LOST IN THE ECHO OF YOU

A WHISPER IN THE WIND

The days passed quietly after Amara’s encounter with the Whispering Rock, yet she felt anything but calm. The voice haunted her dreams, drawing her deeper into a mystery that seemed to have no beginning or end. Every night, as she drifted to sleep, she felt as though she were falling through time itself, her spirit drawn toward something—or someone—achingly familiar.

One evening, just as the last light of day dipped below the horizon, Amara sat alone on the edge of her family’s land. She watched the shadows stretch long across the earth, the silence of twilight pressing around her. She had hoped that being in the open would bring clarity, but instead, her heart only grew heavier.

And then, there it was again.

“Amara…”

Her name floated through the wind, a whisper that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. It sent a shiver down her spine, even though the air was warm. She looked around, seeing only the empty fields and distant mountains.

“Who are you?” she murmured, though she knew no one would answer.

But as she stared into the fading light, a faint outline began to take shape on the horizon. She blinked, squinting into the distance, but the figure remained—a woman standing tall and proud, her form blurred by the dusk. For a moment, Amara thought she recognized her, though she couldn’t place how. The figure’s gaze seemed to pierce right through her, as though searching her soul.

The voice returned, stronger this time, laced with an urgency that gripped Amara’s heart.

“Find me…”

Amara’s breath caught. The figure lingered a moment longer before dissolving into the gathering shadows, leaving Amara alone once more. But the feeling of connection, of something calling her, remained.

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to see Jabari walking toward her, his expression unreadable.

“Amara, are you all right?” he asked, concern shadowing his face.

She nodded, though she knew he could see the unease in her eyes. She hesitated, wondering if he would understand. “I saw… someone. A woman, standing out there,” she said, pointing toward the horizon. “She was calling to me.”

Jabari frowned, following her gaze. “Are you sure? There’s no one there.”

“I know it sounds strange, but I feel like she’s… connected to me somehow. Like she needs me to find her,” Amara whispered, her voice trembling.

Jabari’s hand found hers, warm and grounding. “Whatever this is, you’re not alone. I’m here.”

Amara looked at him, grateful for his steady presence. Despite the mystery she faced, his hand in hers felt like an anchor, something real in the midst of all the uncertainty. And though her mind raced with questions, she knew one thing for certain: this was just the beginning.

The echoes were calling, and she could no longer ignore them.