Chapter 119: The valley of souls
The Valley of Souls was a place whispered about in lullabies and feared in battle prayers—a land carved from the silence of death and the weight of forgotten promises. The path to it wound through a dense forest of silver-leaved trees that hummed when touched. No one returned unchanged. Some didn't return at all.
But for the children of legends—Azrael Jr., Caelan, and Rina—it was where vengeance called them next.
Cain and Selene stood at the palace gates, their eyes lingering on their children. Cain had aged more in the last few months than in all his years as king. Selene, strong as ever, gave Caelan a final hug, whispering something only he heard. He didn't respond—just nodded with steel behind his eyes.
Rina stood apart, her hand resting on the hilt of her fire-forged dagger. Her cheeks, usually flushed with mischief, were now sharp with resolve. She wore a red cloak stitched by her mother Zara, and Leo's old war boots that were too big but filled with meaning.
"Do not go where the wind doesn't carry your name," Isolde, the queen once and forever, warned gently as she came forward. "But if you must... make the wind scream it."
They left before dawn.
The valley greeted them with silence. It lay low between mountains, hidden in the mist. The air crackled like it carried spirits, and the children felt watched—not with eyes, but with memories.
"Why does this place feel like it's breathing?" Caelan asked, brushing his fingers along the bark of a glowing tree.
"Because it remembers everything," Rina replied. "Even what you want to forget."