The Marrow-Bound Melody
By @john1208
Stellan Varik is the last of his line, a cheerful but aimless young man who inherits the crumbling Varik estate and its greatest treasure: a clavichord made of bone and weirwood. He soon learns the instrument is haunted by Alisa, the ghost of a musician sacrificed in a dark ritual a century ago. Bound to the clavichord, Alisa's only connection to the living world is through Stellan, who she can possess for fleeting moments. Together, they begin to piece together the truth of her murder, uncovering a conspiracy tied to a parasitic entity that feeds on the souls of the Varik family. Stellan, who has spent his life avoiding responsibility, finds a purpose in freeing the spirited ghost who has become his only companion. But the ritual that killed Alisa wasn't just a murder; it was a lock. What happens when the only way to save the ghost he's falling for is to unlock the cage and release the monster she was meant to contain?
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