Chapter Thirty-Two: A Shadow Over the Past

Leon stood at the top of the passage, his silhouette unnervingly still.

Elena felt the shift in the air—a quiet, deadly tension.

Slowly, he descended.

His boots barely disturbed the dirt, his movements precise, controlled. But his eyes…

They were locked onto the skeletal hand.

Elena swallowed. What was he thinking?

She expected anger, maybe frustration. But instead—his face was unreadable.

Until he spoke.

"You shouldn't have found this."

The Warning

His voice was quiet—too quiet.

A warning wrapped in silk.

Elena's pulse raced. She knew better than to back down now.

"What is this place, Leon?" she demanded. "Who—who is this?"

Leon's gaze lifted, meeting hers.

Something flickered behind his eyes—something deep, something old.

"Elena."

She recognized that tone. The same one he used when trying to control a situation, to make her stop digging.

But she wouldn't.

Not now.

Not when she was finally seeing cracks in the mask he wore so well.

Her voice steadied. "Did you bury them?"

Leon didn't answer.

Instead, he took another step forward, his figure casting a long shadow over the remains.

"I told you before, Elena… Some things should stay buried."

A chill ran down her spine.

Not just from his words.

But because, for the first time, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the truth.