Riddle Roads – Story 6 – The City Without Sound
The tunnel after the desert narrowed, then widened slowly.
The warm air faded.
Cool stone returned.
Kayal expected another cave.
Instead, she stepped out into a city.
Not ruined.
Not broken.
Perfect.
Tall stone buildings lined wide streets. Windows shimmered in soft blue light. Banners hung from balconies. Lanterns glowed gently along the pathways.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
There was no sound.
No wind.
No footsteps.
No birds.
No breathing.
Kayal took a step forward.
Her boot hit the stone road.
No echo.
No tap.
Nothing.
She frowned.
She tried again, stamping harder.
Still nothing.
Her movements were silent.
Even her breathing made no noise.
She gasped—
And heard nothing.
Her heart began pounding.
But she couldn’t hear it.
She clutched her throat.
Opened her mouth.
“Hello?”
No sound.
Her voice was gone.
The notebook warmed in her hands.
She opened it quickly.
Ink appeared.
First riddle.
I move through air but cannot be seen,
I live in the space that lies between.
Without me, the world feels still,
but too much of me can break your will.
What am I?
Kayal read it twice.
Move through air…
Live in space between…
Without it, the world feels still…
Her eyes widened.
Sound.
Without sound, everything felt frozen.
Silent.
Empty.
She whispered the answer—
But nothing came out.
She tried again.
Still no voice.
Her chest tightened.
“How am I supposed to solve riddles without speaking?”
The page glowed faintly.
A single line appeared beneath the riddle:
Write your answer.
She quickly traced letters on the page with her finger.
S O U N D.
The notebook flared gold.
Suddenly—
A faint hum filled the air.
Like the city was waking up slowly.
A breeze brushed her hair.
Distant bells chimed once.
Soft.
Barely there.
But real.
Kayal exhaled in relief.
She could hear it.
Her own breath returned.
Very faint.
The city was not fully alive yet.
But it was stirring.
She walked deeper into the streets.
Shops stood open.
Doors half-ajar.
A fountain in the square was frozen mid-splash.
Water suspended like glass.
Statues of birds hung mid-flight above rooftops.
Everything paused.
Waiting.
The notebook grew warm again.
Second riddle.
I have a face and two hands,
but I cannot clap.
I stand tall in every land,
but never take a step.
I count without numbers aloud,
and rule both king and crowd.
What am I?
Kayal looked up.
In the center of the city square stood a tall clock tower.
Its hands frozen.
Its face cracked slightly.
“A clock,” she said immediately.
The page glowed bright.
The clock tower trembled.
Tick.
A tiny sound.
Tick.
Another.
Then—
TICK.
The entire city shuddered.
The fountain splashed down into motion.
Birds completed their flight.
Fabric banners rustled.
Wind whooshed through the streets.
Sound returned in waves.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
Kayal laughed out loud in relief.
“I don’t like quiet cities,” she muttered.
But as she walked toward the far end of the square, something strange happened.
The noise faded again.
Not completely.
But enough to make her uneasy.
The notebook burned hot in her hands.
Final riddle.
I am shared but never seen,
between what was and what has been.
I am built from trust and care,
break me once and I vanish from air.
What am I?
Kayal slowed.
Shared but unseen…
Between people…
Built from trust…
Break it and it disappears…
Her stomach tightened.
She had felt this before.
With friends.
With family.
With promises.
“Trust,” she whispered.
The word rang clear in the quiet air.
The city lights flared brighter.
Windows glowed warm gold.
The remaining silence shattered like thin glass.
Laughter echoed from somewhere unseen.
Footsteps filled the streets.
But when she turned—
No people stood there.
Only echoes of life.
The city wasn’t empty.
It was memory.
It was waiting for someone to restore it.
The far archway at the end of the street glowed.
Warm.
Inviting.
The notebook shimmered.
Fifth Gate Crossed.
Two remain.
Two.
Her heart beat faster.
The journey was tightening.
Getting closer.
She stepped toward the glowing arch—
Then froze.
On the stone street just ahead—
Fresh footprints.
Small.
Clear.
But this time—
They didn’t continue forward.
They stopped.
Right in front of the archway.
As if whoever had walked there had vanished.
Kayal’s pulse quickened.
“Where did you go?” she whispered.
A faint humming drifted from beyond the arch.
So close now.
Almost familiar.
She tightened her grip on the notebook.
And stepped into the light.
Not knowing whether she was following someone…
Or being led exactly where the book wanted her to go.
Review Riddle Roads – Story 6 – The City Without Sound.