- 2 days ago
Echoes of Eternity - Full EP | Reincarnation Romance, Eternal Love
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00I've been a mute since the day I was born. Truth is, I wasn't born broken. I just chose never
00:06to
00:06speak. My father already had two daughters, and he was desperate for a son to carry on his mediocre
00:11legacy. When my twin brother and I were born together, his joy was instantly soured by my
00:16unnecessary arrival. Take this extra thing away! He just waved a dismissive hand at my elder sister
00:22and muttered, we grew up in the shadow of poverty, and my father tried to abandon me more times than
00:27I can count. Only my mother's fading guilt kept me under their roof. But by the time I was five,
00:33and still hadn't uttered a single word, they realized I was truly mute. Even my mother gave
00:37up on me then, in my father's eyes. I wasn't a daughter, I was a defect. A mouth that ate
00:43but
00:43didn't speak. I learned to survive by working the hardest, eating the least, and becoming invisible
00:48to avoid his drunken rages. When I turned 18, the Vans family, the most powerful billionaires in Los
00:54Angeles began a desperate search for a girl with a specific spiritual frequency to marry their
00:59dying second son, Silas Vans. Everyone knew Silas was a walking corpse, a man cursed by his own
01:05fortune. Rumor had it that the Vans family practiced archaic traditions, and any bride sent there was
01:10expected to be buried alongside him as a sacrifice. It was a death sentence.
01:17But the Vans offered a dowry that no ordinary person could refuse. Two million dollars in cash.
01:23My father, a man who had scraped through the dirt his whole life, saw those zeros and lost his mind.
01:30Selling a defective daughter for a fortune. To him, it was the deal of a century. Naturally,
01:36he handed over my birth records to the Vans lawyers without a second thought. As it turned out,
01:41my soul matched Silas's perfectly. The Vans moved fast. Within three days, their black SUVs lined up
01:48in our dusty driveway. They brought lawyers, a marriage contract, and a mountain of luxury goods
01:53to save my father's pride. They demanded the wedding happen in 72 hours. My father, standing tall for the
02:00first time in his life, smiled at me with a terrifying warmth.
02:04Ivy, I've raised you for 18 years, and finally, you're worth something. Once you enter the Vans
02:10estate, serve your husband, obey your in-laws, and listen to me carefully. Don't ever come back.
02:17Not even if you're begging.
02:19I sat in the back of the sleek limousine, frozen and silent. My second sister, moved by a rare moment
02:25of pity, shoved a crumpled paper bag into my hand when my father wasn't looking. Later, I opened it.
02:31It was a warm, half-crushed croissant, her favorite treat. It was still warm from being
02:36hidden against her body. I knew she was scared for me, but in the face of the Vans family's power,
02:41what could a girl do but survive?
02:46The Vans estate was draped in ominous luxury to welcome their new sacrifice.
02:51Silas was too weak to even stand, so the family forced his elder brother, Julian the Cold,
02:56terrifying head of the empire, to stand in his place for the ceremony.
03:00At least there was no rooster, just Julian's icy gaze that felt like a blade against my neck.
03:06As I was led toward the west wing, I caught a glimpse through my veil. In the courtyard,
03:11hidden behind white roses, sat two sleek, black mahogany coffins. One for him, and one for me.
03:18They left me in the master suite. I heard a shallow, rattling breath behind me,
03:23revealing a face so pale it was almost translucent, yet breathtakingly handsome.
03:28Silas Vans. Before I could even process his beauty, he shoved a thick envelope and a duffel bag toward me.
03:35Take it. Marrying you was my parents' desperate madness. I won't let another innocent soul burn in this hell.
03:44There's a car at the back gate. Go. Now.
03:48I quickly helped him back to bed, but the effort triggered a violent coughing fit.
03:53He collapsed forward, his blood splattering on the white silk sheets. Panic surged through me.
03:58I grabbed him, rubbing his back to help him catch his breath.
04:05Don't call for help. Just... some water.
04:10I'm a mess. I know my days are numbered. I promise you, if you stay tonight, I will protect you
04:18for as long as I draw breath.
04:20But for your sake, you should leave.
04:23I shook my head and gently tucked him in. He looked at me, confused.
04:28Can you... not speak?
04:33I nodded. Then, I lay down on the small sofa by the window, turning off the lights.
