Chapter One: Shadows in the Rain
Rain tapped softly on the window, making tiny trails down the glass. The little wooden house creaked as the wind brushed against it. Inside, the air smelled like warm tea and candles. A small flame flickered on the table, spreading a calm glow across the room.
Aliana sat near the window, her knees tucked under her chin. She was sixteen, with brown eyes that always seemed to be searching for something. That night, though, her eyes looked troubled. In her hands, she held an old photograph. The edges were torn and faded from age.
I stood in the doorway, folding clothes. When i saw the picture, her hands froze in the air.
"Where did you find that?" I asked quietly.
"In your drawer," Aliana said. "It was under some letters. Who are they?"
I walked over and took the picture from her. My fingers trembled a little. "They are people I once knew," she said.
Aliana frowned. "Were they your friends?"
I shook my head slowly. "No. Not friends." I pressed the photo to my chest. In the candlelight, my face looked pale and sad, the picture had brought back something i wanted to forget.
The room fell quiet except for the steady patter of rain outside.
"Mama," Aliana said softly, "you look scared. Were they bad people?"
I stared out the window. I wanted to say no, but lies had always found a way to come back. "Some people hide their cruelty behind kind smiles," she said. "The Morettis were like that."
Aliana tilted her head. "The Morettis?"
I nodded, then looked away. I began tidying the table, moving too quickly, i was trying to run from my thoughts. But memories did not let me go. They came back, one after another, just like the sound of the rain that never stopped.
Later that night, after Aliana had gone to bed, I sat by the same window. The rain had slowed to a gentle drizzle. The moon was weak behind the clouds. I placed the photograph on my lap and stared at it for a long time.
The faces in it stared back at me. The Morettis. The family that had taken everything from me and left me heart full of silence.
My mind drifted back to the big house i had once lived in. I could almost hear my name echoing down the hall.
"Stella, come here."
"Stella, faster."
"Stella, why are you standing there?"
I had been just a child then. I had no one. My mother had died too soon, leaving me to repay a debt that was never really mine. For years, i worked for the Morettis. Every day i cleaned, cooked, and followed orders. Every mistake brought punishment. Every kind act was met with more demands.
Sometimes, when i stood in the corner of the kitchen, i would look up and see the sky through the glass roof. It was the only thing in that house that looked free.
Still, not everyone there was cruel. There was a man named Ricky, one of the guards. He rarely spoke, but he always nodded when she passed. Once, he slipped me an apple and said quietly, "Keep hope alive, girl."
Those words had stayed with me. He was the reason i had escaped.
A loud sound of thunder brought me back to the present. The candle beside me flickered, then went out. I lit it again, my hands shaking.
From the other room, Aliana mumbled something in her sleep. I stood up and went to her side. I brushed her hair from her face and whispered, "You are safe, my love."
I wanted to believe it. But when i looked at her daughter's face, a shadow passed through my heart. There was something in Aliana's features that reminded me of him, of Luca Moretti, the one who had hurt me the most.
I turned away, trying not to think about it. The past was gone. It had to stay gone.
I stayed awake until the first light of morning crept through the curtains. Every sound outside made me tense. Every gust of wind made my heart jump. Something didn't feel right.
The next day, the storm had stopped. The sky was bright, but the air still smelled like wet soil. Aliana hummed a little tune as she helped me mother make breakfast.
"Mama," she said suddenly, "I had a strange dream."
I looked up. "What kind of dream?"
"I saw a big house," Aliana said. "It had shiny floors and tall gates. There was a woman crying by the stairs. A man was shouting at her. I couldn't see their faces, but I felt like I had been there before."
The spoon in my hand fell and hit the floor. "That's just a dream, dear," I said quickly. "Dreams cannot hurt us."
Aliana picked up the spoon and smiled. "I know. It just felt so real."
"Eat your food before it gets cold," I said.
But my voice was not steady anymore.
Later, after Aliana left for school, I stood by the window again. The street outside was quiet, but my heart was not. I could not stop thinking about the dream. Why would Aliana dream of the mansion she had never seen?
I took the photograph out once more and looked at it closely. In the corner of the picture, almost hidden in the shadows, was another face, a man i had almost forgotten. Ricky.
He had helped me once,and that was all i needed to stay alive and i will be forever grateful to him.
My hands trembled as i placed the photo back in its box. "Please," i whispered, "let the past stay buried."
That night, the dream came again.
I was running through a long hallway, my feet cold against the marble floor. I ran faster, my heart pounding.
Then i saw a small light in the dark a lantern held by Ricky. "This way!" he whispered.
I ran toward him. The rain hitting my face as we slipped through a narrow door behind the mansion. The air smelled of salt and the sea. Ricky gave me his coat and said softly, "Don't look back."
But i looked back. The mansion stood tall and quiet, its windows glowing like eyes watching her.
For the first time, i didn't feel like a prisoner. I felt free.
Then the dream faded.
I woke up gasping for air. The room was dark. Rain was falling again. I went to check on Aliana. She was still sleeping, her face peaceful.
I touched her cheek and whispered, "No one will ever hurt you."
But deep inside, i felt something cold.
Somewhere out there, the past was waking up. I never knew it will wake up faster than expected!