The Days’ Whispers
1032 Words
The morning was serene in the small village lying at the edge of the Alderys Kingdom.
The dawn air was pure, carrying the fragrance of damp earth, while the sounds of nature wove a gentle symphony that danced with the early breeze.
It wasn’t a crowded place, nor a wealthy one but it was home.
The only home Tiana had ever known.
A small cottage stood amidst a field of wildflowers, where a delicate-faced young girl with a tender soul lived a simple life.
She knew little about her past, and rarely asked about it, for Madam Yoon had always been there offering her a love she never once doubted.
The sun rose slowly, its rays slipping through the narrow window to brush against her soft face.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, inhaling deeply, before lazily turning in her modest bed and finally rising.
She dressed in her simple garments a loose cotton blouse and a light linen skirt before stepping out to find Madam Yoon had already set the breakfast table.
“You’re up early today, my dear,” the woman said kindly.
Tiana smiled as she pulled out her chair.
“I wanted to help you at the market today. The weather seems perfect.”
Madam Yoon placed a warm cup of milk before her, then sat across, watching her with eyes full of boundless affection.
“You’re always thinking of helping me, child. But you should enjoy yourself too.”
“I am, Mother. I love spending time with you.”
The woman laughed softly, patting her hand with tender warmth.
“If the world were filled with hearts like yours, there would be no wars… no greed.”
---
After breakfast, Tiana carried a small basket and stepped into the garden.
Her favorite flowers had begun to bloom, and she knelt beside them, brushing the petals gently as if whispering secrets only they could understand.
“You care for those flowers more than you care for yourself, Tia.”
She turned toward the familiar voice.
Luca was standing by the wooden fence, a teasing smile curling on his lips.
“Because they deserve care,” she replied, standing and dusting the soil off her hands.
“Sometimes, I think you’re not from this world,” he said as he approached, reaching for her basket.
“And why is that?”
“Because you’re… too kind. Too gentle. The world isn’t a kind place, Tia. It isn’t fair.”
Tiana looked at him for a moment, then smiled softly.
“Maybe, But that doesn’t mean we should become cruel like it.”
Luca sighed, but didn’t argue.
He knew her heart would never change and he didn’t want it to.
“Come on,” he said, tugging her arm playfully. “Let’s get to the market before your dreamy thoughts take us somewhere else.”
She laughed lightly and hurried after him.
---
The market was alive.
Vendors called out in loud voices, competing to draw buyers’ attention. Children’s laughter blended with the chatter of women returning from the river, balancing clay jars gracefully upon their heads.
It was a familiar sight, yet it never failed to enchant Tiana.
She moved gracefully between the stalls, greeting everyone with a warm smile.
Everyone knew her, and everyone adored her.
She wasn’t just another villager she was a gentle spirit in a place weary of hardship.
At the bread stall stood old Martha, who adored her like a granddaughter.
The moment she saw Tiana, her face brightened.
“Ah, my little one! I made your favorite bread today,” she said, holding up a golden loaf.
Tiana laughed softly as she accepted it, inhaling its comforting scent.
“No one bakes like you, Grandma Martha.”
“That’s because I knead it with love, not just dough,” the woman winked.
“That’s what makes it special,” Tiana replied, offering her a few coins—but Martha waved her hand.
“Keep it, Having you in our village is payment enough.”
Tiana wanted to insist, but she knew she would lose the argument as always.
So she thanked her warmly and continued walking, nibbling on the bread as her gaze wandered over the bustling market.
The place was a reflection of life itself: noise and calm, joy and fatigue, hope and fear all intertwined.
In one corner, a man played a weathered stringed instrument.
His tune was melancholic, yet carried an odd kind of warmth.
Tiana stopped to listen, her heart swaying gently with the melody.
“Are you trying to steal my song with your eyes, young lady?” the musician joked, making her smile.
“Perhaps,” she replied softly. “You play from the heart.”
“And where else should music come from?” he said with a chuckle.
She laughed, tossing a coin into his hat before moving on.
---
Tiana never saw her village as merely a place to live it was her entire world.
She had never known anything beyond it, nor felt the need to.
Here was Madam Yoon, who had given her love and shelter.
Here was Luca, her faithful friend.
Here was life quiet, simple, untouched by the chaos of the outside world.
But the world beyond the village… was far from simple.
Rumors had begun to spread whispers of unrest near the kingdom’s borders, of strangers seen moving through the surrounding forests.
No one knew who they were or what they wanted, but everyone sensed that something was changing.
“Did you hear what happened near the river?” one woman whispered to another as they bought vegetables.
“Yes. They say armed men were seen there at night.”
“They’re not the king’s soldiers, are they?”
“No one knows. But it’s unsettling.”
Tiana usually paid little attention to such talk the outside world had never concerned her.
Yet she had no idea that this very world was about to crash into hers… in ways she could never imagine.
This was the only life she had known.
But another life hidden behind the curtain of fate was silently waiting for her.
- Writer
