Chapter 3 Where the silence lives

Chapter 3 – Where the Silence Lives

He stared at the letter again. "She waits where the silence lives."

The words circled his mind like shadows on loop. What did it mean? A warning? A call for help? Or just another trick played by exhaustion and memory? He sat motionless, letter in hand, as though it might speak if held long enough.

Was it a dream? He wasn't sure anymore. The line between reality and imagination blurred far too often in Okholm. The ghost lady-she wasn't a face he could forget. Ethereal, always at the edge of sight, her presence stirred something both ancient and terrifying in him.

Then- RING! RING! RING!

The sharp trill of his phone ripped through the silence. Zion jumped, breath caught in his throat. The room was still wrapped in early morning gray-no sun, just the weight of unslept hours.

He glanced at the screen. Unknown number.

He hesitated. Then answered.

"Zion. It's Me

The woman you bumped..

some days back

A woman's voice. Calm. Measured. Familiar in a way that made his chest tighten.

The line went dead.

Zion sat frozen, the phone still pressed to his ear.

It wasn't a wrong number. It wasn't a prank.

He checked the call history-no trace. No number logged. Just the lingering echo of that voice in his head.

He stood up and moved toward the window. Outside, the street was still and pale, but Zion could feel it-an unease in the air. Like the city was holding its breath.

Something had shifted.

He walked to the table where the strange envelope lay. Now it felt heavier. More real. He flipped it over again, fingers tracing the symbol on the front-a crescent moon with a tear.

Not a mark of fear. A mark of mourning.

Suddenly, the silence in the apartment felt alive. Like he was being watched.

His instincts flared-the same instincts honed through years of raids, dark alleys, and unspoken dangers. Something was off.

He checked the locks. Then the hallway. Empty.

But a scent lingered faintly in the air. Jasmine and cold stone.

He'd smelled it once before.

Her.

He stepped back into the apartment and stared at the mirror above the sink. Not his own reflection-but the corner behind him. Nothing there. Still, goosebumps rose along his arms.

He was being pulled into something. Not just emotionally-but spiritually, maybe even supernaturally. He wasn't sure he believed in ghosts.

But he believed in signs.

And right now, every sign pointed to one truth:

She was real.

And she was calling him.

---

Would he follow?

Zion didn't know.

But deep down... he knew he would have to.

was this real would the ghost lady call me at thus time

I thought I was dreaming all this while

This could mean my Dreams of heart break

would come to and end.

But little did I know a whole mystery was about to be unveiled

she called back and said "meet me at crescent bar quickly

My heart dropped again,

Was this a love linger or another prank call by someone

But she said I bumped into her

so it must be true.

I hurriedly put up my clothes and walked out so I could know what the he'll was happening

---

That evening, as the sky turned copper and the city's lights flickered on like fireflies, Zion sat alone in a dim café tucked between forgotten buildings. The door opened softly. He didn't look up until he felt it-the scent. Jasmine and cold stone.

She sat across from him without asking. Pale skin. Dark eyes. A sadness in her face that time hadn't touched. She was beautiful in a way that made silence feel like music.

"You came," she said.

Zion swallowed. "You called me."

She nodded. "I didn't know who else would listen."

A pause. A fragile moment.

"I know you," Zion said quietly. "You've been... haunting me."

A soft smile ghosted her lips. "I wasn't haunting. I was waiting."

"For what?"

"For you to see what no one else would."

I told her I saw you on my way to work that day

you were quite In a hurry

And I know this doesn't concern why we are here

but you did catch my attention that day and I never stopped thinking about you

but could I know your name

She hesitated. Looked down. "My name is Lyra. I was once with Antwon Cade."

Zion's heart skipped. "You were...?"

so all this while the ghost lady was antwons Ex

and I was thinking and lost about Her

That was funny

but I needed to know why all of sudden she needs me

when I thought she was far lost

while she left hurriedly

"His lover. His secret. I said; The mayor never approved."

Zion leaned back. A storm was beginning to brew in his chest.

Lyra's voice dropped. "Antwon was killed by people who were never supposed to touch him. But they weren't after him. Not really."

Zion narrowed his eyes. "Then who?"

She looked at him - and suddenly, she wasn't just beautiful. She was terrifying. "They're after me."

The silence between them thickened.

And in that silence, Zion understood:

He wasn't falling for a ghost.

He was falling into a war.

And I asked; would you know who might have done this

What came out next shocked my spine

when she said:

THE MAYOR.....