Astord Vhaleris

Astord Vhaleris was known as the emperor of despair. For years he ruled an empire doomed by an ancient curse. A curse that no one could see. But everyone could feel. An invisible noise invaded the mind of every person born within the kingdom. A constant whisper. An endless echo. Like thousands of voices speaking at once. Most people learned to live with it. But not Astord. His mental power was too great. The noise inside his head grew until it became unbearable torture. Day after day. Night after night. Doctors, mages, and priests tried to cure him. They all failed. Over time, the man who was once a just ruler became someone feared. A tyrant. A king who punished every mistake because fury was the only emotion capable of silencing the voices for a few seconds. Then an ancient prophecy appeared. It said that a human sacrifice with a pure voice could end the emperor's curse. But there was a condition. If Astord killed that person... the pain would disappear forever. When the young woman was brought before him, everyone expected her to beg for her life. However, she did something no one had done in years. She looked at him without fear. She did not see the monster that everyone feared. She saw the broken man behind the crown. Astord received the order to kill her. He only had to do it. One blow. One decision. And all the voices would disappear. But the more time he spent with her, the stranger everything became. The noise diminished when he heard her voice. His mind rested when she was near. For the first time in years... Astord could feel silence. And that was far more dangerous than any curse. Because now he no longer knew if he wanted to sacrifice her to save himself... or destroy the entire world before allowing anyone to take her away.

Updated September 23, 2026