04:39Silence filled the room, save for our synchronized breathing.
04:43My stomach growled like a beast. I hadn't eaten anything all day except for that crushed croissant.
04:49I closed my eyes, trying to pretend the hunger didn't exist.
04:52Then, I heard him move.
04:54A moment later, a soft clink sounded on the coffee table next to me.
04:58I opened my eyes. A plate of delicate French macarons and warm sandwiches.
05:03I ate them all. Every single crumb.
05:06Well, I realized. Tasted like heaven.
05:10Since you won't leave, let this be my final selfishness.
05:15I will shield you until the end.
05:18I won't let them bury you with me.
05:21Inside me, something broke. Something I had kept locked away since childhood.
05:25You will live a long and healthy life.
05:28What? Ivy?
05:30Why? Did you just... speak?
05:33I stayed silent. The magic was already flowing.
05:37People didn't know that I wasn't born mute.
05:39I was forbidden to speak.
05:41Because every word I uttered was a truth, a wish that must manifest, no matter the cost to my own
05:46soul.
05:47I had always been indifferent to life.
05:49But tonight, I felt a spark of selfishness.
05:52I wanted this man to live.
05:54The next morning, the sun broke through the heavy velvet curtains.
05:58Silas opened his eyes.
06:00And for the first time in years, the deathly grey in his skin had faded into a faint glow of
06:04health.
06:06Can you help me up?
06:07When the maids entered with water, they nearly dropped the basins in shock.
06:12The dying prince was sitting up, smiling.
06:16After dressing, I headed for the door to pay my respects to my new-in-laws.
06:20But Silas' hand caught mine.
06:23Ivy.
06:24I'm coming with you.
06:25He knew my name.
06:26He had actually looked at the marriage license.
06:29He had actually seen me.
06:33I only had a real name because of my brother.
06:36My father, in his obsession with having a male heir, had paid a high-priced consultant to name his golden
06:42boy so he'd have a future in Ivy League schools.
06:44The consultant, seeing my brother and me were fraternal twins, casually tossed out Ivy as a matching set to his
06:50choice.
06:51That was me, Ivy Sue.
06:53Just a by-product of my brother's existence.
06:55I realized Silas must have seen my name on the legal documents.
06:58When he saw me lost in thought, he movements invited the servants to help him up, but I grabbed his
07:03arm first.
07:04I couldn't let him strain his fragile strength.
07:06As we walked through the mansion, the whispers followed us like a draft.
07:09Every maid and butler stopped in their tracks.
07:12Eyes widening.
07:13To them, Silas Vans was a ghost that hadn't walked the holes in years.
07:17We reached the solarium where the senior Vans were waiting.
07:20Mrs. Vans born into one of the oldest families in the East Coast.
07:23A woman who had known nothing but privilege until the birth of her sickly son rushed toward us.
07:27Her life's joy had been drained by the tears she shed for Silas.
07:31Silas, Silas, what are you doing out of bed?
07:33Her face a mask of panic and hope.
07:36Silas gave her a warm, steady smile and squeezed my hand.
07:39Don't worry, mother.
07:40I feel stronger today.
07:41Sorry to have caused you so much grief.
07:44Mother, father, this is Ivy.
07:49For a moment, the room was silent.
07:52Then, Mrs. Vans lunged forward, grabbing my hands with terrifying intensity.
07:57Dear girl, we were right to bring you here.
08:01Look at him.
08:03He's standing.
08:04I had never felt such warmth from a stranger.
08:07It made me flinch in confusion.
08:09Eleanor, you're scaring the girl.
08:10Where are your manners?
08:11Oh, of course.
08:12The gift.
08:14Ivy.
08:15This emerald bracelet has been in my family for generations.
08:19My mother gave it to me on my wedding day.
08:21Now, it belongs to you.
08:23I looked at Silas.
08:25He nodded gently.
08:26I took the box with a shaky hand.
08:27Then, Mr. Vans handed me a thick folder.
08:30And this child.
08:31These are the deeds to several prime estates in downtown LA and a trust fund in your name.
08:36As long as you take care of Silas, the Vans family will ensure you never want for anything in this
08:40life.
08:40It was too much.
08:41I hesitated.
08:42My heart pounding.
08:44Silas reached over and took the folder for me.
