The apartment was still when they returned.

  Rin had gone to bed after making sure Aurenya was drinking water, wrapped in a blanket, quiet but lucid. She didn’t press her with questions. She didn’t ask about the mark. She just stayed nearby — close enough to touch, but never forcing contact.

  Now Aurenya sat cross-legged on the floor of the guest room, her back to the window, moonlight dusting the edge of her journal.

  She’d tried to write four times.

  Each time, the pen stopped.

  The silver mark on her wrist was still there — faint, like someone had drawn it with smoke. When she pressed on it, it pulsed. Not with pain.

  With memory.

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  But the memory wasn’t hers.

  It’s not language,

  and it’s not mine.

  But it wants me to remember.

  She drew it in her journal — or tried to. The lines shifted. It looked wrong on paper.

  The only thing that stayed constant was the feeling.

  Like someone had left a light on in the back of her mind. A hallway she hadn’t walked yet. A door she wasn’t sure she could open alone.

  She turned the page.

  Wrote in smaller handwriting:

  I was made to feel things I don’t understand.

  But tonight, I wasn’t afraid.

  And she wasn’t either.

  She stared at those words until they stopped making sense.

  Then slowly closed the book, lay back against the wall, and let herself drift into something like sleep — unsure if she was escaping the past, or sliding back toward it.

  Thank you for reading this chapter of What We Don't Say.If something in it stayed with you — a moment, a line, or even just the mood — I’d love to hear what.

  This is my first story so if I made mistakes or something does not fit right, please don't hesitate and comment or message me.

  I'm still learning, every bit of feed back helps.

  I’m sharing this story as it’s written, one part at a time, and your support helps make that possible.

  ? If you’d like to tip me or help fuel the next chapter:ko-fi.com/youngieii

  ?? Comments, shares, and kind words mean the world too.

  ?? Always dreaming. Sometimes writing.