Chapter 98: The Echo Beneath the Stone
The Ridge was quiet — almost too quiet.
For weeks after the restoration, Moonshadow Ridge bathed in harmony. The rivers glimmered like liquid crystal. The wind whispered lullabies through the trees. The villagers said the mountain breathed with gratitude.
Yet Alexandra knew silence was rarely peace — sometimes it was simply the world holding its breath.
She stood at the edge of the cliffs at dawn, the Heart glowing faintly beneath her collar. Ethan approached from behind, his arms wrapping around her waist. His warmth, his heartbeat — both grounding and fragile.
“Another sleepless night?” he murmured.
She nodded. “The Ridge is still whispering… but now, it’s not in my head. It’s in the ground.”
He frowned. “You think it’s another corruption?”
