They say life has a rhythm, but mine felt offbeat, like the melodies I've listened to too many times. Boredom had become my companion—my days filled with mindless routines, and my nights consumed by the silence that followed. Soccer and writing were my escapes, but lately, even those felt empty. That was until I stumbled upon the Echoes of Ash, a strange book that had somehow ended up in my hands.

The cover was worn, the pages brittle, but what caught my attention was the title—a whisper that seemed to pull at me, much like how a song can tug at your heartstrings. I didn't know then that opening it would set me on a path darker than any I had ever imagined.