Chapter 9: The Name Beneath The Silence.

Ch No.9

Chapter 9: The Name Beneath the Silence

The valley's peace was an illusion. Errin could feel it now, woven into the fabric of the land like an old story forgotten by those who had stopped listening. He had believed himself a traveler, an outsider passing through, but the weight pressing against his chest told him otherwise.

Something in this valley knew him. And worse—it had always known.

As the days passed, Errin found himself avoiding the storyteller, avoiding the tree, avoiding the places where the valley felt too silent, as if waiting for him to speak first. He busied himself with simple tasks—gathering firewood, helping repair a broken fence, drinking by the fire at night with the men who had welcomed him without question.

But the whispers did not fade.

One evening, as the last light of day bled into the horizon, he found himself standing by the river's edge. The water moved lazily over smooth stones, reflecting the sky in shades of amber and violet. He crouched down, staring at his own reflection.

Then—something shifted.

His reflection rippled, but the water was still.

A face looked back at him.

Not his.

His breath caught. The man from his vision. The blue robes. The unreadable gaze.

Errin's heart pounded as the figure's lips moved, forming words that never reached his ears. He strained to hear—

—and the reflection shattered.

The river was just a river again. His own face stared back at him, pale and shaken.

Errin pushed himself back, stumbling to his feet. His hands trembled. His head throbbed.

He needed answers.

Without thinking, he turned and walked toward the storyteller's hut. He had spent days running from the truth, but he could not ignore it any longer.

By the time he reached her door, night had fully settled. A lantern flickered inside, casting shadows along the walls. He hesitated for only a moment before stepping in.

The old woman was already waiting.

"You're ready to ask," she said simply.

Errin swallowed. "Tell me."

She studied him carefully, then nodded. Rising, she motioned for him to follow.

Together, they stepped outside, walking toward the farthest edge of the village, where the valley stretched endlessly into the unknown. The wind had picked up, carrying with it the scent of something ancient—earth, stone, time itself.

At last, they stopped before a narrow path that wound into the cliffs beyond.

"This place was not meant to keep you," the storyteller said. "It was meant to help you remember."

Errin frowned. "Remember what?"

The wind whispered through the trees. The valley seemed to hold its breath.

The storyteller met his gaze, her expression solemn.

"Your name."

And with those words, the silence broke.