BLACK ASHES
Chapter Three: Voices in the Dark
The motel room reeked of bleach and cheap regrets. Adanna sat at the small desk, staring at the photo she had recovered from the ruins. Her fingers trembled as she traced her brother's face — Tobi, the only one who had believed her the night of the fire.
She remembered the argument. The shouting. The secrets Tobi said he had uncovered. The warning he tried to give her.
But then, everything turned to flames.
Her phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was a message. Unknown number.
"Stop digging."
Her heart skipped.
Another message followed.
"The past burned for a reason. Don't let it burn you too."
She stood up immediately and scanned the window. The street below was nearly empty, lit by a flickering lamppost and the occasional headlights of passing cars. No one in sight.
Adanna's instincts, sharpened by years of surviving on her own, screamed at her: she was being watched.
She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs.
The receptionist barely looked up as she passed, but someone else did. A man sitting by the vending machine, dark hoodie, face hidden by shadows.
He stood up moments after she walked out the door.
Back on the street, Adanna didn't head for the main road. She ducked into an alleyway, taking a shortcut through the back of the motel. Her breath was shallow, her pace quick, but careful. She needed answers, not panic.
She had made up her mind: she would visit Uncle Duro, the only family member still alive. The one who had gone quiet after the fire, never called, never checked on her. The one who inherited everything.
But as she reached the corner of the alley, a figure stepped out from behind the dumpster.
Tall. Hooded