" Her voice was as cheerful as ever.
"Erma, listen," I said, my tone sharper than intended. "Are you sure you don't know anything about this necklace? Where did you get it?"
"Eh? You're asking about the necklace again?" she replied, clearly confused. "I already told you—I don't know. It was in our mother's old box, wasn't it?"
My temper flared. "Don't lie, Erma. That strange girl said she has one just like this. You must know something about it!"
"I really don't, Sis!" she finally answered, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears. "I truly don't know anything about it! Why are you acting like this?"
I fell silent, realizing the fear in her voice. I exhaled slowly, trying to calm the inexplicable anger surging within me. "Forget it," I murmured at last. "I'm sorry."
Erma didn't reply, but I could hear her soft, shaky breathing before the call ended.
Back at the studio, I felt a swirl of conflicting emotions. My mind still lingered on the necklace and that mysterious girl, while guilt over yelling at Erma began to gnaw at me. Hoping to find answers, I joined my bandmates.
Lyra was tuning her violin when I entered the rehearsal room. "Aria? You look like you've run a marathon. What's wrong?"
I sat on a vacant chair and took a deep breath. "I… need help. There's something about this necklace."
I raised my hand to show the pendant glimmering faintly at my wrist under the room's light.
"Is it that necklace again?" Lyra asked curiously. "Isn't it Erma's?"
"Yeah, but… it's more than just a piece of jewelry," I replied, trying to steady myself. "I met someone earlier—a mysterious girl—who said this necklace holds a great secret. And she has one too, but hers is red."
"A great secret?" Lyra's eyes widened with interest. "What did she say?"
I explained as best as I could about the mysterious girl, her red pendant, and her ominous warning to leave Eldoria. After a long pause, Lyra finally said, "I think you should take this necklace to someone who understands these things—maybe someone at the guild or a research center in the equipment department. They often deal with strange artifacts like this."
Frowning, I admitted, "Guild? Research center? I don't even know where to start."
Lyra offered a small smile. "I can help you get in touch with someone there. The guild handles magical items, and the equipment department has the technology to analyze ancient relics. If anyone can give you an answer, it's them."
Relief mixed with determination flickered within me. "Thank you, Lyra. I think that's the next step."
"Don't mention it," she replied as she stood up. "But be careful, Aria. The world beyond Eldoria isn't as beautiful as this city."
I nodded, clenching the pendant tighter on my wrist. If this was the path I needed to take to uncover the necklace's secrets, I was ready to face whatever lay beyond.