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

I stepped into the bedroom, immediately noticing the neatly folded clothes Elias had left on the bed. A large shirt—clearly his—and a pair of pants that, surprisingly, looked like they’d fit me perfectly. How on earth did he guess my size? Shaking my head, I grabbed the clothes and headed to the bathroom. 


Closed the door behind me, then leaned against it for a moment, letting out a slow breath. The events of the day still whirled through my mind, but the warmth of the bathroom and the faint scent of lavender soap pulled me out of my thoughts. 


Turned on the water and stepped into the tub, letting the hot stream cascade over me. It felt heavenly, melting away the tension that had clung to my shoulders all day. I lingered longer than I probably should have, letting the warmth soothe me. Eventually, I forced myself to move, quickly scrubbing before stepping out. 


Falling Into You