Chapter 8: The whispering crown
595 Words
Darkness swallowed the Hall of Silent Stars.
Nysera could no longer see the old man.
Or Prince Zepharion.
Or Kaelor.
Only the sound of breathing surrounded her.
Then...
A whisper brushed against her ear.
"Don't turn around."
Nysera froze.
Her heart hammered inside her chest.
The voice did not sound cruel.
It sounded... frightened.
Another whisper came.
"They are watching."
Cold air swept across the hall.
Tiny blue flames appeared one by one, floating in the darkness.
Hundreds of them.
They circled above Nysera's head like silent stars.
Then every flame stopped at once.
Someone was standing behind her.
She slowly turned.
No one.
Only the empty throne.
But it was no longer empty.
A crown rested upon it.
It was unlike any crown she had ever seen.
It was made of black gold, with thirteen crystal stars shining around it.
The moment Nysera looked at it...
A sharp pain shot through her chest.
Her breathing became heavy.
"I know you," she whispered.
But how?
She had never seen the crown before.
Had she?
Without thinking, she took one step toward it.
Then another.
Behind her, Kaelor's voice echoed through the darkness.
"Nysera!"
"Stop!"
She couldn't.
It felt as if the crown was calling her.
Every step became easier.
Every whisper became louder.
"Come home..."
"You belong to me..."
"Wear me..."
Her hand slowly reached toward the crown.
Just before her fingers touched it—
A flash of golden light burst across the room.
Prince Zepharion grabbed her wrist.
"No."
His voice was sharper than a sword.
"You must never wear that crown."
Nysera looked at him.
"Why?"
His jaw tightened.
"I can't tell you."
"Then how do you know?"
Silence.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then...
"Because I watched the last person who wore it."
Nysera's eyes widened.
"What happened to them?"
Zepharion looked away.
"They destroyed an empire."
The hall became silent again.
Suddenly...
The old man laughed.
His voice echoed from every direction.
"Still protecting her?"
"You never learn, Zepharion."
The prince slowly drew his sword.
"Show yourself."
"I already have."
The blue flames moved together.
They formed the shape of a woman.
She was beautiful.
Long silver hair.
A white gown that floated like mist.
But her eyes...
Her eyes were completely empty.
She smiled at Nysera.
"My child."
Nysera stepped back.
"I don't know you."
The woman nodded sadly.
"You don't."
"They stole your memories."
Kaelor's face turned pale.
"That's impossible."
The woman's smile disappeared.
"Nothing is impossible."
"Not after the Night of Broken Stars."
The name echoed through the chamber.
Zepharion closed his eyes.
He looked... guilty.
Nysera noticed.
"You know what that is."
He did not answer.
She took a step closer.
"You promised to protect me."
"So why are you hiding the truth?"
Before Zepharion could speak—
The ghostly woman raised one hand.
The floor cracked open.
A blinding light burst from beneath the throne.
One by one, hundreds of ancient crowns rose into the air.
Kings' crowns.
Queens' crowns.
Broken crowns.
Burned crowns.
Crowns stained with old blood.
They floated around Nysera in complete silence.
Then every crown bowed toward her.
Not to the Emperor.
Not to the princes.
To her.
The ghost whispered with tears in her eyes,
"Your Majesty..."
"Welcome back."
At that exact moment...
A scream echoed through the palace above.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
The walls shook violently.
A frightened guard's voice rang through the corridors.
"Protect the Emperor!"
"The royal family has been betrayed!"
Someone had begun another attack.
But this enemy...
Was already inside the palace.
- Writer
