Whispers of Yesterday

Chapter 2 : Ties the Bind

I didn’t sleep that night.

The morning sun barely pierced through the curtains when Katana’s phone rang, pulling her from the haze of half-sleep. She groaned, grabbing the device from the nightstand without checking the caller ID.

“Katana Santos,” I answered, her voice still thick with exhaustion.

“Ms. Santos?” A deep, familiar voice crackled through the phone—Leon Torres. “I’m sorry to bother you so early, but there’s something I forgot to mention yesterday. Something you need to know.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the unexpected call. She hadn’t expected to hear from him again so soon, not after the tension-filled conversation the day before.

“Of course,” she replied, sitting up in bed. “What is it?”

“I didn’t want to say too much at the house,” Leon continued, his voice strained, as if he were grappling with something. “But... my sister Cassandra. She wasn’t just a part of the past. She disappeared, yes, but her disappearance was... connected to something darker, something I never wanted to discuss.”

“Sister” I asked. He never mentioned that he has a sister.

“Yes, I have a sister. She also.. She also disappeared.. Just like our mother.” He replied.

My pulse quickened. She leaned forward, eager for more.

“Darker?” she asked, her curiosity now piqued. “What do you mean by that?”

Leon hesitated, and for a brief moment, Katana heard the sound of someone shifting in the background. “I can’t explain it over the phone. I think you need to come back, Ms. Santos. There’s something at the house you need to see. Something you’ll understand better if you’re here.”

Katana’s mind raced as she glanced at the clock—8:00 AM. It was early, but she knew there was no way she could ignore the invitation. There was more to this story than she had realized, and she couldn’t turn away from it now.

“I’ll be there in an hour,” she said, her voice steady despite the excitement coursing through her veins.

Katana hung up the phone, her fingers lingering on the screen for a moment as the weight of Leon’s words settled in. His sister. Disappeared. Just like their mother. The connection to something darker—what could it mean? Her thoughts swirled, pulling her in every direction, but before she could process any further, a knock at her door interrupted her.

“Mika, can you give me a second?” Katana called out, not bothering to look up as she pulled herself out of bed and paced the room, running her hands through her tangled hair.

The door creaked open, and her younger sister, Mika, stepped inside, her expression unreadable. Despite the early hour, Mika always seemed alert, her sharp eyes scanning the room, as if aware of things even before they happened.

“Katana, you’ve got a minute?” Mika asked, her voice calm, though there was an edge to it, something Katana couldn’t quite place. Mika had always had a way of sensing when things weren’t right.

Katana exhaled slowly, running a hand down her face. “I’m listening.”

Mika crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing with concern. “You’re not going back to that place, are you? To the Torres estate?”

Katana’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t mentioned her conversation with Leon, and she certainly hadn’t told Mika about the mysterious, lingering secrets she was now tangled in. But Mika’s intuition had always been spot-on.

“I—I wasn’t planning on it,” Katana said, trying to sound nonchalant. “But I just got a call from Leon. There’s something more to all this. Something... important.”

Mika didn’t buy the hesitation in her voice. She stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her, her eyes never leaving Katana’s face. “You’re not going alone.”

Katana froze. Her sister’s protective streak had always been fierce, but she hadn’t expected Mika to react so strongly, especially after everything that had happened between them in the past.

“Mika, I—” Katana started, but Mika held up a hand.

“I’m coming with you,” Mika insisted, her tone leaving no room for argument. “I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re walking into, but I’m not going to let you face it alone. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

Katana opened her mouth to protest, but then she saw the look in Mika’s eyes—determined, resolute. Mika wasn’t going to back down. And, truth be told, Katana didn’t want to be alone in this either.

“Fine,” she said with a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly in resignation. “But you need to stay out of the way. This is... complicated.”

Mika gave a half-smile, her eyes lighting up with mischief. “You know I’m good at keeping secrets. But, Katana…” She paused, her voice softening. “I’m serious. If this is about more than just some family drama, we need to be careful. Whatever’s going on at that estate? It’s not going to be easy to walk away from.”

Katana met her sister’s gaze, her mind still swirling with Leon’s cryptic words. “I know. But I have to go. I have to understand what’s really going on. I won’t leave until I get answers.”

Mika studied her for a moment, as if weighing the decision in her mind. Finally, she nodded. “Alright. But I’m going with you. And if anything happens, I’m not letting you handle it on your own.”

Katana gave her a small smile, her heart lighter than it had been in weeks. She wasn’t sure what lay ahead, but for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel entirely alone. With Mika by her side, she felt like maybe—just maybe—they could face whatever darkness the Torres family was hiding. Together.

