The Vow Of Silence Novels & Stories

The quiet in me was no longer hollow — it was full of purpose, a polished blade. “Have your ceremony,” I whispered to the wind, to them. “Sing your pretty vows. I am coming to give you a silence you will never forget.”

"I won't let you down. Either of you." "There is one more thing," Elara said. "A piece of knowledge we have guarded more closely than any other. It concerns the Silence itself — its nature, its origin, and its one vulnerability." Lira leaned forward. "Tell me." "The Silence cannot create. It can only consume. It has no will of its own, not truly — it is a void, an absence, a hunger that was born when the world was made. Everything that exists casts a shadow, and the Silence is the shadow of everything. It hates what it cannot be. It despises light, warmth, life, because those things are a reminder of its own emptiness."

There was no hesitance or reluctance as Alexander immediately agreed. “Recite the oath of omertà.” Alexander turned to the crowd with confidence in his stature. “I vow to never, under any circumstances, apply for justice to the legal authorities and never to assist in detecting crimes committed against oneself or others. The right to avenge wrongs is reserved for the victims and their families. If I break this vow, may I be punished with death?” I let out a breathy exhale at the vow. This was the infamous code of silence that was punishable by death. To think that Alexander made this vow without fear.

His gaze never wavered from Reika, and the burden of that regard was almost as oppressive as the silence itself. "Begin," he instructed, his voice low but vibrating with authority across the room. The whispers faltered at once. Reika's fingers fluttered at her hips, nails pressing into the flesh of her palms. She breathed slowly, her chest tight, her pulse thundered in her own ears so loudly that she was not certain if everyone else could hear it. The officiant stood to her left, his hands grasping the old wooden tablets that contained the words of the vow, his face deliberately serene.

It is a silent, immovable vow of protection that makes my racing heart stutter, reminding me that no matter what shadows are waiting in the dark, I am no longer facing them alone. ​

You should not exist apart from it. Her jaw tightened. “Then you’ve never understood what will really means.” She stepped forward — and the surface beneath her feet solidified, turning to faintly glowing stone. The vow’s light responded, rippling outward in waves of color. For a moment, she could almost feel the ground breathing with her. You would defy the vow itself? “I would remind it why it began.” The silence that followed pressed against her skull, thick and suffocating. Then came a faint whisper beneath it — softer, warmer.

She'd always saved it only for the most important of occasions, spraying just the faintest touch. That night, I never saw her. But through the whispering wind, I heard a voice. "Frank… goodbye. I'm sorry." I stood at the window in stunned silence, murmuring into the night, "No matter what became of you later… the nineteen-year-old you never did anything wrong."

They all stared back at me with different looks on their faces. Alannah leaned closer to Ternen. “Will the vow hurt?” I shook my head. “No, it’s just a vow to the goddess to keep whatever we say here secret, even under threat of command or death.” Alannah paled. I reached through the middle and held out my hand. “Don’t be scared. It doesn’t mean you will face death. It just means the goddess recognizes your sincerity for secrecy and she makes it so that we can keep our secrets.” I smiled back at her.

The seductive suggestion of the act especially in a room where it’s only the two of us made me blush and I looked away. “What's next week?” I croaked, remembering his earlier conversation with someone. I knew I was revealing the fact that I eavesdropped but I didn’t care as long as it filled the heavy silence. His heavy footsteps were audible and my body stiffened at being notified of his every movement. “A wedding,” he simply answered, his low voice seeming far away.

Lightsticks beamed brightly in the darkness, flooding the space with vibrant hues. "Silence speaks for those who listen." Kyle's magnetic voice came through as he jumped down the swing. The music gradually grew louder. "This song tells the story of a boy who took forever to understand the whispers of his silence, finally losing the girl he loves," he continued. "Hope you'll enjoy it."