Ink & Echoes

  Chapter Three: The Shadows of Memory Elena couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed like this, unguarded and light, the sound spilling into the crisp air like wind through the trees. Daniel had a way of grounding her, of making the present feel sturdy, tangible, as if the fractures of the past could be stitched with moments like this. One evening, the village gathered for the annual Lantern Festival. Rosewood’s cobblestone streets glimmered with hundreds of floating lights, reflected in the still surface of the lake. Elena walked beside Daniel, her hand brushing his as they carried their lantern toward the water. “Ever seen anything like this?” Daniel asked, his voice low over the hush of the crowd. “I… no,” Elena admitted. Her eyes traced the lanterns as they floated away, drifting higher and higher until they became tiny points of gold against the indigo sky. “It feels like… hope,” she said, almost to herself. Daniel’s gaze lingered on her. “Then hold onto it. Don’t let ...