The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Not a single bird sang. The wind that had danced through the branches only moments before had vanished, leaving the ancient clearing wrapped in an eerie silence. Ragnar stood motionless before the weathered statue, his heart pounding so loudly he could hear it echoing in his ears.
The crimson symbols continued spreading across the stone like living veins.
They pulsed.
Slowly.
Rhythmically.
Almost...
Like a heartbeat.
"You have returned..."
The voice echoed again, deeper this time. It did not come from the statue's mouth. It came from everywhere at once, vibrating through the ground beneath Ragnar's feet.
"I don't understand," Ragnar whispered.
"I've never been here before."
The glowing eyes dimmed for a brief moment.
Then the voice answered.
"No..."
"You have simply forgotten."
A sharp pain exploded inside Ragnar's head.
He stumbled backward, clutching his temples.
Images flashed before his eyes.
A throne forged from crimson crystal.
An endless army kneeling beneath a blood-red sky.
A little girl laughing as she chased butterflies through a royal garden.
Then...
Darkness.
The memories vanished before he could grasp them.
Ragnar collapsed onto one knee, breathing heavily.
"What... are those?"
"They are fragments."
"Fragments of a life buried beneath blood and time."
Before Ragnar could ask another question, hurried footsteps echoed through the forest.
"Ragnar!"
Elara's voice.
The crimson light faded instantly.
The symbols disappeared from the statue as though they had never existed.
When Ragnar looked up again...
The stone king was nothing more than an ordinary ruin.
Elara emerged from the trees, breathing hard. Several Sternroar knights followed behind her, weapons already drawn.
"There you are."
She stopped the moment she saw Ragnar kneeling.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm... fine."
"You ran into the forest without saying a word."
"I know."
"I didn't mean to."
Her eyes drifted toward the statue.
"Did you find something?"
Ragnar hesitated.
Should he tell her?
The strange voice.
The memories.
The glowing symbols.
Something deep inside him urged him to remain silent.
He slowly shook his head.
"Just an old statue."
Elara studied him for several seconds.
She knew he wasn't telling the whole truth.
But she also knew better than to force the answer.
"We should go back."
Ragnar nodded.
Yet as they walked away...
He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching.
High above them, hidden among the branches of an ancient oak, a lone figure remained perfectly still.
The silver mask concealed every trace of emotion.
Only pale blue eyes were visible through its narrow openings.
The stranger watched Ragnar until he disappeared beyond the trees.
Then a quiet laugh escaped beneath the mask.
"So..."
"You heard him."
The figure looked toward the ruined statue.
"I thought your voice had faded forever."
Without another sound, the masked observer disappeared into the forest.
Night fell over House Sternroar.
The manor's grand library remained brightly lit despite the late hour. Towering shelves stretched toward the ceiling, holding books collected over centuries. Ragnar wandered slowly between them, searching for anything that resembled the crown carved upon the forgotten statue.
Hours passed.
Nothing.
Most of the books described noble bloodlines, ancient wars, or royal history.
None mentioned the stone king.
Just as Ragnar prepared to leave, he noticed a thin leather journal hidden behind several larger volumes.
Unlike the others, it carried no title.
Dust covered its spine.
Someone had intentionally hidden it.
He carefully opened the first page.
The handwriting was faded with age.
If this journal has been found...
...then history is repeating itself.
Ragnar frowned.
He turned another page.
The next sentence made his blood run cold.
Destroy this book before the Crown finds its next king.
"What are you reading?"
Ragnar nearly dropped the journal.
He turned to see Edwin standing quietly in the doorway.
"I..."
His mind raced.
Should he hide it?
Lie?
Edwin slowly approached.
His sharp eyes settled on the old journal.
For the first time since Ragnar had met him...
The old butler looked genuinely surprised.
"I wondered where that disappeared."
"You know this book?"
Edwin nodded.
"I hid it."
Ragnar blinked.
"You did?"
"Forty years ago."
Silence filled the library.
Edwin gently closed the journal.
"There are truths that even kings should never learn."
Ragnar looked into the old man's eyes.
"What happened to the king in this book?"
Edwin remained silent for several moments.
When he finally answered...
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"He saved the kingdom."
Ragnar smiled faintly.
"Then why erase him from history?"
Edwin's expression darkened.
"Because three days later..."
"...he slaughtered everyone who had crowned him."
The room became deathly still.
Ragnar stared at the journal.
Then at the old man.
"You don't believe..."
Edwin looked directly into Ragnar's crimson eyes.
"I don't know what I believe anymore."
Before another word could be spoken, a loud bell echoed throughout the manor.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The emergency alarm.
Edwin's face hardened instantly.
"We're under attack."
Outside, flames suddenly erupted beyond the eastern wall.
The night sky turned orange.
From somewhere in the darkness...
A raven cried.