"Even silence can speak, if one dares to listen."
The road north stretched beneath a pale sky, winding through fields of gray stone and dying grass. The wind carried the scent of frost and old ash, as though the land itself remembered the fire that once consumed it.
Lior walked ahead in silence, his cloak torn from travel. Kael followed a few paces behind, humming an old tavern song that sounded far too cheerful for the barren plains.
"Remind me again why the cursed sword leads us into colder places instead of taverns?" Kael grumbled.
Lior smirked slightly. "Because you still owe me for that broken roof beam in Thane's village."
Kael snorted. "That was one time. And it was not my fault the roof gave up first."
Their banter faded as the outline of ancient walls appeared in the distance. The structure rose from the earth like a wound upon the horizon. Towers leaned at strange angles, their spires cracked, and the gates stood wide as though inviting them in.
Lior stopped and placed a hand over his sword. "The Silent Citadel," he said quietly. "It was once the capital of the western kings."
Kael glanced at him. "You sound like someone who has been here before."
"In a way, I have," Lior said. "The memories from my ancestor showed me this place. It was where the curse first spread."
The closer they drew to the gates, the quieter the world became. Even the wind refused to enter. Dust floated in the still air, and the faint echo of footsteps seemed to linger long after they had stopped walking.
Kael unsheathed his sword. "I do not like this silence."
Lior's eyes scanned the broken archways. "It is not silence. It is waiting."
The moment they crossed the threshold, a whisper drifted through the air, soft and melodic, like a forgotten lullaby. The voice carried no words, yet it filled their minds with images of shining halls and laughter that had long turned to ash.
They entered what once must have been a grand courtyard. Statues lined the walls, their faces worn smooth by time. At the center stood a fountain of black marble, dry and cracked, yet faint light shimmered at its base.
Lior knelt beside it. "There is still magic here."
Kael peered over his shoulder. "You mean cursed magic."
"Maybe both," Lior replied with a faint smile.
He touched the fountain's edge. The moment his fingers brushed the stone, the ground trembled. The statues began to hum softly, and faint figures appeared, glowing like ghosts in the mist.
They were people, nobles and servants, frozen in the act of living their final day. Some carried baskets, others danced in invisible music, but all of them shimmered with sorrow.
Kael swallowed hard. "This is worse than the ghosts in the valley."
Lior stood slowly. "They are memories, not spirits. The citadel remembers everything."
From the far end of the courtyard, a figure emerged. She wore a white gown torn by time, her silver hair flowing behind her like mist. Her eyes were bright but hollow, as if the light within them had burned too long.
Kael's hand went to his sword again. "You see her too, right?"
Lior nodded. "Yes."
The woman stopped before him. Her voice was soft, barely a whisper. "You bear his blood."
Lior stiffened. "Whose?"
"The King who cursed us," she said. "And the child who never returned."
Kael muttered, "That would be you, I think."
Lior ignored him. "Who are you?"
"I was once called Seraphine," she said. "Queen of the Silent Citadel. I have waited through ages of ruin for our blood to awaken again."
Her words carried the weight of centuries. The wind that had died outside now rose, circling them like a living thing.
Lior took a careful step forward. "You waited for me?"
Seraphine nodded slowly. "To end what began here. The curse was not born of greed, but of sorrow. Your ancestor sought to bind life itself, to stop the death of our people. I tried to stop him, and he bound me instead."
Kael frowned. "So the curse started because someone tried to cheat death?"
"Yes," she said. "And the gods punished us for it."
The ground trembled again. From the shadows of the courtyard, figures began to emerge. Soldiers made of ash and memory, their armor cracked, their eyes burning faintly blue.
Seraphine turned to them. "They are bound to protect what remains. If you wish to end this, you must pass through them."
Lior drew his sword. "Then let them come."
Kael grinned. "I was hoping you would say that."
The courtyard erupted in motion. The ash soldiers charged, their movements jerky but relentless. Kael met them head-on, his sword flashing as he cut through the first wave. Their bodies crumbled to dust, only to reform again from the wind.
Lior moved like water, his blade glowing with faint red light. Each strike carried power drawn from the blade's ancient core. Yet for every enemy that fell, two more took its place.
Seraphine watched in silence. "They cannot be slain. Only released."
Lior turned toward her, sweat running down his brow. "Then tell me how."
"Touch the heart of the citadel," she said, pointing to the fountain. "The curse is bound beneath it."
Kael held back the advancing line. "Then move quickly before I run out of clever insults."
Lior ran toward the fountain and pressed his hand against the cold marble. The sword began to vibrate, resonating with something deep below. He felt energy pulling him downward, through stone and memory.
Suddenly he was surrounded by images of the citadel's fall: people screaming, fire raining from the skies, Seraphine kneeling beside her fallen king. A voice echoed through it all, his ancestor's voice.
"I will not let you die."
The memory shattered, and Lior found himself standing in the dark chamber beneath the fountain. In the center pulsed a crystal heart, glowing faintly red. He raised his sword.
"I will end this," he whispered.
The blade came down, striking the heart. Light burst outward, filling every corner of the citadel. The ash soldiers froze, then disintegrated into dust that shimmered like stars. The silence returned, but it was a different kind of silence—peaceful, not cursed.
When the light faded, Seraphine stood before him, her form beginning to dissolve. "You freed them," she said softly. "You freed us all."
Lior bowed his head. "Then rest now."
She smiled faintly. "The blood of kings still carries mercy."
Her image vanished like mist.
Kael appeared beside him, panting. "Please tell me we are done with haunted castles for a while."
Lior smiled faintly. "No promises."
Together they stepped out of the citadel as dawn began to break. The light touched the broken towers, turning the ruins golden. For the first time, the Silent Citadel seemed alive again.
Behind them, a faint whisper echoed through the wind, almost like a prayer.
"The crown remembers."