He stared at the door.
It looked like it had been scratched by wild animals.
Deep claw marks covered the wood.
Right in the center, burned into it, were the words:
"Speak and Forget."
He didn't know what that meant.
But something in his chest hurt when he read it.
Like his body remembered something his mind had lost.
The cloaked man stood behind him, silent.
He reached for the handle.
It felt cold.
Not like metal… more like ice.
It stung his skin.
The door opened with a long creak.
Inside, the room was small.
Dark stone walls. One window.
A soft red light came through it, like a sun was bleeding outside.
In the center of the room, sitting on the floor, was a girl.
She was young — maybe sixteen.
Long black hair covered her face.
She wore a white dress, torn and dirty.
When she looked up, he froze.
Her eyes… were wide, glowing slightly, and filled with tears.
But not sad tears. Not scared either.
It was like she had seen him before.
"You're back," she said.
Her voice was quiet. Soft.
But it hit him like thunder.
He tried to speak. Still nothing.
The girl stood slowly.
"Do you remember me this time?" she asked.
He shook his head.
Her smile faded. "It's okay. You never do."
She stepped closer.
"You said you'd come back. Even if it took a hundred lives."
He blinked.
The pain in his head returned — sharp, like a knife.
Flashes came again:
Him and the girl running down a hallway, laughing.
Her screaming his name as a wall of fire closed in.
Her holding his face, crying, whispering, "Don't use it again."
But it all slipped away like sand.
She touched his chest.
"I remember everything," she said. "Because you made me remember. That was your spell."
He looked at her, confused.
"I'm your anchor," she said. "You tied your magic to me."
Then, she stepped back and pointed to her own mouth.
"You said your sentence. But you wanted to try again. So you broke the rule."
He shook his head again. None of this made sense.
How could he have done that?
The girl looked out the window.
"You don't have much time. The castle is changing. It always does."
He stepped closer.
She whispered, "You must find the room with the black mirror. Only there will you see the truth."
Before he could ask more, the room began to shake.
The walls cracked.
The red light turned dark.
And behind them, the door slammed shut on its own.