Chapter 12: A Cruel Farewell Anna's POV

"Get up. You need to move." 

Maia's voice was gentle, but she held my shoulders tightly. I remained motionless. My mind was a dense fog, and my legs felt like lead. Every time I closed my eyelids, the picture of Leo's dead body dangling from the gallows blazed behind them. Sharp and oppressive, the weight of it pressed against my chest. 

"Anna, we can't stay here," Maia uttered in a tremulous whisper. "They’re watching." 

I looked up and blinked. Murmurs and whispered conversations filled the air as the crowd dispersed. Oliver appeared, his arrogant face piercing the mist of my sorrow like a blade. As if the execution of an innocent man were just another ordinary occurrence, his Luna stood next to him, her face expressionless. 

With her voice falling to a plea, Maia pulled at my arm once more. "We need to go now." 

As I stood up, my legs swayed. Maia supported me by putting an arm around my waist. The world around me was moving in slow, surreal waves, and every step felt like pulling chains through the thick mud. 

As we passed Elder Amos, I whispered, my voice cracking, "You should've done something." His head lowered in shame, but he remained silent despite the sympathy in his eyes. 

The return walk was a haze. Maia remained silent, and I lacked the willpower to interrupt her. It seemed as though the village itself was grieving Leo's passing. The branches of the trees scratched against one another like disapproving whispers as they swayed in a restless wind. 

The sight of it was overwhelming when we arrived at the cottage. I stumbled inside and pushed Maia away. I was completely consumed by the emptiness. 

I didn’t realize I was pacing until the floor creaked beneath me. I felt waves of anger and despair wash over me, causing my fists to clench and unclench. I turned around and squinted at Lucas as the door behind me creaked open. 

“What do you want?” My voice trembled with rage as I spat. 

He cautiously said, "I came to check on you," and entered as though he thought I would hurl something at him. 

“Check on me?” I gave a sour laugh. “You think I want to see the face of the man who helped kill Leo?” 

He scowled. "Anna, I didn't kill him. I..."

I interrupted him and yelled, "You accused him." With every word, the weight of my grief poured out in anger, lifting my voice. “You pointed at him and let them believe he was a murderer. You could have just as easily tied the noose yourself!"

Lucas winced, but he kept his eyes fixed on it. “I was doing my duty. I didn’t know this would happen.” 

"Duty?" I sneered. "My family was destroyed by your duty. The only person who ever cared about me was taken by your duty!"

He stepped forward, and I hesitated for a second. There was something else in his eyes, not something defensive or frigid. Regret? Anguish? I didn’t want to care. 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. 

I lowered my voice to a whisper and shook my head. “Sorry won’t bring him back.” 

Like an unseen thread pulled taut, the space between us felt charged. My breath caught, and I sensed an odd, inexplicable pull toward him—almost like a magnet. I stepped back, feeling angry once more. 

"Get out," I gritted my teeth and said. 

"Anna—" 

"Leave!" With a cracked voice, I yelled. 

After a moment of hesitation, Lucas nodded, his jaw tensing. He turned and walked away without saying anything more, the door creaking behind him. 

His absence made the house feel colder. My body shook as I fell onto the bed. Leo's voice reverberated in my head as I relived our final moments together. 

"You are stronger than you know, Anna. You’ll see."

My face was buried in my hands. Powerful? When I couldn't even defend the one person who had ever stood up for me, how could I be strong? 

The wind rattling the windowpanes was the only sound in the room. A cruel reminder of Leo's absence, the faint smell of his coat still clung to the chair in the corner. 

I reclined and gazed at the ceiling. My mind swirled, too disorganized to make sense of, until fatigue eventually took over. 

It was a faint whisper, soft but distinct, and I couldn't tell how long I had been asleep when I heard it. 

"Anna..." 

My eyes opened, and my heart began to race. A slight glow filtered through the window, but the room was still dark. I sat up, gasping for air. 

"Anna..." This time the voice was clearer, haunting but almost melodic. 

I moved slowly and carefully as I made my way toward the window. Outside, the light pulsed softly, like a heartbeat. The curtain brushed my fingers, and I froze. 

Beyond the cottage, a gentle, dreamy light lingered in the trees. It was something otherworldly, glimmering with shades of blue and silver, not moonlight or firelight. I could feel a low vibration in my chest, as if the air were humming. 

The voice returned, this time more clearly, and it made me shiver. 

"Anna... It’s time.” 

I reached for the latch with shaky hands. My gut told me to stay inside and ignore the weird things happening, but I felt compelled to go. 

Long shadows stretched across the walls as the glow grew brighter. I opened the door and entered the cold air. I was pulled toward the light by the wind's indistinct but persistent whispers. 

The glow started to change as I got closer to the wood's edge, creating patterns in the atmosphere that I didn't recognize but that felt strangely familiar. My breath came in shallow gasps, and my pulse accelerated. 

The voice then spoke again, in a tone that was both a warning and a promise, as the light flickered. 

"Anna, discover the truth. Before it’s too late.” 

As the glow turned into a shower of sparks, I stood motionless, my thoughts racing. 

It wasn't over, whatever was going on. And I knew, somehow, that this was just the start.