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**Chapter 134: The Gathering Shadows**
The vineyard had ceased its trembling. It was no longer shifting, no longer warning—it was watching. The figures that had risen from the soil stood unmoving, their forms flickering between shadows and something more tangible. The air was thick with their presence, pressing down on the siblings, waiting.
Elena tightened her grip on the pendant, feeling its pulse grow steadier. Whatever was coming, it was deliberate. "They want something," she murmured. "Not vengeance—answers."
Matteo studied the ground beneath them, sensing the hum of the roots. "They aren't attacking," he said. "They're holding us here—forcing us to listen."
Isabella's fists remained clenched, though her posture softened slightly. "Then we listen," she said. "But we don't just stand here waiting for judgment."
Luca's sharp eyes darted between the flickering figures, his instincts on high alert. "They know us," he muttered. "They know why we're here."
Carlo exhaled, stepping forward, his grip still firm on the ornate box. "This was inevitable," he said. "The past was never buried—it was bound."
Elena turned to him, her voice measured despite the tension mounting around them. "Then what do we do?" she asked. "If the vineyard demands answers, what do we say?"
Carlo's gaze was unreadable, his silence stretching long enough to be unsettling. Finally, he spoke. "You tell the truth," he said simply. "You acknowledge what was done."
Pietro let out a slow, wary breath. "And if the truth isn't enough?" he muttered.
The wind surged suddenly, pressing against them with unnatural force. The figures moved—only slightly, but deliberately. The whispers of the Veil rose—not fragmented, not distant, but clear.
And then—
They spoke.
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