ECHOES OF THE FORGOTTEN

CHAPTER 4: THE ECHOES BEGIN

Lena's mind buzzed with fragments of the memory orb she had unlocked, pieces of a past she couldn't quite grasp but couldn't ignore either. Every time she blinked, flashes of those disturbing memories haunted her—shadows flickering against stone walls, muffled voices arguing, the sharp, echoing clink of chains. These echoes of the past slipped into her thoughts, turning her reality into a disorienting blur.

It was early morning, and the sunlight crept through her bedroom window, bathing everything in a soft, golden glow. But to Lena, the world seemed off-kilter. She felt like she was walking through a fog, the echoes from the memory orb whispering in her ears, just out of reach. A headache pounded at her temples, and she found herself staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror.

"Get it together, Lena," she whispered to herself, splashing cold water on her face, hoping it would jolt her back to normalcy. But normal was no longer an option.

Lena walked down the creaky staircase to find Ivy and Sam already seated at the kitchen table. Ivy's face was etched with concern as she poured over a worn map of Hollow Grove, her brow furrowed in concentration. Sam, ever the optimist, was munching on a piece of toast, trying to keep the mood light despite the palpable tension in the air.

"Lena," Ivy said, glancing up as she entered the room, "How are you feeling?"

Lena shrugged, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Like I've been hit by a truck," she admitted. "But I'm okay. We need to figure out what those memories mean. There's something—something wrong about them."

Ivy nodded, sliding the map across the table. "I've been thinking the same thing. There's something they're not telling us about this town, something tied to your parents and those memory orbs."

Lena's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her parents. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed them until that moment in the hidden room. The fleeting images from the orb were all she had of them now, but they weren't enough—they were twisted, incomplete, and wrong.

"Do you think the town's leaders know something?" Sam asked, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

Ivy leaned back in her chair; arms crossed over her chest. "I'd bet on it. They've always been secretive, especially about the old library and the history of Hollow Grove. My grandmother used to say they were hiding something, something big. I never took her seriously, but now..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes met Lena's, full of determination.

"We have to find out what happened," Lena said, her voice trembling slightly. "To my parents, to this town—everything. I can't let this go."

Sam reached out, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We're with you, Lena. Whatever it takes."

The trio spent the rest of the day combing through the map, marking places they hadn't yet explored and listing the names of the town's elders. They needed a plan—a way to get close to those in power without raising suspicion. It wasn't going to be easy; the town's leaders were known for their tight grip on information.