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**Chapter 132: The Echoes Unbound**
The wind howled with an intensity that sent a shiver through the vineyard, carrying voices—clearer now, unmistakable. The ground trembled, but no longer in warning. It was releasing something. Something bound to the land, something that had waited for too long.
Elena's pendant glowed wildly, its pulse syncing with the heartbeat of the vineyard itself. She pressed her fingers against the burning stone, bracing herself as the shadows shifted, revealing what had been buried beneath the soil. "It's happening," she whispered. "The vineyard's past—it won't stay hidden anymore."
Matteo took a slow step forward, feeling the vibration beneath his boots. "It's stronger now," he murmured. "Like something is pushing through—forcing its way back."
Isabella clenched her fists, her stance unwavering. "Then we don't back down," she said. "We stand our ground, no matter what comes."
Luca's sharp eyes darted across the land, scanning the darkened sky, the restless soil. "The Veil isn't just whispering anymore," he muttered. "It's speaking—calling something back."
Carlo's grip tightened around the ornate box, his expression unreadable. He exhaled, slow and measured. "The vineyard never forgets," he said. "And when it calls something back, it demands answers."
Elena turned to him, her breath steady despite the weight of his words. "Then we give it answers," she said firmly. "We don't run. Not from this."
Pietro let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "You say that now," he muttered. "But what if this isn't something we're meant to face? What if it's something meant to stay buried?"
The earth shuddered violently, cutting off any further argument. A pulse surged through the vineyard, rippling through the roots, the vines, the air itself. The shadows twisted, shifting, breaking apart.
And then—
Figures emerged.
Not of the present.
Not of the living.
But of the past.
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