The World Listens

Ever since Noen had started singing, he never thought there would come a day…

when his melodies would become a crime somewhere.

His family's musical caravan, with drums and flutes echoing softly, was on its way —

to the Kingdom of Silencia.

"This name feels kinda weird, right?" Lio said, lightly tapping on his drum.

"Silencia means silence, and here we are — music people."

Noen smiled a little, but deep inside,

even he felt a strange, uneasy shiver.

Silence. The kind so heavy…

even the wind would bounce back after hitting it.

When their caravan reached the town gates,

the guards narrowed their eyes as soon as they saw the instruments.

"What's all this?" one of the guards asked, his voice sharp.

Toren Vale — Noen's father — gently picked up his flute and said,

"Music. We perform in streets, in squares… for the hearts of people."

The guard snatched the flute and dropped it to the ground.

"Music is forbidden here. This is Silencia. People here live in silence —

and melodies… drive them insane."

Noen's face dropped slightly.

But his mother, Mira Vale, remained calm.

She said,

"We only listen to people's pain… we use melodies to answer it."

The guard paused. Then with a small wave of his hand, he allowed them through.

"You can enter. But remember this — even one sound… will send you straight to prison."

The caravan entered.

And Noen saw the city for the first time —

There was no sound.

The children were silent.

The markets, dead quiet.

No laughter, not even the smallest clap.

Everything looked perfect…

but it didn't feel alive.

---

That night, while everyone else was asleep, Noen went up to the roof.

He held his little banjo in his hands… but didn't play it.

He just softly moved his fingers over the air, like he was chasing invisible chords.

His eyes drifted toward a small building nearby.

There —

a little girl sat by her window.

And…

she was humming.

Very quietly. Very painfully.

Noen's eyes lit up.

> "Is she… singing?"

He carefully picked up his banjo…

And for the first time, he felt it —

this night,

this silence…

was craving a melody.

---

To be continued…