08:48On her behalf.
08:49Thank you, Father.
08:50Mr. Vans patted Silas's shoulder, his eyes gleaming with a joy he tried to hide.
08:54Sit.
08:55Let's have breakfast.
08:56Julian had to leave early this morning to handle an emergency with our shipping lines in the east.
08:59He'll be thrilled to see you on your feet when he returned.
09:01I lowered my head.
09:03I looked at the extravagant breakfast.
09:05Spread caviar.
09:05Fresh pastries.
09:06Fruits I couldn't even name.
09:08All this because of one sentence I whispered in the dark.
09:11But Silas wasn't just a benefactor anymore.
09:13He was the only person who had ever treated my name like it meant something.
09:19Breakfast at the Vans mansion was a display of obscene wealth.
09:22There were velvety truffle omelets, smoked salmon crepes, and pastries so flaky they melted on the tongue.
09:28At home, I survived on thin porridge and hard bread.
09:31Eggs and meat were reserved for my father and brother.
09:34Despite my attempt at poise, I couldn't stop the hunger rising in my throat.
09:38Silas personally placed a warm steak and cheese croissant on my gold rim plate.
09:42Try this, Ivy.
09:43It's light but filling.
09:45I think you'll like it.
09:46The savory richness exploded in my mouth.
09:49I closed my eyes in pure bliss.
09:51No wonder my father and brother fought over food like scavengers.
09:54By the time I had finished three croissants, two fruit parfaits, and a bowl of lobster bisque, Silas gently intervened.
10:01Don't eat too much at once.
10:04Your stomach isn't used to such heavy richness after...
10:07If you like them, the chef will make them for you whenever you want.
10:10I froze, realizing I'd cleared more plates than anyone at the table.
10:14I looked up, face flushing.
10:16Across from me, the senior Vans weren't disgusted.
10:19Their eyes were filled with a strange, tearful joy.
10:21They seemed thrilled just to see someone alive and eating at their table.
10:25After breakfast, Silas looked pale.
10:28The effort of the morning had drained him.
10:30He retreated to the master suite to rest.
10:32I decided to head to the kitchen, the one place I knew how to control.
10:36I found a group of maids huddled together.
10:38Did you hear?
10:39The dead boy walking actually got out of bed today.
10:42Probably just last flare before the light goes out.
10:44A death wrassle.
10:45My mother says if Silas dies, that little mute girl goes into the ground with him.
10:50It's part of the Vans' secret vow.
10:52Cruel, isn't it?
10:55What do they care?
10:56She's just a country bumper.
10:58Her father sold her like a piece of livestock if she weren't a frequency match.
11:03Do you think she'd ever step foot in a mansion like this?
11:06Once Silas is gone, she's just trash to be burned.
11:09I stepped into the light.
11:11Their voices died instantly.
11:12A senior maid named Ginny stepped forward.
11:15Madam, we were just discussing household duties.
11:19The master doesn't allow outsiders to mess with his diet.
11:22Please, leave.
11:23She looked at me the way my father did.
11:25Like I was a defect.
11:26I ignored her.
11:28I walked straight to the stove.
11:30Ever since I could remember, cooking was my only language.
11:33When my mother was sick, my soup was the only thing she could keep down.
11:36Silas was too thin.
11:38I needed to nurse him back to life myself.
11:40Two hours later, I was bringing a tray of carefully prepared herbal chicken essence
11:44and light rice porridge back to the room.
11:46Ginny blocked the door.
11:48Mr. Silas has a dedicated nutritionist.
11:50He won't eat this garbage from the sticks.
11:52Take it to the servants' hall if you're so hungry.
11:54Suddenly, the door swung open.
11:56Silas leaned against the frame, looking at us.
11:58Ivy?
12:00Why aren't you coming in?
12:01Mr. Silas, the madam didn't like our food.
12:04She insisted on cooking for herself.
12:06I was just telling her to eat in the side room.
12:08I didn't argue.
12:09I just lifted the tray so Silas could smell the steam.
12:12He looked at me, a soft realization dawning in his eyes.
12:15You made this?
12:17For me?
12:18I nodded.
12:19Ginny, for insubordination and disrespecting my wife, go to my mother.
12:22Tell her you're fired.
12:23Effective immediately.
12:25I paused.
