Echoes of the forgotten
Chapter 18 – Echoes of the Forgotten**
Prince Damiar stood at the window of the east wing, where shadows always clung longer than light. His gaze was fixed on the garden courtyard below, where Ravena stood in a patch of sun, spinning slowly, unaware she was being watched.
The light danced through her hair—rich, dark waves that shimmered as if lit from within. Her smile was soft, fleeting, almost shy. But it was the glimmer in her forest-green eyes that froze him. That unmistakable glow.
He didn't blink.
He didn't breathe.
Because in that moment, certainty bloomed in his chest with painful force.
**It was her.**
**Virelda.**
From behind, a voice cut through the stillness.
**"You're certain it's her?"**
Damiar didn't turn. He remained rooted, a storm gathering behind his eyes.
"I've seen the mark on her shoulder," he said quietly. "She has the same eyes. The way she moves… how she breathes… it's her."
A silence followed, thick and pulsing. Then the air around them shifted—subtly, unnaturally—and Damiar's mind unraveled into memory.
---
### **Flashback – The Garden of Dusk**
Twilight blanketed the sky in hues of violet and indigo. The underworld gardens swayed in a breath of wind, ash roses rustling with a low, mournful whisper. It was a place untouched by time—where beauty bloomed in decay, and pain hid beneath petals.
Damiar's laughter echoed through the trees as he ran ahead, the pulse of joy wild in his chest. Behind him, Virelda chased barefoot, her delicate feet brushing against black moss, her laugh trailing like music in the dusk.
"Slow down!" she gasped, half laughing, half breathless.
"You'll have to catch me first," he teased, spinning in place just as she tackled him to the ground.
They tumbled together into a clearing, limbs tangled, laughter rising between soft gasps. Damiar lay still, heart thudding wildly, as Virelda leaned her cheek against his shoulder. Her fingers found his, lacing together in a gentle grip.
Her skin was always cool… too cool. As if her body was fighting to stay alive.
He turned to her, brushing a strand of black hair behind her ear.
"You shouldn't be running like this," he whispered. "You're not well."
"I know," she murmured, "But this—this is the only time I feel like I'm still part of the world. When I'm with you."
A chill swept through him. He watched her closely—watched the tremble in her smile, the sadness she tried to drown in laughter.
"Do you think your mother will find a cure?" he asked, hope clinging to his voice.
Virelda looked at the stars overhead, eyes reflecting their silent glow. Her lips parted, but no answer came.
Instead, she asked, "Do you think love can cheat death?"
He stared at her, heart aching.
"I think my love can," he whispered, touching his forehead to hers.
Her eyes closed. She leaned into him, her voice barely audible.
"Then never stop loving me… even if I disappear."
"No." His voice cracked. He kissed her temple. "You won't disappear."
And for a moment, time stopped. No curses. No pain. Just two souls clinging to something real beneath a dying sky.
---
### **Back to the Present – Shadows Return**
Damiar blinked, the memory shredding apart like mist. He looked away from the window, the echo of her laughter still ringing in his ears.
"She doesn't remember me," he said, voice hollow. "She doesn't remember *anything.*"
The man beside him crossed his arms, studying him carefully. "And yet she's here. Alive. That alone means something."
Damiar's jaw tightened. Regret simmered beneath his skin like poison.
"I should have protected her," he murmured. "I swore I would never let her suffer again."
The other man didn't answer. He simply watched Damiar, and for a moment, the room felt colder.
"Do you believe in fate, my lord?" he asked.
Damiar turned back to the window, his gaze landing on Ravena once more.
"I don't know," he whispered. "But if fate brought her back to me… then it's not mercy. It's a test."
And deep in his heart, another truth grew darker—
**If she was truly Virelda reborn… then the curse had returned with her.