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**Chapter 137: The Binding of the Past**
The vineyard was silent—too silent. The figures that had risen from the earth remained still, their flickering forms no longer hesitant but expectant. The voices that had called from the Veil carried weight now, pressing down on the siblings with undeniable force.
Elena's pendant burned, the glow steady and fierce. It was not simply reacting—it was responding. "They want more than acknowledgment," she murmured. "They want resolution."
Matteo's sharp gaze darted between the figures. "The vineyard remembers the choice that was made," he said. "But what if the past never accepted it?"
Isabella's fists clenched. "Then we don't stand here waiting for judgment," she said. "We fight for our place in this legacy."
Luca scanned the vineyard's trembling shadows, his voice low. "The Veil is no longer separating past from present," he muttered. "It's merging them."
Carlo exhaled slowly, the ornate box in his grasp heavier now. "The vineyard was saved," he said. "But something was lost in return."
Elena turned to him, her breath steady despite the storm brewing around them. "Then tell us," she demanded. "What did the vineyard sacrifice?"
Carlo's gaze was unreadable, his silence stretching just long enough to be unnerving. Then, finally, he spoke. "It was never just the land," he said. "It was the people tied to it."
Pietro let out a dry, bitter laugh. "And now they want their due," he muttered.
The wind surged, sharp and deliberate. The voices of the past no longer whispered.
**"Restore what was broken."**
Elena's pulse quickened.
This was not just remembrance.
This was a command.
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