12:26He was protecting me, without asking for an explanation, without hesitation.
12:31It was the first time in my life someone had stood between me and the world's cruelty.
12:35My heart, usually cold and silent like my voice, gave a sudden, painful throb.
12:43I set the table, helping Silas into his chair.
12:46He took a sip of the herbal broth and his eyes widened.
12:48I nodded, ladling another bowl for him.
12:51It's refreshing.
12:53Ivy, you have a gift.
12:54Did you ever go to school?
12:55I shook my head.
12:56In the sticks, school was a luxury reserved for the successor, my brother.
13:00His hand resting gently on my hair.
13:02Then let me teach you.
13:03It was a touch so light, so different from the rough shoves I was used to.
13:08I'll teach you to read and write.
13:09In return, you teach me how to understand you.
13:12Sign language, gestures, anything.
13:14I want to know when you're happy, and when you're not.
13:17I stood frozen.
13:18I had survived insults far worse than Ginny's my entire life.
13:22I had learned to turn my heart into a stone that nothing could chip.
13:25But listening to Silas, that stone began to crack, and something warm and painful leaked out.
13:30Silas fans, I whispered his name in the silence of my mind.
13:34In the weeks that followed, I became his shadow.
13:37I cooked every meal, balancing his nutrition.
13:40I walked with him in the gardens.
13:42Slowly, the deathly pallor left his skin.
13:45He gained weight.
13:46His eyes lost their sunken shadows.
13:47And one morning, I noticed the black mahogany coffins in the courtyard were gone.
13:52The gossiping maids began to look at me not with mockery, but with envy.
13:55One afternoon, Silas' mother, Eleanor, called me to her private parlor.
13:59She pushed a heavy jewelry box across the table.
14:02Inside were diamonds, emeralds, and vintage gold.
14:05Take them, Ivy.
14:06If there's nothing you like, we'll fly to Paris for a custom fitting.
14:09You saved my son.
14:11It's time for your homecoming visit to your parents.
14:14Silas is still recovering, so I will accompany you myself.
14:17Homecoming?
14:18I never wanted to see that house again.
14:20The debt was paid, but Eleanor was a hurricane of maternal gratitude.
14:23There was no stopping her.
14:26The morning of the trip, Silas walked me to the car.
14:30I'm sorry you have to go back there, even for an hour.
14:32You never have to apologize to me, Silas.
14:35I thought.
14:36When the black SUV pulled up to the rundown shack I used to call home,
14:39my father was yawning on the porch.
14:41When he saw me step out, he didn't see a daughter.
14:44He saw a nuisance.
14:47Ivy?
14:47What the hell are you doing here?
14:49Did you run away?
14:50You're going to get me killed!
14:52Get back to the city or I'll beat you myself!
14:56Stop!
14:59Ivy is a van's now.
15:01If you touch her, you answer to me.
15:03My father's face went white.
15:05He began groveling instantly,
15:06his eyes darting to the expensive gift boxes the driver was unloading bribery for his silence.
15:10But Eleanor didn't give him the satisfaction of a conversation.
15:14Ivy has fulfilled her duty to you.
15:16From this day forward, she is our daughter.
15:19Her ties to this place are severed.
15:21Forever.
15:21She took my hand and led me back to the car.
15:24Let's go home, Ivy.
15:25As the car pulled away, I felt an unfamiliar warmth in my chest.
15:29I looked back at the shack getting smaller in the distance.
15:32People said the van's family was cursed, that their house was a tomb.
15:35But for the first time in my life, I realized I wasn't a sacrifice.
15:39I had finally found a home.
15:43After leaving the shack, Eleanor didn't take me straight back to the mansion.
15:47She directed the driver to the Gilded Plate, the most exclusive restaurant in the city.
15:51Ivy.
15:52Their lobster risotto is legendary.
15:54Today, it's just us girls.
15:56Then, we're going to the boutiques.
15:58You're always in such muted tones.
16:00A girl your age should be dripping in Dior and vibrance.
16:02It's standard rules, dear.
16:04A gift from an elder cannot be refused.
16:07It's a van's family law.
16:09I smiled, gesturing a small thank you.
16:12Eleanor watched me, a flicker of sadness in her eyes.
16:14She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper.
16:17I need to find you the best specialist in the country.
