ARIA
The inside of the house was nothing like what I’d imagined.
From the outside, it looked like something straight out of a horror movie — crooked walls, cracked windows, the air heavy with the scent of moss and old rain. But inside… it was surprisingly warm. The faint smell of cinnamon drifted in the air, and a small fire crackled in a stone fireplace.
Old furniture, faded but clean, filled the room. Everything looked touched by time but not abandoned.
The woman — she’d said her name was Eleanor — moved with a quiet grace that didn’t match her age. Her silver hair was tied in a low bun, and her sharp eyes watched me as if she could see straight through my bones.
She gestured for me to sit before speaking. “I’ve been waiting for you, Aria.”
I froze. “Waiting for me? But you don't k
