Aria Solstice

Tethered Silence delves into the fragmented psyche of Raven, a young woman bound by roles she never chose. Raised by a mother who grooms her to be both wife to her stepfather and mother to her siblings, Raven’s existence has never been her own. As her body carries the visible marks of her compliance, her mind suffocates under the weight of expectations that seem inescapable.
Raven drifts through life, detached from her emotions and desires—if she ever had any. Her days blur in a numbing cycle of caregiving and survival, and her voice drowns in a silence she has never been allowed to break. On the cusp of adulthood, she finds herself attending college, an environment that promises freedom but only sharpens her awareness of the chains that bind her.
This is not a story of love, nor is it a tale of self-discovery. This is the slow unraveling of a life that was never lived for oneself. There is no salvation here—only the echoes of a mind slowly breaking under the weight of a life never meant to be hers.

Tethered Silence

Nearly 30 minutes had passed when a familiar car pulled up to the curb, its headlights cutting through the gloom. 


The window rolled down, and Elias leaned over, his sandy blonde hair tousled like he’d been running his hands through it. “Need a lift, or are you just enjoying the weather?” 


I couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at my lips as I stood and walked toward the car. “You’re late.” 


“Traffic,” he said smoothly, though the playful glint in his light blue eyes suggested otherwise. 


I climbed into the passenger seat, grateful for the warmth that enveloped me as he turned up the heat. 


“Thanks,” I murmured, settling into the seat. 


“For what?” he asked, glancing at me as he pulled away from the curb. 


He shrugged, his lips quirking into a crooked grin. “You act like I had better plans.” 


I rolled my eyes, but his teasing had the intended effect—I felt lighter, the tension in my chest easing slightly. 


A Quiet Escape