Astra_K

The Echo Between Us
A Novel by Astra K.

Lana Vienne never believed in fate-until the night she left a note between the pages of a forgotten book, never expecting anyone to find it. It was nothing more than a quiet confession, a whisper of longing pressed onto paper, meant to disappear into the endless hum of the city.

But when she walks into Café Amour weeks later, she sees him-Oryn Moreau, the man the world knows as Ryn, a famed yet elusive writer-reading her words.

She doesn't know him, but he knows her words.

And somehow, it feels like he's been waiting for them all along.

Set in the dreamy city of Aurivelle, where love lingers in quiet corners and fate writes between the lines, The Echo Between Us is a story of serendipitous moments, unspoken emotions, and the delicate line between fiction and reality.

The Echo Between Us

The rain had softened into a quiet drizzle by the time Lana set her pen down, her gaze lingering on the words she had just written. The ink had bled faintly into the paper as if the page itself was absorbing the weight of the thought.

She wasn't sure what made her respond. Maybe it was the way the original note felt unfinished, like an echo waiting for someone to answer. Or maybe it was the way the words had settled into her chest, refusing to leave.

With a quiet sigh, she closed the book, her fingers hesitating on the worn edges before she stood. She glanced around the café, as if half-expecting someone to be watching, but the moment remained hers alone.

Instead of taking the book with her, she walked to the wooden bookshelf near the window, a small section where regulars often left novels for others to borrow. Running her fingers along the spines, she found an open spot and slid the book in, tucking it between two others. Out of sight, yet waiting to be found.

For a brief second, she thought about pulling it back out. About pressing the note into her palm and carrying it with her instead.

She turned away, adjusting the strap of her bag as she stepped toward the door. The bell above the entrance chimed softly as she left, swallowed by the rain-dampened streets of Aurivelle.

Inside the café, Oryn sat frozen, watching the space she had just vacated.

He had seen her hesitation. The way her fingers had lingered on the book. The way her expression had flickered with something unreadable before she finally let it go.

It had been reckless, leaving the note in the first place. More reckless still to watch it change hands.

He hadn't meant for someone like her to find it. Someone who would take it seriously. Someone who would answer.

Oryn exhaled, running a hand through his hair before pushing himself to his feet.

He wasn't sure what drew him forward, but within moments, he found himself in front of the bookshelf. His fingers hovered over the spines, searching.

A book slightly misaligned with the others, as if someone had placed it there in a hurry.

He pulled it free, his heart hammering in a way he didn't entirely understand. The book was familiar one he had read before. That alone was enough to make his breath catch.

The words were hers smaller, more delicate, yet steady. As if she had written them with quiet certainty without expecting an answer.

Oryn stared at the ink, something sharp and unfamiliar curling in his chest. It wasn't just that she had responded it was how she had responded. The weight of the question, the way it mirrored something he had once asked himself.

He traced the edge of the page with his thumb, exhaling slowly.

For the first time in a long time, someone had answered him.

And for the first time in an even longer time, he wanted to reply.

The Note in the Book