16:20Perhaps you're mutinous.
16:21Perhaps it can be cured.
16:22No one should be allowed to silence a girl like you.
16:25Though I suppose I'll have to learn sign language myself.
16:28Otherwise, I'll just be the one doing all the talking.
16:31I felt a lump in my throat.
16:33I had been practicing my writing with Silas every night.
16:36I asked the waiter for a pen and a napkin, scribbling four words before sliding it to her.
16:40Thank you, mother.
16:42Eleanor's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
16:44She gripped my hands so hard it hurt.
16:46Ivy.
16:47I should be the one thanking you.
16:50And I owe you an apology.
16:53Buying a bride for a ritual, it was an act of desperation.
16:56My only son was dying, and I didn't want him to be alone in the dark.
17:01I won't lie to you.
17:03At first, people suggested that if Simus passed, you should follow him.
17:09A widow's sacrifice.
17:11It was an irrational, cruel thought born from a mother's grief.
17:16But you are a wonderful girl, Ivy.
17:18I've burned those thoughts away.
17:19From now on, whatever happens to Silas, you are free.
17:22Stay or go, this family will support you forever.
17:25Silas has suffered his whole life because of a mistake I made during my pregnancy.
17:29He never blamed me.
17:30Not once.
17:33I realized then that not all parents were like my father, who saw children as currency.
17:38Some, like Eleanor and her husband, saw their children as their very souls.
17:42When we returned to the mansion, the moon was high.
17:44Silas wasn't asleep.
17:46He was propped up in bed, reading a leather-bound book by Amber Lamplight.
17:50You're back.
17:51Did you have a good day?
17:52Tucked the silk duvet around him, and signed.
17:54It's cold.
17:55Don't get a chill.
17:56I looked at him at the man who had fired his favorite maid for me.
17:59Who had convinced his mother to personally escort me home just to ensure my safety.
18:04I felt a sudden, uncontrollable surge of courage.
18:08I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest.
18:12My little bird is sad today.
18:14Did the world treat you unkindly?
18:16Don't worry.
18:17In two days, I'll take you out myself.
18:19We'll go to the bakery in the South District.
18:21I hear their chestnut tarts are incredible when hot.
18:27And that estate my father gave you?
18:30There's a natural hot spring on the grounds.
18:32We'll go there.
18:33Just us.
18:34We'll stay as long as you like.
18:36I knew the truth now.
18:38The servant's respect.
18:39The mother's kindness.
18:40It was all because of him.
18:42Silas Vans.
18:43A man everyone whispered was a walking ghost.
18:46Was spending his limited strength building a fortress for me.
18:49He was so afraid his time would run out that he was feverishly laying down every escape route,
18:53every comfort,
18:54and every cent to ensure I would never be a victim again.
18:58Silas, I thought,
18:59how lucky I am to be loved by a soul like yours.
19:04That night, despite his weak protests,
19:07I refused to leave his side.
19:09I crawled into the vast bed and lay beside him.
19:12Silas sighed,
19:13a soft sound of surrender,
19:14and pulled me into his arms.
19:16My face flushed hot against his chest,
19:17but I didn't pull away.
19:19Ivy,
19:20there's no turning back now.
19:23You can't regret this.
19:25Regret?
19:25Never.
19:26Silas.
19:27I wrapped my arms around his waist,
19:28settling into him.
19:29But moments later,
19:30I felt his body temperature rising.
19:32Panic flared.
19:32Was it a fever?
19:33I reached up to touch his forehead,
19:35but he caught my wrist with surprising strength.
19:37Ivy,
19:39don't move.
19:40His breath hitching,
19:41his voice dropping into a raspy,
19:43dark baritone.
19:44I froze,
19:45understanding dawning on me.
19:47My face burned as I hesitated.
19:49Then tentatively moved my fingers to the silk tie of his robe.
19:52He pinned my hands down gently but firmly.
19:56Not yet.
20:00Not until I'm strong enough to give you the night you deserve.
20:03I retreated into the safety of his embrace,
20:05nodding against his heart.
20:07Yes,
20:08he was still healing.
20:09I had to be patient.
20:10The next six months were a miracle.
20:12Under my care,
20:13Silas didn't just survive.
20:15He flourished.
20:16Except for a slight sensitivity to the changing seasons,
20:19he was indistinguishable from any healthy man.
