Chapter 4
Chapter 4: The Letters She Left Behind
Elena opens Jonas's bundle of letters from Ona to an unknown recipient, revealing a forbidden love that forced Ona to leave. Jonas explains the village's role in her departure, and Elena realizes the emptiness is built on silenced stories. The chapter ends with a decision to visit the neighboring town to find Ona's last known address.
Elena took the bundle from Jonas, the worn cloth soft and stained with age. He waited, his eyes fixed on her hands, as if the letters themselves were fragile and might shatter at a careless touch. 'I found them in a box under the old church pews,' he said. 'I forgot I had them. They were wrapped in oilcloth, hidden away. I think Ona meant for someone to find them, but not right away.'
Elena untied the string carefully. Inside were a dozen envelopes, each sealed with dried wax, the addresses written in a slanting hand she recognized from the letters Lina had shown her. But these were different—the names on the front were not her own. They were addressed to a man: Aleksandras.
'Aleksandras?' she asked.
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