Chapter 37: The Valley of Whispers
Theo and Nyra reached the edge of the valley just as dusk fell. Mist curled like fingers across the rocky cliffs, and the air was thick with silence—not empty, but *listening*. Every step they took stirred a wind that carried voices — whispers of the long-forgotten.
"The valley remembers everything," Nyra said, her voice hushed. "Even things we've tried to forget."
As they descended, the whispers grew louder. Theo heard fragments of his childhood — his mother's lullabies, his father's laughter, then… the cries during the fire. His hands trembled.
Nyra reached for him. "They're not here to hurt you. They're reminders. Wounds we haven't healed."
She wasn't immune either. The valley showed her the day she lost her sister. The guilt, the helplessness. She blinked through tears but kept walking.
In the valley's heart stood a circle of ancient stones. The Compass glowed bright, then dimmed — silent for the first time.
"It's waiting for us to listen," Theo realized.
So they sat, eyes closed, letting the valley speak. It told them of the world before time was broken — of balance, sacrifice, and forgotten truths.
When they opened their eyes, the stones glowed faintly. A symbol appeared in the dirt: *Unity*.
The Compass pulsed once.