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LUNA
The air in the province was heavy with grief and silence, broken only by the low hum of prayers. My dear grandfather, who had been so close to me, passed away just four days ago.
I looked around. Many people had come to attend the last night of Lolo's funeral. Almost everyone in town loved him. Only a few were crying, but the sorrow was clear in the faces of those who weren't.
Dad wasn't here; he'd be arriving tomorrow for the burial. Mom and Grandma were busy tending to the guests, while Damian, my twelve-year-old younger brother, sat next to me playing Call of Duty.
We sat at the far end of the grand living room. The funeral was being held in Lolo's old mansion. I'd only been here three times before since I grew up in California until high school.
I glanced out the window. The sun was dimming, nearly swallowed by dusk.
I'd been sitting here for hours, scrolling on my phone until boredom sank in. Hmm, maybe I should explore. I've never really done that before... Yeah, why not? I was about to stand when Damian grabbed my arm.
"Where are you going?" he asked, frowning.
"I'll just look around. I'll be back right away. Don't go anywhere—Mom might look for you." I ruffled his hair and stood.
"Okay." He nodded and went back to his game.
I scanned the room for Mom. She was busy with the guests, so I headed straight for the stairs. My first stop—the second floor.
Halfway up, I froze. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman standing by the window near the front door.
Was she looking at me?
Her face was hidden behind a dark veil. Maybe I was just imagining it, but she was seriously creeping me out.
I hurried up the stairs. I'd been to the second floor before, but only in my room, Damian's room, the library, the balcony where Grandma liked to hang out, and my parents' room. There were plenty more doors, but I'd never asked what was inside.
Now that I thought about it, maybe I hadn't been curious before because the house felt so old and eerie. Now I wasn't sure if exploring was a good idea. The whole place looked like it was seconds away from spitting out a ghost.
Come on, Luna. You're brave... and bored as hell. You got this, I told myself.
I tried the first door I hadn't opened before.
"What the—locked?"
I sighed and tried another one. Locked. Then another. Still locked.
Finally, I reached a door with a wooden board hanging on it: Office.
Click. Locked.
"Ugh, come on!" I muttered, twisting the knob harder than necessary. The rattling echoed down the hallway, but I didn't care. I shook it violently, hoping it would magically open.
Still locked.
"Seriously? You've got to be kidding me."
I leaned my forehead against the wooden board—and something fell from behind it.
My breath caught. I backed up, terrified it was a spider. Please, not a spider.
But it wasn't.
"A key?" I blinked.
A small, rusted key had slipped out and landed right at my feet.
I crouched down slowly, hesitating before picking it up. It was old and heavier than it looked. The handle was engraved with our family crest—the Silva crest, the same one our company still used as a logo.
Is this the spare key for this door?
None of the other doors had a wooden board. Only this one. Obviously Lolo's office.
But why hide the key here? It's so obvious. Then again, I wouldn't have found it unless I literally smashed my head against the board. Congrats, Luna. Maybe this trick was meant for idiots like you.
I shook my head and slid the key into the lock. Click. It worked.
Slowly, I pushed the door open.
"Wow..."
The office smelled of old paper and polished wood. A wide mahogany desk sat in the center, neatly stacked with folders. Behind it, a tall leather chair faced shelves filled with books, binders, strange collections, trophies, and framed photographs—decades of history packed into four walls.
Okay...love the vibe. Super cozy. Perfect place to plan a murder. Pfft.
I drifted inside, running my fingers over the carved desk before moving toward the shelves. Dust clung to the spines of the books, their faded letters nearly unreadable.
My boredom pushed me onward. Eventually, I stopped at a large curtained window. Curiosity prickled. I slid my fingers into the heavy fabric and pulled it aside just enough to peek through.
My body went cold.
There she was—the woman in the black veil. Standing beneath the old tree in the yard. Perfectly still. Perfectly creepy. And unless I was imagining it, she was staring right at me.
My breath hitched. "What the fuck..."
For a few seconds, it felt like we were locked in a silent stare. Then she raised her hand—
And pointed at me.
Oh, hell n—
"Luna?"
I jumped, nearly knocking over the coat rack behind me. My heart almost exploded out of my chest. It was only Damian, standing in the doorway.
"Jesus Christ, you scared the hell out of me!" I snapped, pressing a hand to my chest.
He frowned. "Mom told me to look for you. What are you even doing here? Are you allowed in this room?"
I didn't answer. I glanced back at the window. Empty. She was gone.
What the hell was wrong with that woman?!
I slammed the door shut, shoved the key back where I found it, and dragged my brother downstairs. That was it—no more solo adventures. If I ever wandered around alone again, may the universe strike me down.
---
The sun was low, shadows stretching across the cemetery. The morning rain had left the soil soft and muddy beneath our feet. I stood among the small crowd as my grandmother wept on my shoulder, my heart aching as Lolo's coffin was lowered into the earth.
Some sobbed openly, while others stood silent, tears held back. The grief in the air was suffocating. For a moment, the world itself seemed to pause.
And then—I saw her again. The veiled woman, watching from afar.
A cold unease settled in my chest every time I felt her presence.
This was supposed to be about goodbyes, but somehow, it already felt like the beginning of something else.
When the funeral ended, people slowly dispersed. The ride back to the mansion was quiet, filled only with the soft hum of the engine and the sound of my mother's and grandmother's muffled sobs.
As I stepped out of the car, I saw her again.
She had followed us.
I didn't even think. I just moved forward. She turned away—not hurriedly, but with a steady, deliberate pace—and slipped into the woods.
I followed.
The path led to a small lake, its waters smooth like glass, reflecting the last hues of the setting sun. She stopped and turned to me fully this time. Even with the veil, I could feel her gaze piercing through me, heavy and unrelenting.
"You've come," she said at last.
"W-Who are you?" My voice trembled. "Why have you been following us? Why are you always staring at me?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stretched her hand toward the lake, fingertips brushing the surface. Ripples spread outward like shadows.
"Not everything is meant to be understood now," she said, her voice low, almost meant only for me. "You are standing in a place that isn't yours..."
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, fear creeping into my bones.
"Not everything buried stays in the past," she continued, calm but chilling. "There are mistakes... that must be corrected. You carry the echo of what was taken, child, and soon you will walk where it all began."
"Walk...to where it began? What does that mean?"
The wind stirred her veil, but she remained still, her gaze locked onto me.
"The past does not rest. You will see it soon enough—and when you do, you will change everything."