The dream began with the smell of wet wool.

It was a heavy scent. It clung to the throat. Margot lay in the deep bed. The linen was cold. The air in the room was still. She did not move. She listened to the silence. The silence had teeth.

The object sat on the bedside table. It was a small silver casket. It was old. The metal was dull. The clasp was bent. Margot looked at it. She knew the weight of it. She knew the shape of it. It was part of her. It was her hand. It was her face. The casket was worn. The edges were soft from handling. It had been held for years. It had been held by many hands. Now it was hers.

The dream shifted. The room dissolved.

She stood in the courtyard. The stones were wet. The sky was grey. The castle walls were high. The stones were dark. This was the keep. This was the home. The air was thin. The air tasted of iron. Margot walked. Her boots were soft. Her steps were quiet. She carried no weapon. She carried only the casket. It was in her pocket. It pressed against her hip. It was heavy. It was warm.

She entered the hall. The hall was empty. The tables were bare. The chairs were pushed back. The fire was low. The flames were blue. The heat was weak. Margot walked to the center. She stopped. She looked at the door. The door was oak. The door was locked.

She waited.

The door opened.

Thomas stood there. He was tall. He was thin. His eyes were dark. His face was pale. He wore a black coat. The coat was clean. The coat was new. He looked at Margot. He did not smile. He did not frown. He looked at the casket in her hand. His eyes were hungry. His eyes were empty.

Margot held the casket. She did not let go. The metal was cold now. The metal was hard. The dream was fading. The light was changing. The shadows were long. The shadows were sharp.

She woke up.

The room was dark. The moon was out. The light was silver. The light was cold. She sat up. Her heart beat fast. Her breath was shallow. She reached for the casket. It was not there. It was a dream. It was a lie. The room was empty. The table was bare. There was no silver. There was no weight. There was no fear.

She lay back down. The sheets were smooth. The air was quiet. She closed her eyes. The darkness was deep. The darkness was warm. She slept again.

The next day was bright. The sun was high. The light was gold. The light was sharp. Margot stood in the window. She looked at the garden. The grass was green. The flowers were red. The birds were singing. The song was loud. The song was clear.

She turned away. She went to her room. The room was small. The room was neat. The chair was wooden. The chair was old. She sat down. She took out the casket. It was real. It was heavy. It was hers. The clasp was bent. The metal was dull. She opened it. Inside was a letter. The paper was yellow. The ink was black. The words were simple.

Come to the keep.

Bring the truth.

Come alone.

Come now.

Margot read the words. She read them again. The words were cold. The words were hard. She closed the casket. She put it in her pocket. She stood up. Her legs were steady. Her hands were still. She walked to the door. She opened the door. The hallway was long. The hallway was dim. The light was low.

She walked to the keep. The path was stone. The stones were wet. The air was cool. The air was sharp. The trees were tall. The trees were bare. The leaves were dead. The leaves were brown.

The keep was dark. The doors were closed. The windows were barred. The silence was deep. The silence was thick. Margot walked in. Her feet made no sound. The floor was stone. The floor was cold. The cold bit her skin. The cold bit her bones.

She reached the main hall. The hall was empty. The tables were bare. The chairs were pushed back. The fire was low. The flames were blue. The heat was weak. Thomas sat in the chair. He was still. He was quiet. His eyes were closed. His head was bowed.

Margot stopped. She looked at him. She did not speak. She did not move. The silence was heavy. The silence was loud. The silence was full.

Thomas opened his eyes. He looked at her. His eyes were dark. His eyes were deep. He did not smile. He did not frown. He looked at the casket. He looked at her face. He looked at her hands.

Margot held the casket. She held it tight. The metal was cold. The metal was hard. The metal was real. She knew what he wanted. She knew what he would do. She knew what she would lose. She knew what she would gain. She knew nothing.

She sat down. The chair was cold. The wood was hard. She put the casket on the table. The metal made a sound. The sound was small. The sound was clear. The sound was final.

Thomas looked at the casket. He reached for it. His hand was slow. His hand was steady. His fingers were long. His fingers were pale. He touched the clasp. The clasp was bent. The clasp was weak. He opened it. He took out the letter. He read it. He put it back. He closed the casket. He put it down.

He looked at Margot. He spoke. His voice was low. His voice was soft. His voice was clear.

You have come.

Margot looked at him. She did not speak. She looked at the fire. The fire was blue. The fire was weak. The fire was dying.

I have come.

He leaned forward. His face was close. His breath was warm. His breath was sweet. He smelled of wine. He smelled of smoke. He smelled of death.

I have the key.

Margot looked at him. Her eyes were hard. Her eyes were cold. Her eyes were clear.

You have nothing.

He laughed. The laugh was dry. The laugh was sharp. The laugh was hollow. He reached into his coat. He pulled out a key. The key was silver. The key was small. The key was cold. He held it up. The light caught it. The light was bright. The light was sharp.

This opens the door.

