Chapter 33 – The Names That Shouldn’t Be Spoken
The moment Raen blinked, the sky changed. Gone were the torn clouds and fire-touched ruins. Now, there was only a corridor of doors.
Each door whispered.
They didn't creak or groan. They whispered his name, over and over—some in voices he recognized, others in tongues he'd buried deep in guilt.
Behind him, Caelia stood silent. Her eyes had dulled, like someone remembering a pain they'd forced themselves to forget. The silver brand on her collarbone pulsed, and Raen knew she could hear the whispers too.
"This place isn't just memory," he said, scanning the hallway. "It's guilt."
She didn't respond.
He stepped forward.
The first door on the left opened without being touched.
Inside was a field of poppies under blood rain. A boy knelt in the middle, digging a grave with bare hands. Raen swallowed hard.
It was him. Or rather, the version of him that existed after the first time he killed someone who begged.
Caelia touched his shoulder. "You shouldn't linger."