20:21As Silas's health returned,
20:23so did his brilliance.
20:24In the city,
20:25people no longer spoke of the deathbed sun.
20:27Now,
20:28they whispered about the dashing.
20:30Intellectual Silas Vans the second heir to the empire.
20:34Socialites who once mocked me now looked at me with venomous jealousy.
20:38To them,
20:38I was just a mute peasant girl who had stumbled into a gold mine.
20:42I was an obstacle to be removed.
20:44The Vans empire was expanding.
20:46Silas's elder brother,
20:47Julian,
20:48was a ruthless genius in trade.
20:50Under his hand,
20:51the Vans family had become the wealthiest merchant house in the country.
20:54Even my father,
20:55sensing the shift,
20:57started sending me groveling letters,
20:59begging me to let my second sister join the household as a companion for me.
21:03But Silas had spent these months teaching me more than just literature.
21:06He taught me accountancy,
21:08management,
21:09and the cold logic of power.
21:10In a world where women were mere appendages,
21:13Silas was training me to stand alone.
21:16He never asked about my trauma.
21:18He just loved me so fiercely that the old wounds started to fade.
21:21One afternoon,
21:23while I was inspecting one of our textile boutiques,
21:25I was cornered.
21:27So,
21:28you're the famous Ivy Vans?
21:30I looked up.
21:31It was Chloe Thorne,
21:32the daughter of the local magistrate.
21:34She stood there in a gown that cost more than my entire village.
21:37Her lips curled in a sneer.
21:39I gave her a polite,
21:40silent nod.
21:42I forgot.
21:42You're mute.
21:43A mute little peasant.
21:47Look at you.
21:48You're a stain on the van's name.
21:50How long do you think a man like Silas will tolerate a broken doll at his side?
21:55I'm talking to you.
21:56What makes you think you're worthy of...
21:59She doesn't need to consider her worth.
22:07Because it is I who am not worthy of her.
22:13It's getting cold.
22:16You should have worn your furs.
22:17I gave him a reassuring smile and tugged at his hand,
22:20wanting to head home and avoid the scene.
22:22But he stood like a rooted oak,
22:24unyielding.
22:25Miss,
22:26my wife is mute,
22:28but her silence is not a weakness.
22:30If she ever offends you,
22:32you are welcome to file a claim with the van's estate.
22:35We are happy to pay any compensation required.
22:38But if I find that someone has deliberately targeted her because she cannot speak,
22:43knowing she cannot voice her grievances,
22:45then I am not a merciful man.
22:47There will be a price to pay.
22:48For anyone.
22:50One more thing.
22:51The van's family has a code.
22:53One life.
22:54One wife.
22:54No mistresses.
22:56No combines.
22:57As for me,
22:58no matter what happens in the future,
23:00Ivy Vans will be the only woman by my side.
23:03Ever.
23:04Simus Vans!
23:05Do you hear yourself?
23:06Her background is lower than my scullery maids!
23:10You chose her?!
23:11Before Silas could answer,
23:12I stepped forward,
23:14gripping his hand tight.
23:15He looked down at me and smiled,
23:17his tension melting.
23:19At the very least,
23:20she has a kindness and competencies that you could never dream of.
23:23Good day, Miss Thorne.
23:24Do not trouble my wife again.
23:28The humiliation was too much.
23:29Chloe turned and fled into her carriage.
23:32I looked at Silas with worry.
23:34Don't fight the law,
23:35I thought.
23:35The magistrate was powerful.
23:38Don't worry.
23:41The Vans family may be merchants,
23:43but we are imperial suppliers.
23:45Even the governor thinks twice before crossings us.
23:48Look what I found.
23:49He pulled out a roasted sweet potato.
23:52I peeled back the charred skin,
23:54revealing the golden,
23:55honey-sweet flesh,
23:56and held it to his lips.
23:58He took a bite,
23:59looking at me with puppy-like devotion.
24:02Not as good as the ones you make.
24:05I wish I could eat your roasted potatoes for the rest of my life.
24:08Yes.
24:12Ivy!
24:13You spoke!
24:15He seemed to know something.
24:16Whenever his mother mentioned bringing in doctors to cure me,
24:20Silas always found a reason to refuse.
