Chapter 1
The city was already stirring to life, the morning streets of Salamanca bustling with hurried footsteps and clattering carriages.
Narrow alleys echoed with vendors shouting their wares, and distant bells chimed from the ancient cathedral towers.
Amid the rush, Aria walked with calm purpose, her footsteps light against the worn cobblestones.
She crossed the street and slipped inside the small library nestled between two towering sandstone buildings.
The library was modest—nothing grandiose, but it had a quiet charm that made it a haven for the few who sought refuge within its walls.
Rows of tall wooden racks stretched from floor to ceiling, lined with books worn and loved by time. Heavy oak tables were scattered here and there, their surfaces littered with open volumes, scraps of notes, and faded bookmarks. The air smelled faintly of aged paper and polish, comforting and familiar.
“No hurry today, Aria?” the girl at the front desk asked, a hint of teasing in her voice as she prepared to change shifts.
Aria smiled softly, nodding as she took the small bundle of books the girl handed her. The girl slung her bag over her shoulder and left with a cheerful wave, leaving Aria alone in the quiet sanctuary.
She settled into the worn leather chair at the reception desk, pulling her books closer. Her fingers brushed the spine of a fictional novel she’d been reading—something light, a brief escape from her ever-growing university work.
The world outside the stained glass windows felt far away, softened by the muted morning light.
Her phone suddenly buzzed, breaking the silence. She glanced at the screen, seeing Evi’s name flashing urgently. “Hola?” she answered.
From the other end came a loud, slightly slurred shout. “Aria! Where are you? I’m—” The voice cracked, half drunken, half distressed.
“Where are you, Evi?” Aria asked with concern.
“Just outside the club... I’m fine, but... ugh,” Evi groaned.
Her shift was nearly over, so Aria closed her book and waited, watching the quiet library as the next clerk arrived to take over. Finishing her work, she slipped out into the street, the crisp air brushing her cheeks.
There, stumbling under the amber glow of the streetlamps, was Evi — clutching her backpack to her chest as if it could keep her safe from the world. Aria caught her arm gently, steadying her as they walked side by side.
Evi’s laughter bubbled out sporadically, light despite the night’s haze.
Aria led her to her home, a small stone house on the edge of the city. Its weathered walls were softened by creeping ivy, the windows framed with dark wood shutters. Inside, the warmth of worn rugs and well-loved furniture welcomed them.
Evi barely resisted as Aria helped her up the creaking stairs to the bedroom. She sank gratefully into the bed, pulling the blanket over herself.
Aria sat quietly at her desk, the soft scratch of pen on paper filling the room as she reviewed her university notes. She glanced over at Evi, a sudden wave of memory washing over her.
She remembered the day Evi had first come to her — the day Aria had sat alone, tears slipping silently down her cheeks during her father’s funeral. Evi had simply sat beside her, offering a silent shoulder to lean on.
Now, watching her friend sleep, Aria pulled the blanket gently over her.
Morning light spilled into the kitchen as Evi opened her eyes, the remnants of last night fading away. She padded into the living room, where the aroma of freshly cooked breakfast filled the air.
Aria moved effortlessly around the small kitchen, frying eggs and toasting bread.
“Morning,” Evi said softly, sliding into a chair.
Aria smiled, placing a plate before her. “Get changed and come to university soon. We have a full day ahead.”
Evi nodded, a determined spark lighting her eyes.
Later, Aria boarded the bus that wove through the winding streets, the city unfolding like a tapestry beneath the early sun.
Quiet and introspective, she kept to herself — a girl of few words, but with a heart that held more than she let on. Her dark eyes flickered with the weight of secrets, of a past she carried alone.
The lecture hall buzzed faintly with whispers and the soft shuffle of pages. Aria sat still among the rows of students, her notebook open but barely touched. Her eyes were on the professor, who stood beneath a towering blackboard, tracing ancient symbols with chalk as he spoke about forgotten belief systems
Aria listened in silence, her mind absorbing more than just the lecture. These myths always felt oddly familiar, as if the stories were brushing against some invisible thread woven deep in her memory.
Two classes passed before the door creaked open softly and a familiar figure slipped in.
Evi.
She moved with a quietness that didn’t suit her usual energy, and her steps faltered only slightly before she sank into the seat beside Aria. She didn’t speak — her eyes were locked on someone across the room.
Aria followed her gaze.
It was Lucas — the boy Evi had once admired so openly, the reason she had chosen this major, the same boy who had rejected her weeks ago with more politeness than kindness. He sat straight-backed, writing something with perfect posture, unaware — or uncaring — of the damage he’d left behind.
Aria’s jaw tightened slightly. She didn’t dislike Lucas, but she couldn’t ignore how he lingered in Evi’s every emotion like a splinter.
When the final lecture ended and the bell rang, the crowd moved out in waves.
“I’m heading to the library,” Aria said, packing up her notes.
Evi blinked, still distant. “I’ll come with you. I can finish my research project.”
“You’ll sit there,” Aria said, half-smiling, “and then you’ll start playing some weird tower-building game. And then you’ll be all ‘Shh! Ahh! No!’ every two seconds.”
Evi pouted, her shoulders slumping. “Rude.”
“But,” Aria added, leaning in, “if dinner’s on you later… I might let it slide.”
Evi gave a tiny laugh, rolling her eyes. Before she could respond, a voice cut in from behind.
“Then I’ll join too.”
It was Lucas.
Evi froze. Her smile faded, and her lips pressed into a tight line. Without a word, she turned and walked away, her bag slung high and her steps quickening.
Aria let out a breath, closing her notebook with a snap. “I’ll talk to her,” she said to Lucas, who looked genuinely unsure for once.
She jogged to catch up with Evi, who was already at the courtyard steps.
“Evi, don’t let him ruin the evening. Let’s not spoil what we have.”
Evi didn’t stop walking. “You always support him, Aria.”
“I don’t support him,” Aria said gently, “I just don’t want to watch you break yourself every time he walks into the room.”
“Fine,” Evi snapped, turning slightly.
“Then no dinner. I’m going to work. Don’t follow.”
And she was off — her sneakers pounding against the stone as she ran, her long ponytail swinging with every bitter step.
Lucas came down the steps behind them, his brows furrowed, clearly unsure whether to follow or leave it be. For a moment, he did follow — calling out.
“Evi! Just stop for a second. I didn’t mean—”
She didn’t turn around. Her pace quickened, her silence louder than any shout.
He stopped in the middle of the walkway, frustration rising in his voice. “It’s better if we never talk again if you can’t even try to understand!”
Evi didn’t stop. Didn’t look back.
She disappeared around the corner, her figure swallowed by the narrow Salamanca street, leaving the weight of her silence hanging in the air behind her.
