Echoes In The Wind Novels & Stories

Outside, the wind rattles the trees, shaking loose the first of the autumn leaves. Finally, Josh exhales and steps back. “Forget that for now, Ari,” he says, voice softer now. “It’s too early in the season for this.” I nod, holding my phone tight against my chest. As he leaves, closing the door behind him, saying nothing and everything all at once. I let the wind carry the weight of everything—the missing summers, the distance, the cracks forming between us, the unspoken promises. Autumn has begun, and everything feels like it’s falling. But maybe… just maybe… Some roots, some seasons, are strong enough to survive it.

Then, he suddenly broke into a run. "Hey, Jason, where are you going?!" The others panicked and rushed to stop him. Just as he was about to say something, a loud explosion split the air. Boom! A massive mushroom cloud burst upward from the mansion. Everyone's faces were drained of color. Before they could react, explosions after explosions blasted in the sky. Thick black smoke billowed into the rain-soaked night. Debris shot outward like deadly arrows. "Ivy!" Jason's mind went blank. All he could think was that Ivy was still inside!

The final guideline was written in a jarring red font. [On rare occasions, the station will transmit the Predator's Song. When this occurs, remain completely still and hold your breath until the broadcast concludes.] Hold my breath? Were they trying to asphyxiate me? I pouted and clicked on [I Agree and Start Listening.] The so-called 'Echoes from Below' were nothing more than just some white noise, like the wind moving through an empty corridor or a massive creature slowly exhaling beneath the water. Rumble. The sound was low and heavy, with a faint electrical hiss like a bad microphone feed.

Dean held his phone, frozen in place as the dial tone buzzed, sounding almost like the abrupt halt of his own heartbeat. A wave of crushing disappointment and panic swept through him. Autumn in Lindt was bleak with grey skies, endless rain, and the kind of chill that seeped into one’s bones. It mirrored exactly how Jake felt at that moment. For months, he had been relentless, like a tireless dog, throwing every trick he could think of into the chase—pursuing, cornering, and never letting up.

At that moment, though, he was exhausted. The contents in the thumb drive made him realize that everything felt like it was crushing down. His beautiful childhood sweetheart, Josie Law, was not the person she seemed to be. His wife, whom he thought would wait for him forever, had left him just like that. She even left him things that were enough to destroy him once and for all. There was one last file he had yet to open. Inside were just four words. [Don't look for me.] Xander knew what she meant. If he went looking for her, she would expose those lethal materials to the world.

However, before she could hide it all the way, Lucy was already by the bed, grabbing for her arm. "Give me the phone!" Tania held on to the phone for dear life and would not let go. Lucy did not think Tania, who had been drugged, would be so strong. She pulled hard, lost her balance, and stumbled toward the big window. Tania could not let go in time and got pulled along, smashing into the glass. "Crash —" The loud sound of breaking glass filled the air, and Tania felt like she was floating as she fell backward.

The echoes are still there, waiting, and they’ll be louder than ever when we return. 🖤 Echoes of Ruin resumes January 1st.

Third Person POV Hearing the neighbor's words, Simon froze. Moved out? But… Janice had never told him about her moving. Panic began to rise in his chest. He took out his phone, his fingers trembling slightly as he sent Janice a message. [Janice, you moved?] The message wouldn't go through. He pulled up her contact and tried calling her, only to realize she had blocked his number. The elevator doors opened nearby, and Gem walked over to him.

The wind was howling, and the sparkler in her hand lit up her gentle profile. In the background, Archie's voice carried a playful tone. "Sienna, make a wish." Sienna smiled as she blew out the sparks. Her gaze almost melted the camera as she said, "My wish is for every year to be like today, with Archie by my side." A cold chill ran through me. With Archie by her side? What about me? Was I just a joke to her? My gaze drifted, stiff and robotic, back to the photo of the hands clasped inside the car.

From the height of the Sovereign Threshold—a narrow, terrifying tongue of black glass that jutted out over the three-thousand-foot drop of the Ravine of Whispers—the world looked like a dying lung. I stood at the base of the glass spit, my fingers numb despite the sun-stone salve. The wind here was a physical predator, howling with the collective voices of the "turned" scouts who waited in the mist below. Their song had changed. It was no longer a low hum; it was a rhythmic, chanting beat that vibrated in the soles of my boots. Thrum. Thrum. Thrum.