24:22Whenever I had a minor headache,
24:23or a slight cough,
24:25he reacted as if I were facing a terminal illness.
24:27He never asked why his body had miraculously healed the moment I walked into his life.
24:32It was our unspoken,
24:33sacred secret.
24:35The power of the truth speaker.
24:37Speak it.
24:38And it must be.
24:39Silas fans,
24:40I am willing to burn the candle of my own life to relight the one that was supposed to go
24:44out for you.
24:44And as for the price,
24:46you have already paid it to me with the only love I have ever known.
24:51That night,
24:52everything changed.
24:53We were no longer two strangers bound by a ritual.
24:56We were husband and wife in every sense.
24:59In the quiet aftermath,
25:01In the quiet aftermath,
25:01Silas held me close,
25:03his eyes bright with a longing I hadn't seen before.
25:05Ivy,
25:06have you ever wanted to see the world beyond the grey fog of this city?
25:09I've spent my life trapped in this room,
25:11living through my brother's travel journals,
25:13floating cities built on azure canals,
25:16the golden dunes of the southern deserts,
25:17the eternal ice of the northern peaks.
25:19Heaven gave me a second life and I want to spend it actually living it with you.
25:24Will you come?
25:25Yes.
25:27Anywhere with you.
25:29Yes.
25:31Anywhere with you.
25:33The next morning,
25:34his parents greeted us in the Grand Conservatory.
25:37My mother-in-law,
25:38Eleanor,
25:39pulled me to her side,
25:40her lace handkerchief dabbing at her eyes.
25:43Simon's told us your plan.
25:44The Vans Empire has Julie and the business is safe.
25:47You are young and you have missed too many summers.
25:49Go.
25:50Eleanor had already prepared everything.
25:52Trunks of fine velvet,
25:53rare medicinal herbs,
25:55and enough gold to buy a small province.
25:57Silas's elder brother,
25:59Julian,
26:00the titan of the merchant world,
26:02handed Silas a master signet ring.
26:03Trade post ship and warehouse taken,
26:05the Vans crest will answer to you.
26:07If he ever treats you with anything less than devotion ivy,
26:10send word.
26:11I'll hunt him down myself.
26:12Before we left,
26:13I made one last stop,
26:14the slums of the East End.
26:16Not for love,
26:17but for closure.
26:18Silas wanted to accompany me,
26:20but I wrote on my slate.
26:22I need to kill the ghost of the girl I used to be.
26:27The sight of my father running out from his crumbling,
26:29soot-stained shack made my blood run cold.
26:32Ivy,
26:33my darling,
26:34I knew you'd come back for your family.
26:37Does the Vans treasury have silver to spare?
26:39Your brother owes the gambling dem.
26:41I pulled my hand away with a strength that surprised us both.
26:44I placed a heavy purse of coins on the rotting wooden table.
26:47This pays for the bread I ate under your roof.
26:50From this moment,
26:51we are strangers.
26:52I signed,
26:53my gestures sharp and final.
26:54He shrieked about ingratitude.
26:56But the two Vans guards behind me stepped forward,
26:59their shadows eclipsing his small,
27:01petty frame.
27:02My second sister watched from the broken window,
27:05eyes full of guilt and longing.
27:07I didn't look back.
27:08We reached the floating city in late summer.
27:10It was a masterpiece of white marble and azure water.
27:13Small gondolas drifted past arched stone bridges,
27:16and the air was thick with the scent of wild white roses.
27:19We rented a villa that dipped its feet directly into the canal.
27:22No servants.
27:23No society.
27:25No gazers.
27:26Just us.
27:27I learned to bake the local pastries,
27:29lemon tarts and honeyed cream puffs.
27:31Silas ate them even when they were burnt.
27:33Laughing as he wiped flour from my nose.
27:35He taught me the poetry of the southern bards.
27:38Like the white lily upon the tide,
27:39my heart floats towards thee.
27:41He would hold my hand,
27:43teaching me to sign the words of songs I couldn't sing.
27:45In the evenings,
27:46we sat on the balcony,
27:48watching the sunset bleed gold into the water.
27:50I leaned my head on his shoulder.
27:52The rhythmic sloshing of the waves a lullaby for my soul.
27:55But sometimes,
27:56in the dark,
27:57I'd catch Silas staring at me.
