The Hush of the World (ONC 2024)

Chapter 10

Silence. An oppressive blanket of it, broken only by the unsettling moan of skeletal trees clawing at the blood-red sky. The bone-white fortress loomed in the distance, a malevolent monolith casting a long shadow over the desolate wasteland. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, a sharp contrast to the unnatural warmth emanating from the wishbone clutched tightly in my hand.

The king's "gift" felt like a cruel joke. No weapon, no provisions, nothing to offer the notoriously greedy Nether Witch in exchange for the "possession" Haider craved. Despair gnawed at me. What could I possibly offer a creature rumored to hoard forgotten memories and stolen dreams?

My gaze darted around the barren landscape, searching for anything, anything at all, of value. But the skeletal trees offered only despair, their twisted forms mimicking the knot churning in my stomach. A flicker of blue light caught my eye, emanating through my top. Gasping, I brought out my necklace— the stone pendant began to glint in the now exposed light. I wear it so often I forget it's even there.

A single, perfect sapphire. Its surface gleamed with an ethereal glow, defying the desolate surroundings. A memory surfaced – my grandmother's worn necklace, the sapphire the centrepiece, a family heirloom passed down for generations. Guilt pricked at my heart. This was all I had left, a tangible link to my life before this nightmare began.

But then, a fierce determination steeled my resolve. Rani's life hung in the balance. Perhaps, just perhaps, the witch would find value in a forgotten memory, a fragment of a life lived. With a trembling hand, I scooped up the sapphire, its coolness sending a shiver down my spine. This was my only hope, a desperate gamble on the witch's capricious desires.

Taking a deep breath, I marched towards the imposing fortress. The closer I got, the more the air crackled with a malevolent energy. Skeletal trees thrashed in a sudden, unseen wind, their eerie moans morphing into chilling whispers that seemed to mock my courage.

I reached the enormous, iron-wrought gate, its surface etched with grotesque visages that writhed in the dim light. Hesitantly, I raised a hand to knock. The sound echoed through the oppressive silence, bouncing off the stone walls and amplifying the tremor in my hand.

An agonizing moment stretched into eternity. Then, with a deafening screech that made me jump back, the gate swung open, revealing a darkness so profound it seemed to devour the very light outside.  A single, raspy voice echoed from the inky depths, sending shivers down my spine.

"Mortal," it rasped, "you dare enter the domain of Morwen, the Devourer of Dreams. Speak your purpose, for time is not a commodity I readily dispense."

My throat felt dry as sandpaper. Swallowing hard, I stepped forward, the sapphire clutched tightly in my palm. "I come seeking a… an object," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. "In exchange, I offer this."

I held out the sapphire, the blue light seeming to cast a momentary defiance against the encroaching darkness. Silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Then, a slow, chilling laughter echoed from the abyss. The sound sent goosebumps erupting all over me, and I held my breath, waiting for the next blow.

"A curious offering, mortal," the voice purred, laced with amusement. "A mere trinket, a fragment of a forgotten life. But desperation can be a most potent currency."

The darkness within the gate writhed, tendrils of inky smoke reaching outwards, swirling around the sapphire. I watched in a horrified fascination as the stone pulsed with an inner light, seemingly responding to the witch's touch.

A long, drawn-out silence followed. Then, the voice spoke once more, a hint of curiosity replacing the amusement. "Tell me, mortal, what is it you seek? And what lengths are you willing to go to claim it?"