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 quickly finished the rest of the food, stuffed the empty box back into the bag, and headed downstairs. Marching into the kitchen, I tossed the box into the trash and made a beeline for Elias, who was sitting casually on the couch with a glass of water, scrolling on his phone. 


“Elias,” I said firmly, planting my hands on my hips. 


He glanced up, his brows lifting slightly. “Yes?” 


His lips twitched as though suppressing a laugh. “Oh?” 


“And no,” I continued before he could say anything else, “it’s not because of pity or because I feel burdened or whatever other reason you’re overthinking in that big head of yours. I want to go because—” I hesitated for a split second, then pushed forward, “—it’ll be my first time at a fancy party, and I want to see how the rich do it.” 


That did it. He laughed, a full, warm sound that echoed in the room. 


A Room Rewritten in Lights