Chapter 3 – Whisper in the AlleyThe air in Windale thickened after sunset, as though the town held its breath the moment the last trace of daylight slipped away. Aria hadn’t planned to stay out late, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. After leaving the bookstore earlier that day, she had wandered from street to street, sketching notes about the town—its architecture, its silence, its way of staring at her without eyes.Now, as she clutched her notebook and hurried through the dimly lit streets, the lamps above her flickered like candle flames about to die. She wasn’t