the silent heartbeat

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

A chill ran down my spine as I took in the sight of the woman before me. Her presence was eerie, her appearance both mesmerizing and unsettling. She wore an outfit that seemed ancient, an intricate gown adorned with symbols that I couldn't begin to understand. It was nothing like the clothes I'd ever seen, not even in Emberthorne, where magic was a part of daily life. The fabric shimmered faintly, a kind of ethereal glow woven into the cloth itself. But there was a coldness about her—especially in her hair, a frigid shade of blonde, almost silver, that seemed to absorb the warmth from the air.

As I forced myself to look at her face, I realized it was perfectly symmetrical, almost unnaturally so. She was beautiful, yes, but in an otherworldly way that felt slightly wrong. Then, I noticed her eyes. They were entirely white, devoid of any iris or pupil, a blank slate that seemed to see everything and yet, perhaps, nothing at all. It was as though she might be blind, but the unsettling intensity in her gaze suggested otherwise. She stood with her feet pressed together, her arms resting at her sides, completely still—almost as if she were a statue come to life.

"Constance Everdeen..." she said softly, her voice smooth but hollow, like a whisper that had lingered in the air for far too long. Hearing her say my name sent a jolt of shock through me. Her voice was cold, indifferent. But it doesn't matched her simple aura.

What is happening?

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak despite the tremor in my voice. "W-Who are you?" I asked, trying to keep my composure. But before I could even finish, my attention was drawn to the space behind me.

Where was Berryl? And Holland, Kaleb, Wallace? I turned, frantically scanning the area, but they were nowhere to be seen. The vast, eerie landscape was empty. They had disappeared without a trace. I was alone. Panic clawed its way up my throat as I turned back around, hoping that at least the strange woman would still be at a safe distance.

Am I dreaming again? Is this happening to me again?

Oh why are there so many peculiar things that are happening? Even I couldn't believe what the heck was happening right now.

But she wasn't. My breath caught as I saw her standing inches away from me, so close that I could see the faint lines of her skin, the almost imperceptible coldness emanating from her like a fog.

I stumbled backward, my heart hammering in my chest. "What...what do you want?" I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her expression didn't change, remaining eerily calm as she tilted her head slightly. "I am a keeper," she replied. "A watcher. I guard what lies within and beyond, where secrets and memories are bound. And I know you, Constance Everdeen."

"How do you know my name?" I demanded, feeling a mix of fear and indignation. It felt like she was peering straight into my soul, sifting through my memories with those ghostly white eyes.

The woman didn't answer immediately. Instead, she lifted one of her hands and held it out toward me, her fingers long and slender, her nails like glass. "Names carry power, Constance. To know a name is to hold a piece of one's essence. And yours is woven deeply into the fabric of this world. The moment you entered this world, everybody knows you. Everybody knows your name, your existence."

"R-Really?"

"Indeed."

She spoke in riddles, and my frustration grew as I tried to decipher her words. "That doesn't answer my question," I insisted. "Where are my friends?"