The drawbridge hung crooked, half collapsed in the moat below. Green slime-covered the stones, while ivy climbed the cracked towers. What once-inspired fear now only spoke of decline.
Yet as Caleb entered the ruined courtyard, he felt old magic lingering still. Though turrets lay in rubble and gardens were overgrown, this place held echoes of former glory.
Climbing a rotting stair, Caleb found himself in a great hall. Layers of dust covered tables and benches, though here and there mementos remained- an ornate goblet, a tapestry nearly fallen to shreds.
As Caleb's eyes adjusted to the dim light, he glimpsed a figure seated upon a throne. The old king sat motionless, his armor rusting, features eroded by time. Yet somehow Caleb knew he still watched and waited.
"Your kingdom has fallen all around you," he said."Will you not let go of the past, and see anew?"
The old king remained silent, gazing into eternity.
Caleb bowed his head."There is wisdom," he said softly, "in knowing when an age has come to an end."
Then, taking a breath, he sang an ancient song of new beginnings. As the final neutering faded, the throneroom filled with golden light. When it cleared, the old king was gone. In his place stood a sapling, its leaves just unfolding.
Stones speak of ages past,
Glories now faded
Into dust and rust.
Yet wonder lingers still
In each crumbling arch,
Forgotten magic sleeps.
The old king sits motionless,
Gazing into emptiness
Through sightless eyes.
But wisdom comes at last
In letting go
Of what no longer exists.
For only in release
Can a new thing be born,
The old castoff at last.
The ancient song resonates
Through empty halls
Calling for the new day.
And golden light fills
What was once lost in the dark,
Revealing hope and reborn.
Where the throne once stood tall
Now a sapling rises,
Futures taking root.
For in all falls and ends
The possibility lies
Of something yet to come.