Memory of Heaven:Romance Written By Fate Through Beyond Infinity Time-Chapter 432 The Stone That Keeps Breath — Days in the Valdenmeer

Chapter 432 - 432 The Stone That Keeps Breath — Days in the Valdenmeer

Valdenmeer city does not have a bell.

Time passes silently. Morning arrives only when the sky changes color, and night descends like a thick fog that falls without warning. Joanna and Rui have been staying at the "Fleur de Silence" inn for three days. No one greets them, and no one asks who they are, as if the town has grown accustomed to receiving those who wish to be forgotten by the world. Shadows of history envelop them at every corner, like mysteries yet to be solved, inviting all to listen to its whispers. Amid the narrow alleys, ancient walls hold secrets of the past that unravel in silence, creating a thick atmosphere of nostalgia, especially for those who understand how to appreciate the neglected tranquility.

Yet, they know... something in this place records everything.

Their mornings are filled with wandering across the black wooden bridge that reflects the white light from the frozen river. Rui loves to sit on the steps of the east dock, feeding the little purple-beaked birds. There, a gentle breeze carries the aroma of damp earth and suppressed courage, as if inviting them to savor every fleeting moment. Occasionally, Joanna buys dried flowers from a quiet stall and places them on her window sill. Each petal gathers its own story, tales of love and loss nestled among the tracks of frozen time.

They don't speak much to each other.

Not because they are strangers.

But because this silence has become a part of the rhythm of this city. The whispers of the wind seem to remind them of the old stories engraved in the shadows of every corner of this place, complementing an illusion that never fades. The history of Valdenmeer, filled with secrets and legends, envelops them in a deep embrace, as if urging them to unearth every story that might have been forgotten.

"This place..." Rui said one morning, "is like a soul that has chosen to stop breathing but is not dead."

Joanna gazed at the snow that never truly fell to the ground, as if waiting for the right moment to unveil the hidden stories within it—tales of those who turned to stone beneath the gray sky. The laughter of the townspeople echoed in her mind, now lost in silence, disregarding the raindrops fading between the pages of extinguished time.

On the fourth day, the innkeeper—a frail old woman named Maer—finally spoke again, appearing hesitant as she searched for the right words to convey the unsettling message in her mind.

She handed Joanna a small, trembling map. The map looked worn, its edges tinged with yellow and brown, scribbled with barely legible notes, as if it harbored secrets for those brave enough to seek them.

"Do not go here," she said, pointing to the northern area near the edge of the forest. "The place of the statues. They are not works of art. They... are warnings."

Joanna fixed her gaze on her sharply.

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Maer shook her head.

"We do not even speak their names anymore, as if erasing their traces from our memory. But it is said that they were once human, who ended up turning to stone when they chose to live without will, ignoring the chance to move forward."

Of course, such a prohibition only made Joanna more curious. A curiosity that burned like an unquenchable fire, igniting the souls brave enough to penetrate the oppressive darkness of history.

That night, after the city had fallen asleep (or pretended to), she and Rui quietly set off toward the northern region. The stony path led them through fields of dead crystals and dry snow walls. Each step felt heavy, as if the ground held dark secrets begging to be uncovered, urging them to defy their survival instincts for the allure of uncertainty.

Finally, they arrived.

And there...

They saw it.

There were more than twenty.

Silent and motionless, they stood in poses of embrace, kneeling, praying, screaming. Some even had frozen tears on their cheeks. Yet none had a face. Their faces were replaced by flat surfaces—devoid of eyes, devoid of mouths.

However... their bodies were full of wounds. Wounds that did not bleed but radiated an aura of a will that once lived. Behind these silent figures lay an ancient story buried deep, a tale of the city of Valdenmeer trapped in time, holding secrets darker than a starless night—secrets that perhaps did not wish to be revealed to the souls brave enough to come near.

Rui shivered.

"Nee-san... this place is not just a forbidden area."

"This... is like an altar of suffering."

As they approached, the statues began to mist—seemingly starting to breathe. The scent of damp earth and morning dew enveloped the atmosphere, creating the impression that the city still possessed a soul, whispering in the silence, conveying messages from forgotten generations.

One of them—standing in the center with both hands raised to the sky—let out a soft sound like a sigh:

"Do not awaken our names..."

"We chose to sleep... rather than be part of a world that continually decides who deserves to live."

Joanna took a step back, caught between fear and curiosity, while Rui moved closer, her urge to understand outweighing the grip of her fear.

"Who... are you?"

The statue did not respond.

But from its silent mouth came a name:

"Aurianne..."

The name caused Joanna to stumble back two steps.

"Aurianne...?" she whispered. "Lady Aurianne?"

Rui turned to her.

"Who is that?"

"She... was once a protector of reality, one of the guardians of the three branches of the Spiral. However, she... disappeared without a trace. All records of her were erased, as if she had never existed, leaving only a mystery surrounding her existence."

As she gazed at the stillness around her, a sense of regret permeated the air, as if every stone and blade of grass remembered the days when Valdenmeer still shone with life. This city was built upon secrets and uncertainties, its alleyways telling tales of past wars, unrequited love, and buried hopes. Shadows of the past floated above them, intertwining history with every step Joanna and Rui took.

Joanna moved closer.

"Then why is she here... as a statue... begging not to be awakened?"

As if answered by the whispering wind, the lost voice filled the silence, like a fragment of poetry that had never been completed. The walls of this city, once witnesses to how hope and courage could ignite, were now shrouded in a melancholic light, as if shielding the bitter reality behind the crown of emptiness, sowing questions about what had happened to the forsaken souls.

Suddenly, Rui fell to her knees.

Her hands trembled. A resonating sound emerged from her chest—not from Qayin, but from herself. The inner wounds that had long remained silent began to crack. Around them, the air felt heavy, as if the city of Valdenmeer were holding its breath, harboring countless secrets in its shadows.

"They... are like me," Rui said, her voice soft yet resolute, expressing a deep connection between herself and the petrified beings.

"Creatures that chose to sleep, ending their search for life, rather than continuing to exist as unfulfilled wills."

Joanna knelt beside her. The moonlight reflected an eerie shimmer on the statues, creating an illusion as if they were alive, trapped in an endless tale.

"But you are not asleep, Rui."

"You chose to keep moving forward. And because of that... you can still love me, and I can love you."

From the cracks emerged a silvery light, forming glyphs that Joanna had never seen before, each displaying symbols that might hold meanings deeper than mere paintings, evoking forgotten memories, as if dreams and reality collided in the dark of night.

Suddenly, the statue named Aurianne stepped forward.

Not alive.

But... moving as if drawn by something from below. From the depths of the earth, whispering voices slithered forth, urging them to listen to the stories meticulously kept within the shadows of the city.

"Nee-san... we must go."

"No. I want to know... whether they all ever wished for an end... or have ever been loved."

The sky of Valdenmeer began to change color. Gray clouds resembling flying shadows obscured the light, as if the city was struggling against a predetermined fate.

The usual stillness of the orange hue began to sway, as if the city was trying to reject its own reality. The sound of shells shattered by the wind added to the tension, whispering forgotten names and reminding them of buried stories.

From the statues that had become stone, three voices emerged in unison:

"If you love a name left behind and are willing to bear the consequences..."

Joanna and Rui exchanged glances. In that shared gaze, a decision was expressed without words, as if they were a bridge between the past and the future.

Suddenly, all the statues opened their mouths together.

And the world began to scream. The sound filled the space, reverberating with a power that seemed capable of shattering the boundaries of reality, reminding them of the hope and loss that intertwined them in an eternal mystery.