The ancient bell continued to ring beneath the castle.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each sound traveled through the stone walls, shaking dust from the ceilings and sending a strange vibration through the floor.
Salvador stood at the foot of the western tower, staring upward.
The tower had always been there.
Old.
Forgotten.
Unused.
Yet tonight, something about it felt different.
The air around it seemed heavier.
Ella stood beside him.
"That is where she is?"
Aurelia nodded.
"That is where she told me to wait."
Salvador looked at his mother.
"Why didn't you tell us about her before?"
"I couldn't remember."
"Because of the curse?"
"Yes."
Aurelia touched her forehead.
"Some memories are returning now. Others are still buried."
Marcus stepped forward.
"The curse didn't simply prevent aging."
Everyone looked at him.
"It also protected certain secrets."
Salvador frowned.
"Protected them from whom?"
Marcus looked toward the tower.
"From the source."
