The letter in Rafael's hands felt heavier than it actually was. The words of his sister seemed to whisper between the lines, an echo from a time he could no longer fully grasp.
Lila watched him in silence. She saw how his fingers clenched around the yellowed paper as if he were trying to hold onto a past that kept slipping away.
“What do we do now?” she asked softly.
Rafael lifted his gaze, his dark eyes deep in thought.
“She talks about the next step. She left something here. We just haven’t found it yet.”
Lila nodded. She felt that they were close to placing another piece of the puzzle—but at the same time, there was an invisible threat, growing heavier with each new discovery.
***
They searched the dresser, every drawer, every crack in the wood, but found nothing except dust and fading memories.
“Maybe it’s not in the dresser,” Lila murmured, letting her gaze wander across the room.
The light coming through the broken window revealed a faint trail of dust along one of the wooden walls.
She stepped closer and ran her fingers over the wood.
“Here… look. It looks like someone scratched at this spot.”
Rafael moved beside her, pressing his hand against the wall. Then, he knocked on it lightly—the sound was hollow.
“There’s something behind this.”
Carefully, he started loosening the fragile wood. It didn’t take long before a small compartment appeared, hidden behind a loose plank.
Lila held her breath as Rafael pulled out a small bundle wrapped in fabric.
“She left this here.”
***
Rafael unwrapped the fabric, revealing a small black leather folder. He opened it, and inside was a bundle of yellowed papers—and a photograph.
Lila carefully picked it up.
It was an old picture of Rafael’s sister standing next to two men. Their faces were unfamiliar, but on the back of the photo, a handwritten note read:
“Trust no one. They know you’re searching.”
A cold shiver ran down Lila’s spine.
“That sounds like a warning.”
Rafael nodded.
“My sister knew she was being watched. These men… one of them must be connected to her disappearance.”
He reached for the other papers and quickly scanned through them. Some were notes, others looked like letters—but one page immediately caught his attention.
“Here,” he said, pointing to an address. “It’s not far from here.”
Lila leaned in closer.
“Do you think the next clue is there?”
Rafael hesitated.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
***
Just as Rafael was about to pack the folder back up, they heard a noise—a faint crackling sound outside the house.
Lila froze.
Rafael pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, and carefully moved toward the window.
Through the shattered glass, he could see a figure lurking in the shadows.
Someone had followed them.
Lila felt her heartbeat quicken.
They were not alone.
And someone clearly didn’t want them to keep searching for answers.
