EP 25: "The Last Voice of Oryndell"

  Suddenly, the room began to distort, the walls closing in, and a deep laugh echoed through the ruins. The glow of the stones on the walls faded, plunging everything into absolute darkness.

  — "Now, let’s see… if you can survive the weight of your own decisions."

  — "I took the throne after killing him..." — the voice from the armor faltered for a moment, heavy with pain. — "For a brief moment, victory felt sweet. I felt invincible... But I soon realized the price of my ambition."

  The room trembled slightly as he continued.

  — "The kingdom… was taken by a shadow that spread like a plague. An aura of rot and despair covered our lands. The crops withered. The sky turned gray… And the people, one by one, fled. They abandoned me to my disgrace, leaving me alone in this cursed castle."

  The voice grew darker, a cold whisper that seemed to come from every corner of the room.

  — "That’s when I understood the weight of my crime. I tried to end my own life, to find some relief from the torment. But fate had other plans..."

  He laughed, a dry and bitter sound that reverberated through the dark walls.

  — "A curse... someone — or something — cast a curse on me. Now, I’m trapped here. I can’t leave this room. I can’t die. I merely exist... a corpse of iron, condemned to relive my mistakes for eternity."

  The air grew even heavier, the smell of rust and decay filling the space.

  — "I watch... I wait... and I observe all who cross this castle. Some try to escape... but the curse doesn’t let them. They all join me... becoming part of the walls, of the shadows."

  Hitory felt a chill run down his spine. The light in the armor’s eyes flickered like a flame about to go out.

  — "And now… the only question left..." — the armor tilted its head, the words laced with a veiled threat. — "Will you be my liberator? Or just another… prisoner?"

  The knight took a deep breath — or what remained of it. His voice trembled, as if every word was torn from his soul.

  — "How long has it been… I no longer know. The castle became my prison... each day is like the last, an endless eternity. The years blur together. Time… it’s lost all meaning."

  Hitory frowned, the weight of those words crashing over him like a dark tide.

  — "So… what was the name of this kingdom… the one that was destroyed?"

  The answer came as a dragging sigh, a confession from a tortured soul.

  — "The kingdom… was Oryndell."

  Hitory felt a chill run down his spine. The name of the kingdom seemed to carry an echo of something distant and lost. Something that had been corrupted down to the last thread of its essence.

  — "Oryndell..." — he repeated quietly, eyes fixed on the armor. The sense of desolation was palpable, almost oppressive.

  The air around them grew heavier still, as if the ruins of the kingdom were alive, breathing and weeping under the weight of the atrocities committed there. Hitory could feel the remnants of what once was Oryndell’s glory… now turned into a dark, desolate void.

  Hitory took a step back, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. He stared at the armor with wide eyes, as if the words still echoed in his mind.

  — "But… that kingdom disappeared around 3,000 years ago! I know that… I even read about it in books." — Hitory said, his voice tinged with growing dread and doubt. He no longer knew what to believe. What stood before him seemed impossible.

  He stared intently at the knight, breathing heavily, and the next words came out with unsettling resolve.

  — "I don’t care about the sin you committed. I’m not here to be a hero, and even less to be the good guy." — He paused for a moment, his gaze hardening, as if convincing himself of his own decision. — "But this time, I… I’ll set you free, okay?"

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The knight remained silent for a moment, as if those words carried more weight than any curse or tragedy he had ever endured. Finally, his broken voice, as though he had waited for this moment for ages, spoke.

  — "Thank you very much..." — The sound of his voice was soft, almost like a sigh of relief, but there was something else. Something that only someone consumed by darkness and pain for centuries could understand.

  Hitory was preparing to take his next step, but the knight, as if suddenly remembering something, stopped him.

  — "But… if you’re not a hero, why did you come here? Are you on a journey?"

  Hitory remained silent for a moment. The weight of the question was in every word, every passing second. Then he looked at the knight and, without hesitation, replied:

  — "I have no idea. I fell asleep and woke up here."

  — "It might sound selfish… but I’m looking for a friend. I promised her I would protect her, no matter what."

  It was a simple answer, but one filled with unwavering sincerity. The knight looked at him with an empty stare, but something in his expression seemed to shift, as if he began to understand the true weight of the promise Hitory carried.

  The knight, with his hollow eyes, looked at Hitory with a piercing gaze, as if searching for something more than just answers.