Margot looked at the key. The key was small. The key was weak. The key was nothing. She looked at Thomas. Thomas looked at her. The room was still. The air was still. The time was still.

Margot reached into her pocket. She took out the casket. She held it up. The casket was silver. The casket was small. The casket was heavy. She held it tight. She held it hard. She held it with all her strength.

This is the lock.

Thomas frowned. His face was tight. His eyes were sharp. His eyes were hard. He did not understand. He did not see. He did not know. He looked at the key. He looked at the casket. He looked at Margot.

Margot smiled. The smile was small. The smile was cold. The smile was real. She did not speak. She did not move. She did not breathe. She held the casket. She held the casket with her whole soul. She held the casket with her whole life.

The casket was not a container. The casket was a weapon. The casket was a mirror. The casket was a truth. The casket was a choice. The casket was a self.

Thomas reached for the key. His hand was fast. His hand was strong. His hand was sure. He grabbed the key. He pulled it from the air. He held it tight. He held it hard. He held it with all his power.

The key was in his hand. The key was in his heart. The key was in his soul. The key was his life. The key was his power. The key was his pride.

Margot watched him. She watched his face. She watched his eyes. She watched his hands. She watched his breath. She watched his fear. She watched his hope. She watched his love. She watched his hate. She watched his end.

The casket was in her hand. The casket was in her heart. The casket was in her soul. The casket was her life. The casket was her power. The casket was her pride.

She did not fight. She did not run. She did not hide. She did not beg. She did not pray. She did not cry. She did not scream. She did not speak. She did not move. She did not breathe.

She let go.

The casket fell. The casket hit the stone. The casket cracked. The casket broke. The casket shattered. The silver flew. The silver scattered. The silver glittered. The silver died.

Thomas stared. His eyes were wide. His eyes were wild. His eyes were wet. His mouth was open. His mouth was dry. His throat was tight. His throat was dry. His hands were empty. His hands were bare. His hands were cold. His hands were dead.

He had the key. He had the key. He had the key. But there was no lock. There was no door. There was no room. There was no world. There was no self. There was no truth. There was no lie. There was no choice. There was no self.

The key was useless. The key was nothing. The key was dust. The key was ash. The key was air. The key was silence.

Margot stood up. Her legs were strong. Her legs were sure. Her legs were free. She walked to the door. The door was open. The door was wide. The door was bright. The light was white. The light was pure. The light was clear.

She walked out. The air was cool. The air was fresh. The air was new. The sun was high. The sun was warm. The sun was bright. The birds were singing. The song was loud. The song was clear. The song was free.

She did not look back. She did not turn. She did not stop. She did not wait. She did not care. She did not feel. She did not think. She did not speak. She did not breathe.

She walked. The path was long. The path was straight. The path was clear. The stones were hard. The stones were cold. The stones were real. The grass was green. The grass was soft. The grass was alive. The flowers were red. The flowers were bright. The flowers were free.

The keep was behind her. The keep was small. The keep was dark. The keep was dead. The silence was deep. The silence was thick. The silence was full.

Margot walked on. The sun was in her eyes. The sun was in her face. The sun was in her heart. The sun was in her soul. The light was bright. The light was warm. The light was strong. The light was free.

She was alone. She was free. She was whole. She was real. She was alive. She was here. She was now. She was self. She was choice. She was truth. She was life. She was death. She was everything. She was nothing.

The wind blew. The wind was cold. The wind was sharp. The wind was strong. The wind was free. The leaves fell. The leaves were dry. The leaves were dead. The leaves were gone. The trees were bare. The trees were still. The trees were quiet. The trees were free.

Margot walked. The road was long. The road was straight. The road was clear. The horizon was wide. The horizon was bright. The horizon was free. The sky was blue. The sky was deep. The sky was high. The sky was vast. The sky was infinite. The sky was everything. The sky was nothing.

She walked. She walked. She walked. She did not stop. She did not turn. She did not look back. She did not remember. She did not forget. She did not feel. She did not think. She did not speak. She did not breathe.

She was the road. She was the wind. She was the light. She was the dark. She was the silence. She was the sound. She was the life. She was the death. She was the self. She was the other. She was the here. She was the there. She was the now. She was the then. She was the all. She was the none.

The story ended. The words were done. The silence returned. The dark returned. The cold returned. The pain returned. The joy returned. The truth returned. The lie returned. The self returned. The other returned. The here returned. The there returned. The now returned. The then returned. The all returned. The none returned.

It was over. It was done. It was real. It was true. It was free. It was alive. It was dead. It was everything. It was nothing. It was Margot. It was Thomas. It was the casket. It was the key. It was the door. It was the room. It was the keep. It was the garden. It was the road. It was the sky. It was the earth. It was the air. It was the fire. It was the water. It was the light. It was the dark. It was the sound. It was the silence. It was the life. It was the death. It was the self. It was the other. It was the here. It was the there. It was the now. It was the then. It was the all. It was the none.

It was over.