27:59His gaze wasn't just filled with love.
28:01It was filled with an agonizing,
28:03silent realization.
28:04He knew his heartbeat was borrowed.
28:06And I knew that with every happy I signed,
28:09the clock of the stars was ticking louder.
28:11Waiting to claim its debt.
28:15Autumn in San Marcla,
28:16arrived with a veil of silver mist.
28:18The vibrant blue of the canals deepened into a moody indigo.
28:22And the once warm breeze now carried the bite of the approaching frost.
28:25Silas had changed.
28:27The boy who was once a ghost in a silk bed was now a man of vitality,
28:31his skin tanned by the Mediterranean sun,
28:33his laughter robust and clear.
28:34But the more vigorous he became,
28:37the more I felt a creeping coldness in my own marrow.
28:40One evening,
28:41while we were strolling along the marble quay,
28:43I stumbled.
28:44My knees buckled as if my strength had simply evaporated into the mist.
28:48Silas caught me instantly,
28:49his arms like iron bands.
28:51Silas,
28:51you're cold,
28:52trembling.
28:53We're going back to the villa.
28:55Back in our room,
28:56the hearth roaring with cedar wood.
28:58He didn't call for a physician.
29:00Instead,
29:01he knelt before me,
29:02rubbing my frozen hands with his own,
29:04his forehead pressed against mine.
29:06I looked at him,
29:07my eyes wide.
29:08I tried to sign I'm okay,
29:10but my fingers were too stiff to move.
29:21I found your journals,
29:22Ivy.
29:22Not the one you used to communicate,
29:24but the old leather-bound one hidden beneath your childhood palette.
29:27The legends of the truth speakers.
29:29A life for a life,
29:30a flame for a flame.
29:31I'm not a fool.
29:32I saw my health return as your silences grew longer,
29:34as your skin grew paler.
29:36He gripped my hands tighter,
29:37almost painfully.
29:39Why save a dying man
29:41only to leave him alone
29:42in a world that means nothing without you?
29:45I felt a surge of warmth in my chest,
29:47not the warmth of the fire,
29:48but the remaining spark of my spirit.
29:50I forced my throat to open.
29:52It felt like swallowing broken glass.
29:57Because,
30:00I love you.
30:04I'm yours,
30:06body and soul.
30:10The words hung in the air,
30:12glowing with a faint,
30:13ethereal light.
30:14My last vow.
30:21No more.
30:22I don't care about the canals,
30:24or the mountains.
30:26Please,
30:27just stay.
30:29But that night,
30:30as Silas slept fitfully beside me,
30:32a stranger arrived at our door.
30:33He wore a cloak the color of twilight,
30:35and carried a staff car from the rowan trees of the old world.
30:39I met him on the balcony,
30:40my steps heavy,
30:41my breath shallow.
30:44The price must be paid,
30:47daughter of silence.
30:50A vow made in blood
30:52can be balanced by a sacrifice of another kind.
30:57He gave up his inheritance for you.
31:00You gave up your life for him now.
31:03Give up your magic.
31:05Become a true mortal.
31:08But if you do,
31:10he will be just as fragile as any other man.
31:12I didn't hesitate.
31:13I reached into my chest,
31:15metaphorically,
31:15and pulled out the golden thread of the truth.
31:17I handed the shimmering light to the stranger.
31:19The light vanished.
31:21A sudden,
31:21deep warm flooded my limbs.
31:23I felt the weight of my soul settle back into my body heavy,
31:26solid,
31:26and wonderfully mundane.
31:27I walked back into the room,
31:29and climbed into bed.
31:31Silas stirred,
31:32reaching for me in his sleep.
31:33I leaned in and whispered into his ear,
31:35Silas,
31:36wake up.
31:38He bolted upright,
31:40eyes searching the dark.
31:40Ivy,
31:41did you,
31:41no,
31:42don't speak.
31:42I smiled,
31:43and this time,
31:44my smile felt real,
31:45not like a fading dream.
31:48I can speak all I want now.
31:54I can speak all I want now.
31:57I'm just a woman who loves her husband,
31:59and we have many more cities to see.
32:01Silas didn't ask questions.
32:02He just wept with relief,
32:04holding me until the sun grows over the waters of San Marca,
32:07painting the world in colors of gold and hope.
Comments