The door closed.
No sound was made.
It was as if no trace had been left behind.
Ahead, there was only a heavy silence.
But this silence... was different from the first. This place used to be his home.
There were not even shadows here.
Darkness hadn't entered.
The air was still, time seemed frozen.
Yet his body... felt more at ease.
The pain had lessened.
It was as if this place allowed him to breathe.
But he knew: this was only inside.
Once he stepped outside, everything would fall apart again.
This healing was temporary.
He moved forward without speeding up.
The corridor was lined with stones.
As if it had been prepared just for him.
He reached the throne room.
It was spacious. Empty.
The throne stood alone.
There wasn't even dust.
Everything... was strange.
Not abandoned, not lived in.
But she wasn't there.
That person... wasn't there.
The man slowly turned toward the balcony.
The door was ajar.
When he stepped forward, he saw:
A figure.
Back turned.
Leaning against the rails.
Looking outside like a child.
The man approached silently.
He came beside her.
Without speaking, he knelt down.
And simply asked:
"Where are the children?"
The woman didn't turn her head.
Her gaze remained distant.
She stayed silent for a while.
Then spoke in a low voice:
"The wind has changed a lot... hasn't it?"
The man waited for an answer.
But she said something else.
She hadn't answered.
She pretended not to know.
And the man realized this.
He just stood there.
Said nothing.
They waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Twenty.
Then the woman spoke:
"Talking with you has its own charm."
He approached.
Kneeling beside her, he spoke without looking at her face:
"You know why I came."
The woman didn't react.
She just said:
"After all this time... not even a hello?"
He replied:
"I didn't come here to spend time. Saying hello would mean starting over."
"Your seven children... tell me where they are. I need to find them.
Then I won't return again."
The woman nodded slightly.
"I can't tell you. I don't know what they're doing anymore. Each of them... went their own way."
The man's face was expressionless.
But his eyes carried silent exhaustion.
"So... not even you control them anymore."
The woman didn't answer.
The man noticed.
More words were unnecessary now.
He stepped back.
"I'll have to find them myself."
He paused.
"Still... thank you."
The woman turned for the first time.
Her eyes were tired.
But her voice was still calm:
"Don't be too harsh, Nujah."
The man paused.
Slightly turned his head.
"Whether I'm harsh or not... they'll decide."
Then he slowly turned.
Walked away without looking back.