A New BeginningThe night was dense, ed in a silehat seemed to weigh upon the shoulders of anyone who felt it. After the i, Elyndra carried Hitory back to the room. His body was motionless, as if every part of his essence had been drained by the fme that had ed him. She carefully id him on the bed, his chest rising and falling irregurly. Her eyes rested on the grotesque scar, now pulsating as if it had a life of its own.

  Without a word, she gnced around, searg for Tekime. There was no sign of the girl in the room, but then, just as Elyndra was about to leave, she heard the sudden sound of a door log. Her eyes shifted toward the bathroom, where the muffled sound of hesitant footsteps could be heard. Elyndra hesitated, her instincts screaming that something was wrong, but she decided not to force the issue.

  With a heavy sigh, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

  A Week of ShadowsThe days that followed felt like a living nightmare. The house was shrouded in an oppressive aura, as if the walls themselves whispered dark secrets. Tekime, once full of life, was now only a shadow of her former self. Sitting in the er of the room, her knees drawn to her chest and her head lowered, she remained motionless for hours, as if time around her had stopped.

  At first, Elyndra tried t her back to life. She prepared simple yet nourishing meals, leaving them beside Tekime with gentle words of encement. Tekime finally gave in oaking the pte with trembling hands. Elyndra watched from afar, hopeful—until she heard Tekime running to the bathrht after eating.

  The sounds of vomiting echoed through the house, followed by muffled sobs that tore at Elyndra’s heart. From that moment on, Tekime didn’t even try again. Her once vibrant skin was now pale as wax, her eyes hollow and filled with emptiness. She barely seemed alive, rising only to meically walk to the bathroom, like a marioe trolled by invisible strings.

  Hitory, oher hand, was in er dition. Though he still breathed, his appearance worsened with each passing day. His scar glowed faintly with an uling hue, and his skin had taken on an ashen tone. Elyndra knew she had to act, but the weight of her own choices kept her frozen.

  Surrendering to SleepThat night, the full moon hung high in the sky, casting its pale light through the half-open window. The cold seeped into every er, ing around Tekime as she remained curled on the floor. Her eyes were closed, yet her mind refused to rest.

  At st, exhaustioook her. Her frail body gave in, and she dozed off, still sitting in the er of the room. Tekime’s unevehing softened, and as she drifted into deep sleep, the darkness around her seemed to swallow her mind, pulling her into another pce—a pce where she would find answers… and a new fate.

  T-The DreamTekime felt weightless, floating in an infinite space. The sky around her was filled with a silver light, soft ale, like the glow of a full moon on a cloudless night. She didn’t know whether she was awake or dreaming, but the sery was so vivid that every detail felt real.

  Suddenly, a feminine silhouette began to emerge from the light. It was Lunaria, the Goddess of the Moon and Souls, her long silver hair flowing like silk in the ent wind. Her eyes were like celestial orbs, deep and endless. The deity radiated an unnatural calm, but a subtle sorrow lingered in her expression, as if she carried the burden of a secrets.

  — “Tekime…” — Lunaria called, her voice eg softly in the silence, like a melody resonating from all dires. — “You have e to me seeking answers, but I bring you more than that.”

  Tekime tried to speak, but no words came out. She could only gaze at the goddess, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

  Lunaria took a step forward, extending her hand toward Tekime. A circle of light formed around them, and images began to appear—Hitory, colpsed on the floor, his scar glowing with an ominous iy. His red blood morphed into bck fmes that took shape, ing around him like living s.

  — “He bears a burden that was never meant to be his,” — Lunaria said, her voice ced with mencholy. — “édros, the Lord of Sis within him. His pain and sacrifice are the refle of the chaos that the world rejects.”

  Tekime’s eyes widened, her heart pounding. She wao deny it, to say that Hitory was just Hitory—but deep down, she knew she couldn’t.

  — “What… What should I do?” — she finally mao whisper, her voice choked with fear.

  Lunaria tilted her head, her expression filled with a mix of passion and resolve.— "Light and darkness coexist. Hitory is not just a guardian; he is the vessel for something greater. And you, Tekime, are the key to saving him... or destroying him."The goddess gently touched Tekime's forehead, and the young woma a warmth spread through her body, as if a silver fme were being kindled within her.— "Love him. Protect him. Even when he ot protect himself." Lunaria sighed, her wrowing darker. — "But know this. Tekime, helping Hitory means helping édros. For if he is ed, the world will fall into darkness. Please save my beloved, for I o longer help him."The images around them began to dissolve, and Lunaria started to fade into the light.— "Do not fet, my daughter... Love is both the cure and the curse. Choose wisely."

  Did I wake up?Tekime awoke from the dream with rapid breathing, her body covered in a cold sweat. The words of Goddess Lunaria still echoed in her mind, soft but relentless: "Help him. Restore what was lost. Do not let him sink into darkness."She looked at Hitory – or édros, as Lunaria had called him – still lying in bed, motionless, as though the very weight of the world rested upon him. His breathing was uneven, and his skin, once healthy, now had a pale, sickly toekime felt a sharp pain in her heart seeing him like this.Without hesitation, she made a decision.With trembling hands, Tekime began to remove her clothes, piece by piece, until she was pletely naked. It was not a gesture of shame or desperation, but one of purity and surrender. She knew she was eg her own esseo his, herself as a duit for the energy the Goddess had promised.She y down beside Hitory, her naked body pressing against his cold skin. Slowly, she ed her arms around his torso, holding him gently as though fearing she might break him. The warmth of her body seemed to begin warming his, creating a strange, almost spiritual sensatioheir skins touched, somethiraordinary happened. A silver light began to emerge around them, soft ahereal, growing like a living fme. Then, Tekime saw the veil of Goddess Lunaria appear, just as in the book Blessing of Aether.The veil floated in the air, translut and filled with stars, as though made from the very fabric of the os. It desded slowly, enveloping them in a celestial aura. The silver light pulsed gently, and Tekime felt a deep calm fill her.Suddenly, everything around them ged. For a moment, Tekime and Hitory were no longer in that room. Before their eyes, a vast field of flowers stretched as far as the eye could see. The wind blew gently, making the petals dance around them, and the sweet st of the flowers filled the air. The sky above was a starry b, and the moonlight seemed to embrace the entire field.— "Lunaria..." Tekime whispered, closing her eyes as she felt a surge of energy flow through her body.The mark on Hitory's chest began to glow, but this time, it was not the dark, oppressive energy that domi. It was a golden light, mixed with the silver of the veil, that seemed to purify and calm the corrupted essehat had resided there.Hitory began to move. His body trembled slightly, and his eyes slowly opehey were no loained with blood-red, but still carried a strange gleam, a mix of humanity and something far beyond it.— "Tekime..." he murmured, his voice hoarse and weak, but filled with reition.Tekime did not respond. She simply tightened her embrace, letting silent tears fall down her face. She khis moment was more than human; it was divihe vision of the field began to fade, like a dream slowly slipping away. Goddess Lunaria's veil gradually disappeared, and whehiuro normal, the room seemed brighter, as if a weight had been lifted.Tekime stayed by Hitory's side, now feeling that, for the first time in a long while, there was hope.

  End of EP 10: "The Judgment of Shadows"

  Koqui's

  Hey, everyohis is Koqui, author of Echos of Silence. We've reached the end of the first season of this beloved novel. I want to sihank everyone who has read and tributed to this journey!

  But it's not over yet! The sed season is on its way, and the first episode will be released on 03/02/2025. I'll tinue posting two episodes per week. I'm incredibly grateful for everyone's support, and I hope we tihis adveogether. Thanks, guys!