Aria and Ava were walking together when they spotted Lucas and Jackson passing each other near the library entrance. Neither of them acknowledged the other, but their postures stiffened subtly, and their gazes briefly locked for the faintest second.
'Wait, do they know each other?' Ava whispered, furrowing her brows.
Aria hesitated, torn between feigning ignorance and sharing what little she knows.
"I think so," she said carefully, her eyes following Lucas as he walked away without a word.
"What do you mean you think so?" Ava asked, confused.
Aria pondered whether to tell Ava, but she couldn't bear to keep it a secret from her best friend. She took a deep breath and spoke.
"Remember those weird things that have been happening to me? I have a feeling Jackson knows something about it. And when I talked to him the other day, he was acting strange, and I noticed a tattoo on his upper arm that looks familiar. Then I had that dream when you caught me sleeping in the library. I dreamed about my parents, just glimpses and snippets, and they were holding a book with a symbol that's the same as Jackson's tattoo, so I'm even more curious now" she explained.
Ava stopped in her tracks, turning to face Aria with wide eyes. "Wait, wait, wait—what? You're telling me you've been dreaming about your parents and some mysterious book with the same symbol as Jackson's tattoo? And you didn't tell me about this?"
Her voice was a mix of disbelief and frustration, though there was no malice in her tone.
She crossed her arms, leaning slightly toward Aria. "Aria, why didn't you tell me this earlier? You know that I am always here for you. Seriously, this is some next-level mystery vibes!"
Aria fidgeted with the strap of her bag, guilt written all over her face. "I know, Ava. I'm sorry. I just... I didn't want to say anything until I was sure it meant something."
"Well, it definitely means something! Lucas, Jackson, tattoos, symbols in your dreams—hello? You're basically living in a thriller novel, and you didn't even think to clue me in?" Ava shook her head, but a glimmer of excitement sparkled in her eyes.
She grabbed Aria's arm, pulling her closer. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. First, Lucas needs to spill whatever it is he's keeping to himself. Second, we're going to figure out what Jackson is hiding because it is obvious that he is hiding something. And third—wait, do you think this has anything to do with those weird things that have been happening to you?"
Ava's mind was already spinning with possibilities, her initial frustration giving way to determination. "Aria, if you're not curious, I'll be curious enough for the both of us. But promise me one thing: no more keeping secrets, okay?"
Aria smiled weakly, nodding. "Okay, no more secrets."
"Good," Ava said, her expression softening. "Now let's go figure this out."
—
Ava stirs her drink absentmindedly, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. "So, Lucas," she says casually, leaning on the table. "How do you know Jackson?"
Lucas freezes for a fraction of a second before recovering with a dismissive shrug. "We're... family friends."
"Family friends?" Ava repeats, clearly unimpressed by the vague answer.
"If that's the case, why do you act like you don't know each other?"
Lucas leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "We're not that close," he says nonchalantly. "It's not like we need to acknowledge each other every time we're in the same room."
Ava narrows her eyes, unconvinced.
"Sounds suspicious."
"Sounds boring," Lucas counters with a smirk, deflecting her suspicion. But beneath his confident exterior, Aria notices the flicker of discomfort in his eyes.
—
"Hey, Aria," Vivian began, her tone slightly sharp. "Could you help me clean our room? I've got a lot of work to do."
While Aria didn't appreciate the tone, she understood Vivian's frustration.
"Sure, I can do that. Let me just change my clothes first."
Vivian nodded, a hint of gratitude in her eyes. "Thanks, Aria. I appreciate it."
With that, Vivian headed to the living room to finish her homework, leaving Aria to tidy up their bedroom.
She quickly changed her clothes and got ready to clean.
Aria hummed softly to herself as she dusted the bookshelves in Vivian and Henry's room.
The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, bathing the room in a golden glow. Everything seemed ordinary until her hand brushed against a hidden compartment at the back of a shelf. The latch clicked softly, revealing a small, weathered box.
Her heart skipped a beat. The box was unassuming, made of dark wood, but something about it felt... alive. A faint tingling spread through her fingertips as she hesitated, her breath hitching.
What is this?
Unable to resist, she carefully opened the box. Inside lay an ancient medallion, its surface etched with strange symbols that seemed to shimmer faintly, even in the dim light. The moment her fingers touched it, a surge of energy coursed through her, like a bolt of lightning. Her vision blurred, and for a fleeting second, she saw flashes—unfamiliar faces, glimpses and snippets of her parents talking, her birthmark on her upper arm glowing brightly, and the mysterious book from her dream.
She stumbled back, clutching the medallion, her breathing ragged. The room felt colder, as though the discovery had awakened something that had been dormant for years.
"What are you doing?"
Aria spun around, her pulse racing. Henry stood in the doorway, his sharp gaze fixed on her. His usually calm demeanor was replaced by something else—concern? No, it was sharper than that. Suspicion.
"I—" She glanced down at the medallion in her hand, suddenly unsure if she should tell him the truth. "I was cleaning, and I found this."
Henry stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate. "You shouldn't be touching that," he said, his voice low and measured.
"Why not?" Aria challenged, clutching the medallion tighter. "What is it?"
"It's not something you need to concern yourself with," he replied curtly, reaching out to take it from her.
But Aria stepped back, holding the medallion out of his reach. "This isn't just some random trinket, is it? I felt something when I touched it. I saw something."
Henry's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, he looked like he was weighing his options. Finally, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There are things in this house you don't understand, Aria. Things that are better left... alone."
"I think I deserve to understand," she countered, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest. "This—" she held up the medallion, "—this is connected to me. I know it is."
Henry's jaw tightened. "Put it back."
When she didn't move, he took another step closer, his voice soft but firm. "Aria, trust me on this. You don't want to know the truth. Not yet."