Silence lingered inside the Hall of Memories.
No one spoke.
The golden fragments that had once formed King Alaric's image continued drifting upward until the crystal returned to its calm glow.
Salvador remained kneeling before the pedestal.
His father's final words echoed through his mind.
*"Choose justice, not revenge."*
*"Tell your mother I never stopped looking."*
*"I leave you only a choice."*
He slowly closed his eyes.
For years, his heart had carried an emptiness he could never explain.
He believed he had lost his parents.
He believed his childhood memories had disappeared forever.
Now he knew the truth.
Nothing had truly been lost.
It had only been hidden.
Ella knelt beside him.
Without saying a word, she wrapped both arms around him.
Salvador leaned into the embrace.
For the first time since entering the castle, he allowed himself to cry without restraint.
He mourned the years that had been stolen.
The birthdays his parents had missed.