The clock read 8:15 AM as they both walked out the door, Katana’s thoughts already back on the estate. What could Leon want her to see? What would they uncover in the depths of the Torres family history? One thing was certain: the truth was more elusive and dangerous than she had ever imagined.

The drive to the Torres estate was eerily quiet. Katana gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles pale against the leather, while Mika sat in the passenger seat, her eyes trained on the passing scenery. Neither of them spoke. The weight of the unknown hung between them, heavy and suffocating. Katana’s mind raced with the fragments of Leon’s cryptic words, each one a puzzle piece she wasn’t sure how to fit together. Darker—what did that mean? And why had Leon waited until now to reveal the existence of his sister? The more she thought about it, the less she understood.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Mika's voice broke the silence, cutting through Katana’s spiraling thoughts.

Katana’s grip tightened on the wheel. She stole a glance at her sister before returning her gaze to the road ahead. “I don’t know. But there’s something off about the way he said it. It’s like he was trying to say more, but he couldn’t. Or maybe... maybe he didn’t want to.”

Mika nodded slowly, her fingers tapping restlessly on her leg. “There’s always something people aren’t saying. I’ve learned that much.” She paused, as if weighing the gravity of her own words. “But this feels different, Kat. Like there’s more to the Torres family than just their history. It’s like they’re still hiding something from the world... something dangerous.”

Katana’s pulse quickened at Mika’s words. She had thought the same thing, but hearing it aloud made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Was it possible? Could the Torres family be tangled up in something even darker than what she had already uncovered? And why now? Why had everything seemed to spiral out of control in the span of a single conversation?

As they neared the Torres estate, the sprawling mansion slowly came into view, its looming silhouette like a specter on the horizon. The house was as imposing as Katana remembered—its dark stone walls and towering windows creating an atmosphere of cold, unwelcoming mystery. But today, there was something different about it. The air felt thick with anticipation, and the closer they got, the more Katana felt the weight of her decision to return. Every instinct told her to turn around, to walk away, to never look back. But she couldn’t. Not with so many questions left unanswered.

She parked in front of the grand entrance, the gravel crunching under the tires like an ominous warning. The silence between them deepened, and neither of them moved for a moment.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this,” Katana finally whispered, almost as if speaking to herself. “It feels like I’m walking into something I’m not prepared for.”

Mika turned to face her, her expression softening. “You don’t have to do this alone, Kat. But you’re right—you don’t know what you’re walking into. None of us do.”

Katana exhaled slowly, her breath shaky. “Then let’s find out.”

Together, they stepped out of the car, the cold air biting at their skin. The mansion stood still and silent, almost as if it were watching them. As they approached the front door, a sudden chill ran through Katana, a shiver that wasn’t caused by the weather. She glanced at Mika, who seemed to sense it too, her lips pressed tightly together in silent apprehension.

The door creaked open before they could even knock, and Leon’s figure appeared in the doorway, his face tense, his eyes dark circles of worry. He didn’t seem surprised to see Mika; if anything, he almost seemed relieved.

“Ms. Santos, Mika,” Leon greeted them, his voice strained. “I’m glad you came. But please, be careful.”

Katana studied him carefully. His usual cold composure seemed fractured now, his words too careful, his body language too guarded. What was he hiding?

“You said there was something we needed to see,” Katana said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “What is it?”

Leon hesitated, glancing over his shoulder as though making sure they weren’t being watched. He stepped aside to let them in, but the moment they crossed the threshold, something felt off. The air was thick with the scent of dust and old wood, but there was also something else—a faint, almost imperceptible smell of decay, like something buried long ago.

“This way,” Leon murmured, his voice low as he led them down a long hallway. The walls were adorned with portraits of stoic-faced ancestors, their eyes following them with unnerving intensity. Katana’s unease grew with every step. The house felt like a living, breathing entity, watching them, waiting for them to unravel its secrets.

Leon stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall, his hand lingering on the handle as if uncertain. “What I’m about to show you... it’s not something I ever wanted anyone to know. But you have to see it, Katana. You need to understand the truth.”

The door opened with a soft creak, and Katana’s breath caught in her throat. The room beyond was dimly lit, filled with shelves stacked high with old books and artifacts. But what drew her attention was the large, ornate mirror against the far wall. Its frame was intricately carved, depicting scenes of family history—images of celebrations, births, and weddings. Yet the mirror itself felt wrong, its surface clouded, as though it had seen too much. Too many things that were never meant to be seen.