  — "What is the name of the young woman you promised to protect?" — he asked, his voice carrying a bitter curiosity, as if he had something more to say.

  Hitory, without hesitation, answered, his voice firm, as if saying her name was something sacred.

  — "Nyliryka."

  The words came out laced with affection and commitment. He knew that every step he took toward her was a renewed promise.

  Silence hung for a moment, broken only by the sound of chains still dragging over the stones. Tharion seemed lost in his own thoughts, but soon spoke, his voice trembling slightly.

  — "Ah, right… I forgot to mention… my name is Tharion." — He paused, his voice tinged with melancholy. — "You may not believe this, but… in my Kingdom, there once was a young woman with that same name. She made countless magical discoveries, some of which I believe are still being studied… even after so many centuries."

  Hitory remained silent, surprised by what he had just heard. The coincidence was bizarre, but it couldn’t be ignored. The connection between Nyliryka and Tharion's story was beginning to unfold in a disconcerting way.

  — "You're saying there was someone with the same name, who made magical discoveries like her?" — Hitory asked, his eyes now locked onto Tharion’s, trying to grasp the depth of it all.

  Tharion closed his eyes for a moment, as if reliving distant memories.

  — "Yes… Nyliryka, the young woman from Oryndell… The last hope of the Kingdom, or so they called her. She studied the magical arts like no other, and if my memory isn’t entirely consumed by darkness… she also made a discovery that could have changed everything."

  A chill ran down Hitory's spine. What he was hearing might be far beyond his understanding, but he knew it was deeply connected to his journey—and to Nyliryka’s fate.

  With his hand still resting on Tharion's helmet, Hitory stared at the armor, feeling the pressure of the energy accumulated there, as if something was waiting to be released. He took a deep breath, the magical aura around him intensifying as his words echoed into the space, reverberating like an ancient summons.

  — "The sealed spirit that rotted within this armor, BE FREED!" — he said, his voice firm, without hesitation.

  Only silence echoed through the walls.

  Then, an intense, blinding light began to emanate from the armor. The energy felt alive, pulsing and expanding, forming a luminous bubble that detached from Tharion's armor. Hitory instinctively stepped back, but couldn’t resist the fascination that overtook him.

  The light rose, floating as if it had its own consciousness, and Hitory stood there, eyes wide. The energy condensed, forming a golden sphere that danced in the air, emanating a magical vibration that was impossible to ignore.

  And then, without warning, the sphere moved swiftly, entering Hitory’s outstretched hand, the one still reaching toward the helmet. An intense cold surged through his arm, and a heavy sensation grew as the energy seeped into his skin, rising toward his heart. It felt like something was invading him—something he wasn’t sure was welcome.

  The connection was immediate and visceral. It was a strange sensation, like something had attached itself to him, yet was also trying to communicate somehow—fragmented thoughts that made no complete sense.

  Hitory felt a tightness in his chest, as if Tharion’s soul was there—but it wasn’t just that. The energy was dense, carrying memories, regrets, and even promises of a man condemned to live in silence.

  The energy calmed for a moment, and Hitory looked at his hands, trying to process what had just happened. Tharion’s spiritual presence was now with him—not as a mere memory, but as something alive, pulsating.

  — "What... what was that?" — Hitory whispered to himself, feeling the weight of the moment.

  The air around him was heavy with the sense that something immense had just occurred, as if space itself had shifted. He knew his journey was taking a new path, but he didn’t know what the future held.

  He stood still for a moment, the sensation of Tharion’s soul still alive in his mind, his thoughts disjointed and restless. And why did the sword, so rusted, now seem to carry a new aura, as if something far more powerful lay behind it?

  He looked at the blade still lying on the ground, now covered in a thin layer of rust, and felt an impulsive instinct rise within him. Tekime was in danger, and he couldn’t fail now.

  Without hesitation, Hitory stepped toward the rusted sword, and as he grabbed it, a tingling sensation ran through his fingers. The blade seemed to carry a hidden energy—a power he didn’t fully understand yet, but one that resonated with the urgent desire building inside him. He gripped it firmly, even though the metal showed clear signs of wear. Hitory knew the sword was no longer just a tool. Now, it carried something more—a connection to Tharion, and to the energy he now held.

  End of Episode 25: The Last Voice of Oryndell