lola_mainne

Aila never expected to spend her summer in her estranged aunt’s sprawling estate, an ancient mansion steeped in secrets and whispers of the past. But when her travel plans mysteriously fall through, she finds herself trapped in a house that seems to breathe with something unseen. Shadows move where they shouldn’t, eerie whispers follow her down empty halls, and the air hums with an unease she can’t shake.

Then, there’s Theo—a guarded yet strangely familiar presence—who seems to know more about the house than he lets on. As Aila unravels the threads of her family’s history, she learns of her older sister, Sky, whose death was shrouded in mystery. The same visions that plagued Sky have begun to haunt Aila, blurring the lines between reality and nightmare.

But the deeper she digs, the more she realizes—this is not just a house of ghosts. It’s a house of secrets. And some of them are still alive.

As time runs out, Aila must decide: uncover the truth and risk losing herself, or leave before the house claims her, just as it did her sister.

Where the Moonflowers Bloom

I tried to come up with a cool way to start this introduction, but it turns out I'm not that creative—so let's just go with a simple hello.

I'm starting my writing journey at 10 PM on a Wednesday night, armed with nothing but a wild imagination and a sense of humor no one seems to understand.

Aila isn't the first character I've ever created, but she's the one who resonates with me the most.

A friend once asked me what aesthetic Aila gives off. Honestly? She's just an average 19-year-old. Nothing about her stands out. No dazzling fashion sense, no effortless main-character glow. She isn't the girl every guy wants to date. In fact, she's never even held hands with a boy, let alone been in a relationship.

She thrives in the background, hiding in plain sight.

As her writer, I struggle to understand her. I try, but she doesn't want to be found, understood, or loved. Maybe you'll have better luck decrypting her than I do.

I also tend to overlook her capabilities sometimes. Maybe I, too, have unconsciously dismissed her as someone who will never stand out. But who knows? Maybe she'll prove both you and me wrong.

That's why I chose the title Where the Moonflowers Bloom. Moonflowers don't bloom under the sun's gaze, where all can see them. Instead, they wait for the quiet embrace of night, unfurling their petals in secrecy—hidden, unnoticed, yet breathtaking in their own right. Aila is the same. She isn't the girl who turns heads in a crowded room, nor the one others rush to admire. She exists in the spaces in between—too loud to be ignored, yet too easily overlooked. But like the moonflower, she is meant to bloom. Not in the way the world expects, but in the way only she can.

Okay, enough rambling. Let's start this journey.

INTRODUCTION