The Truth Her Mother Hid
1126 Words
Chapter 6: The Truth Her Mother Hid
The deeper they went, the colder it became.
Amara could feel it in her bones now.
This wasn’t just a place.
It was something else.
Something alive.
The shelves behind them seemed to stretch endlessly, like the path they came from no longer existed. Ahead, the darkness thickened, swallowing even the faint glow from her mother’s ring.
“Lucien…” she whispered. “How far does this place go?”
He didn’t look back.
“Far enough that most people don’t come back.”
Her chest tightened.
“Comforting.”
He didn’t respond.
That silence again.
Heavy. Careful.
Like he was choosing what not to say.
Amara noticed it now—the way he moved through this place like he knew it too well. Like every step had been taken before.
“You’ve been here a long time,” she said.
It wasn’t a question.
Lucien slowed slightly.
“Yes.”
The answer was simple.
Too simple.
“How long?”
A pause.
Then—
“Longer than you think.”
That didn’t help.
“Stop doing that,” she muttered.
“Doing what?”
“Answering without actually answering.”
For a moment, she thought he might ignore her.
But then he stopped walking.
Completely.
Amara nearly walked into him.
“Fine,” he said quietly.
There was something different in his tone now.
Less distant.
More… real.
“You want the truth?”
Her heart skipped. “Yes.”
Lucien turned to face her.
The shadows shifted across his face, making his expression harder to read—but his eyes…
His eyes were clear.
Focused.
On her.
“Your mother didn’t come here by accident,” he said.
Amara’s stomach dropped.
“She knew about this place.”
The words hit harder than expected.
“That’s not possible,” Amara said quickly. “She never told me anything.”
“She wouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because she was trying to keep you away from it.”
That part made sense.
Too much sense.
Amara swallowed. “Then why bring me here?”
Lucien’s gaze darkened.
“She didn’t bring you here.”
Amara froze.
“You came on your own.”
The memory from earlier flashed in her mind again.
Her small hand.
Her mother’s voice.
Don’t let go, Amara.
Her breath caught.
“No… I was a child.”
“Yes,” Lucien said. “And children don’t always understand what they’re drawn to.”
A chill spread through her chest.
“You’re saying I wanted to come here?”
“I’m saying something called you.”
The whispers stirred at that.
Soft.
Pleased.
“We remember…”
Amara pressed her lips together, trying to stay grounded.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she whispered.
“It will.”
“Then explain it!”
Her voice echoed slightly, swallowed quickly by the darkness.
Lucien stepped closer.
Not threatening.
Not forceful.
Just… there.
“You’re not just hearing the dead,” he said.
Her heart pounded.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re connected to them.”
The words settled heavily between them.
Amara shook her head. “No. I just… hear things. That’s it.”
“If that were true,” Lucien said quietly, “they wouldn’t be reacting to you like this.”
The whispers grew louder.
Circling.
Hungry.
“She’s one of us…”
“She belongs…”
“No,” Amara whispered. “Stop…”
Lucien’s hand caught hers again.
The contact silenced the voices instantly.
Amara exhaled shakily.
“You see?” he said. “You affect them. And they affect you.”
Her fingers tightened slightly in his grip.
“Then what am I?” she asked.
For the first time—
Lucien hesitated.
Not like before.
This time… it looked like he didn’t want to answer.
“That’s what your mother was trying to figure out,” he said instead.
Amara’s chest tightened. “So she brought me here to study me?”
“No.”
His voice was firm now.
“She brought you here to protect you.”
“From what?”
Lucien’s eyes flickered toward the darkness ahead.
And for the first time—
Amara saw something she hadn’t seen before.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
“From becoming part of this place,” he said.
Her breath caught.
Too late.
The thought slipped in before she could stop it.
Too late.
The ring on her finger flared suddenly—brighter than ever before.
A sharp pulse of energy shot through her hand.
Amara gasped as the ground beneath them trembled slightly.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
Lucien’s grip tightened.
“They know you’re here.”
“Who?”
Before he could answer—
A low sound echoed through the darkness.
Not a whisper.
Not a voice.
Something deeper.
Something alive.
Amara’s body went rigid.
“What was that?”
Lucien stepped in front of her instinctively.
Shielding her.
“That,” he said quietly, “is something you don’t want to meet.”
The sound came again.
Closer.
Dragging.
Heavy.
Like something was waking up.
The shadows ahead shifted unnaturally.
And then—
A shape moved.
Tall.
Distorted.
Not human.
Amara’s breath caught in her throat.
“Lucien…”
“Stay behind me.”
For the first time since she met him—
He sounded serious.
Not calm.
Not controlled.
Serious.
The thing stepped forward slowly, its form barely visible in the darkness.
But its presence—
Was overwhelming.
The whispers fell silent.
Completely.
As if even they were afraid.
Amara’s heart pounded violently.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Lucien didn’t take his eyes off it.
“It’s what happens,” he said quietly…
“When something doesn’t stay human.”
The creature tilted its head.
And then—
It spoke.
In a voice that didn’t belong to the living.
Or the dead.
“Amara…”
Her blood ran cold.
It knew her name.
And somehow—
Deep inside—
She felt it.
That same pull.
That same connection.
Like this thing…
Knew her.
Lucien stepped forward slightly, blocking her view.
“You shouldn’t have come this far,” he said.
The creature didn’t move.
But its presence grew heavier.
Stronger.
Hungry.
Amara’s fingers tightened around his sleeve without thinking.
“Lucien…” she whispered. “It’s looking at me.”
“I know.”
The thing took another step.
Closer.
And the darkness seemed to follow it.
Like it belonged to it.
Amara’s pulse raced.
“What do we do?”
Lucien didn’t hesitate this time.
“We run.”
And before she could react—
He grabbed her hand—
And pulled her into the darkness.
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