Shadows Stir

The Warden of Fate, a powerful entity that governs the threads of destiny, senses the disturbance caused by Liora's awakening memories. Realizing that the cycle is breaking earlier than expected, the Warden dispatches Dante Corvinus, a charismatic historian, to ensure that Liora does not undo the truth too soon. Dante approaches Liora under the guise of researching ancient compositions, subtly steering her away from her discoveries.

The crisp autumn air clung to the streets outside the conservatory, weaving through the narrow alleyways like an unseen specter. Liora walked briskly, the weight of Elias' words pressing into her mind like an iron brand. Because you do. That single sentence haunted her, turning over in her thoughts like an unfinished melody refusing to resolve. How could she possibly know a song she had never played before? What had he meant by calling it a story, a memory, a fate? And why did it feel like something inside her had already known what he would say before the words even left his lips?

She needed answers, and Elias Varion was the only one who could give them to her.

The practice room was empty when she arrived, but it carried the lingering scent of varnish and aged wood. She set down her violin case and hesitated before opening it. Even the thought of playing the song again sent a shiver through her, though whether it was from fear or anticipation, she couldn't say. Her fingers hovered over the clasps of the case, but before she could lift the lid, a voice cut through the silence.

"You shouldn't be here."

Liora spun on her heel, her heart stammering. Elias stood in the doorway, his amber eyes darkened by something unreadable. His posture was stiff, tension coiling in the way his fingers curled into fists at his sides.

"You keep saying that," she shot back. "Yet, you never tell me why."

Elias exhaled sharply and stepped further into the room. "Because some doors, once opened, can never be closed again."

Liora crossed her arms. "Then stop speaking in riddles and tell me what's behind the door."

He hesitated, a muscle ticking in his jaw, before finally speaking. "Memories."

A chill settled over her. "Whose?"

He studied her for a long moment, then said, "Ours."

Her breath hitched. "That's impossible."

"Is it?" Elias' voice was quiet, measured. "Can you honestly say that playing that song didn't feel like something more than music? Didn't pull something out of you that shouldn't have been there?"

Liora swallowed hard, recalling the way the melody had settled into her bones, how every note had resonated with something beyond understanding. "I" She shook her head. "I don't know what I felt."

Elias stepped closer, his presence an unspoken gravity. "Then let me show you."

Before she could protest, he reached into his coat and pulled out an old, leather-bound book. He opened it carefully, flipping through yellowed pages until he landed on a section filled with intricate musical notation. He turned the book toward her.

Liora's stomach twisted.

The song was there. The very same one she had played, the one she had found buried beneath stacks of forgotten compositions in the library. But this was older, the ink faded, the paper frayed at the edges. And beneath the notes, in elegant, archaic script, were two names.

Elias Varion.

And beneath it

Liora Everhart.

She staggered back, her breath catching. "No. That's not possible."

Elias shut the book with a quiet thud. "And yet, here we are."

Liora's pulse roared in her ears. "You're telling me that we've, what? Lived before?"

His gaze was unwavering. "Yes."

"That's insane."

"Is it?" He tilted his head slightly. "Tell me, Liora. What do you feel when you play that song?"

She wanted to deny it, to say it was just another piece of music, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, a thousand emotions crowded into her chest, suffocating in their intensity. Longing. Sorrow. A love that felt like it had been lost and found too many times to count.

"I don't know," she whispered, and it was the truth. She didn't know. But deep down, she feared she already did.

Elias watched her carefully. "There are things in this world that can't be explained by logic alone."

Liora clenched her fists. "Then explain it to me another way."

Elias hesitated, then nodded. "I will. But not here." He glanced toward the window, the stormy sky reflecting in his eyes. "Not now."

Liora exhaled, frustration and curiosity warring within her. "Then when?"

A muscle in his jaw tightened. "Soon."

He turned to leave, but before he reached the door, he stopped. "Be careful, Liora. There are forces that don't want the past uncovered."

She swallowed. "And what about you? Do you want it uncovered?"

He was silent for a long moment. Then, softly, "I don't know anymore."

The door closed behind him, and Liora was left standing in the stillness, her world shifting beneath her feet. The song was no longer just music. And Elias Varion was no longer just a professor.

Something bigger was at play, something ancient and dangerous. And despite everything, despite the warnings, she knew one thing for certain

She wasn't going to stop until she understood the truth.