Azad smiled and handed the tembûr to the boy. "The nightingale never dies, Siyar. It just finds a new throat to sing through."

“I am the nightingale among nightingales,” Azad sang, his eyes closing. In his mind, he wasn't in a dusty village; he was soaring over the meadows of his youth, smelling the wild herbs of the highlands. He sang for those who had left and those who stayed, for the lovers parted by distance and the families held together by melody.

For years, Azad had been known as the "Bilbil" (Nightingale) of the region. They said his voice could make the cold marble of the mountains weep and the stubborn oaks dance. But tonight, his fingers stayed still on the strings.

His grandson, Siyar, sat at his feet. "Sultan of Singers," the boy whispered, "why is the village quiet tonight? The harvest is done, and the people are waiting for your song."