The Weavers Truth

Chapter 10:

The Weaver's Truth

The forest was unnaturally still. The air hummed with something old, something waiting. Lila followed the path as the book had described, the silver stag carved into the trees guiding her deeper into the woods. The moonlight barely touched the dense canopy, casting only faint slivers of light onto the damp earth.

She tightened her grip on the leather-bound book tucked beneath her arm.

The witch—Elaris—was here somewhere.

Lila had expected a decaying cottage or a crumbling ruin, something that fit the stories of witches who worked in the shadows. But when she reached the clearing, she found nothing but an old stone archway, half-buried in ivy. The space beyond it shimmered, the air twisting like heat rising from pavement.

A door to another place.

Lila hesitated, her heartbeat quickening.

"Some magic is written in stone, some in blood, but the oldest magic is written in the bones of time itself."

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward.

The moment she crossed the threshold, the world shifted.

The clearing melted away, replaced by a vast chamber lined with shelves that stretched beyond sight, packed with books older than she could fathom. The scent of aged parchment and dried herbs filled the air. Dim lanterns floated in the air, casting a golden glow.

And at the center of it all, seated at a wooden table covered in scrolls and ink-stained parchment, was Elaris.

The witch barely looked up.

"You're late."

Lila blinked. "What?"

Elaris finally lifted her gaze. Her silver-streaked hair was pulled back in a loose braid, her sharp violet eyes gleaming with knowledge and something unreadable. "I was expecting you."

Lila hesitated. "How—?"

The witch sighed. "You came seeking answers. You wouldn't have found this place unless I wanted you to." She motioned to the books around them. "Now, let's not waste time."

Lila stepped forward cautiously. "You know why I'm here?"

Elaris raised a brow. "You wish to break a curse. A rather nasty one. Soul magic, by the feel of it."

Lila's stomach clenched. "Can you help?"

The witch leaned back, studying her. "That depends. Are you prepared for the truth?"

Lila swallowed. "Yes."

Elaris's lips curled into something between a smirk and a grimace. "We'll see."

She stood, moving to one of the shelves, fingers trailing along the spines of the books until she found the one she wanted. Pulling it free, she placed it on the table and opened it with care.

The pages were filled with diagrams and ancient symbols, swirling text that seemed to move if Lila stared too long.

"This," Elaris said, tapping a passage written in faded ink, "explains why your Caelan is trapped in the mirror."

Lila's breath caught. Your Caelan.

Elaris either didn't notice or didn't care about the flush that crept up Lila's neck.

"The mirrors don't just hold reflections," the witch continued. "They are gateways to the In-Between—a void between realms, where the soul can become lost if severed from the body."

Lila stiffened. "You mean… Caelan's body is somewhere else?"

Elaris nodded. "His soul is in the mirror. But his body?" She turned the page. "Hidden."

Lila's mind raced. "Where?"

Elaris ran her fingers over an illustration of an ornate ring. "A prison of sorts. The In-Between cannot hold a soul indefinitely unless it has a tether. And in this case, the tether is a ring."

A chill ran down Lila's spine. "You mean… his body is trapped in a ring?"

The witch nodded. "Yes. And if you wish to free him, you must find it."

Lila's pulse pounded. "Where is it?"

Elaris closed the book with a quiet thump. "That's the interesting part. The ring isn't lost." Her violet eyes gleamed. "It's in the library."

Lila's breath hitched. "My grandmother's library?"

The witch nodded. "She knew more than she let on. The ring has been waiting there for years."

Lila felt her knees go weak. All this time, the key to Caelan's freedom had been right under her nose.

She turned to Elaris. "How do I find it?"

The witch smirked. "That, my dear, is the right question."

---

The journey back to her grandmother's house felt different.

The moon was high by the time she reached the stone steps, her fingers trembling as she pushed open the heavy wooden door. The scent of old books and lavender greeted her.

Her grandmother had always kept the library locked, warning Lila away when she was young. At the time, Lila had thought it was just to keep her from damaging the fragile books. Now she realized it had been something else entirely.

She ran her hand along the shelves, searching.

If the ring had been hidden here, it had to be protected—maybe even disguised.

She reached for a familiar book, one she had seen her grandmother read countless times, and pulled it from the shelf.

The moment she did, something shifted.

A faint click echoed through the room, and the shelf shuddered.

Then, slowly, it swung open.

Lila's breath caught as a hidden compartment was revealed.

Inside, resting on a velvet cushion, was a ring.

It was simple—silver, with delicate etchings along the band—but as soon as she touched it, the air around her pulsed.

The connection was immediate.

Caelan.

His voice whispered through her mind, weak but unmistakable.

Lila?

Tears pricked her eyes. "I found it," she whispered.

A pause. Then, with a mixture of awe and longing—

You came for me.

Lila swallowed hard. "Of course, I did."

She pressed the ring to her chest, heart pounding.

She didn't care what it took.

She was going to bring him back.