Chapter 6 — The Beginning of Fate
"Sometimes, fate begins with a whisper.
With a trembling branch…
With a birthday.
And that night, the world changed for Arya."
Arya had just turned ten.
Their small wooden cottage near the forest was always quiet and shadowy.
But that night…
Something was different.
Early in the morning, Donati stood by the door and said:
"It's your birthday tonight, little one.
I'll bring you something no one else in this town has."
He took his old bow and disappeared into the thick mist.
Arya stayed behind with the sound of rain.
Whenever she was alone, she would watch the distant trees.
But that night…
A strange whisper filled the house.
"Arya… Arya…"
The little girl rushed to the window.
Outside, in the fog, stood a bent, green willow tree.
Its branches trembled, as if trying to speak.
There was a shadow of a child in the mist,
seven or eight years old, with dark, hollow eyes.
And a soft, distant voice:
"You… are a continuation…
Not a repetition…"
Arya stepped back,
her heart shivering.
There was no one there.
The tree bent lower, the shadow vanished, and silence returned.
But in that moment…
Something was planted in Arya's heart.
A fear…
A distant, ancient whisper.
Just when she thought Donati wouldn't come back…
The door opened.
The smell of smoke, meat, and earth filled the room.
"See? I told you! Look what I brought you!"
Donati, exhausted and wounded, but smiling.
He placed a small cloth bundle in front of her.
Arya opened it.
A necklace.
Made from animal teeth and willow wood beads.
Beside it… a piece of hot, fragrant roasted meat.
"This… is yours.
So you'll always know… there's someone
fighting for you."
Arya smiled,
gripping the necklace in her small hand.
And for a few moments…
Everything was okay.
Warm… alive.
But deep inside…
The whisper of that tree
still echoed.
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