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**Chapter 129: The Unfolding Truth**
The ground beneath the siblings trembled—not violently, but with purpose. The vineyard had always pulsed with quiet energy, but now it no longer whispered; it called. The soil loosened beneath their feet, the roots shifting, parting as if making way for something unseen.
Elena's breath caught as the pendant around her neck burned suddenly hot against her skin. She staggered back slightly, pressing her palm to the glowing stone. "It's reacting to something," she murmured, her heart pounding. "Something close."
Matteo moved instinctively, gripping Elena's arm to steady her, his own gaze locked on the earth at their feet. "The vineyard isn't resisting this," he said. "It's guiding us toward whatever has been hidden."
Isabella clenched her fists, determination burning in her eyes. "Then we don't hesitate," she said sharply. "We dig, we uncover, and we face it—whatever it is."
Luca exhaled slowly, his sharp gaze flickering between the shifting soil and the ominous hush that had settled over the vineyard. "The Veil's presence isn't just woven into the roots anymore," he muttered. "It's—alive."
Carlo hesitated, gripping the ornate box more tightly than before. His silence was unnerving, his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, but edged with something deeper—something personal. "If you uncover this," he warned, "there's no turning back. The vineyard doesn't just remember—it judges."
Elena turned to Carlo, her own certainty unwavering. "We can't move forward until we understand what's behind us," she said. "We won't turn away."
Pietro let out a tense breath, rubbing the back of his neck as he eyed the shifting soil. "You all say that like we get a choice," he muttered. "Like whatever's buried here isn't coming for us whether we want it to or not."
A sudden gust of wind tore through the vineyard, scattering loose leaves and shaking the vines. The whispers of the Veil twisted into something clearer now—not fragmented thoughts, but distinct voices. The earth rumbled beneath them, and as the roots pulled apart, the truth began to emerge.
Something had been waiting.
And now, it had awakened.
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