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**Chapter 131: The Rising Shadows**
The ground shuddered one final time—and then, silence. The air grew thick, charged, as if the vineyard itself was holding its breath. The siblings remained still, watching, waiting, as the earth beneath them shifted. Slowly, deliberately, something began to emerge.
Elena's pendant burned hot against her skin, the glow now steady, unwavering. Whatever lay beneath the vineyard had been waiting for this moment. "It's coming," she murmured, her fingers curling around the stone. "And it won't stop now."
Matteo took a cautious step forward, the soil loose beneath his boots. "The roots aren't resisting anymore," he said. "They're letting whatever was buried… rise."
Isabella clenched her fists, her stance grounded. "Then we meet it head-on," she said. "No hesitation."
Luca's sharp eyes flickered over the shadows stretching unnaturally across the land. "The Veil is watching," he muttered. "This isn't just about us anymore—it's about what came before."
Carlo remained still, the ornate box held tightly in his grasp. His silence was heavier now, more deliberate. When he finally spoke, his voice was grave. "The vineyard's past isn't just a story," he said. "It's a reckoning."
Elena turned to Carlo, her pulse quickening. "Then tell us," she demanded. "What have we been protecting? What have we been carrying forward?"
Carlo's gaze met hers, unreadable yet knowing. "A choice," he said. "A sacrifice."
Pietro exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Of course there's a sacrifice," he muttered. "There always is."
The wind howled through the vineyard, tearing through the vines with unnatural force. The whispers of the Veil were no longer distant—they were clear, layered voices intertwining in the air. And then—
The shadows shifted.
And something rose from the earth.
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