Ash on the altar, dust in the hall A sealed iron doorway, no footsteps at all I carried the ledger through winter and flame But every last soul has shed its name I stood at the threshold with keys in my hand Calling the newly departed from every dead land I waited for answers, but the wait was in vain The graves held no souls, the silence remained You would curse me for coming You would beg me to stay Now no one is breathing And I have no way Death has a vow, forged eons ago To gather lost souls, let their truths be told Through empty doorways, through cities gone cold You left me my kingdom, and made me alone The houses stand open, the tables are bare A child’s toy lies abandoned by the stair I accuse every hand that mistook life for claim You spent what was given, then put it to flame I carried your secrets I counted your scars You called me a monster Then followed the dark Death has a vow, but now it has gone cold No souls left to gather, no truths finally told I speak to the doorway, I speak to the stone You left me my kingdom, and made me alone The machines drone on with the last words you made And mock me forever, the one who must remain I long for your confessions beside every grave Now the graves are all quiet, and nothing is saved Death has a vow, and I keep it alone With a rusted black ledger and a voice made of stone I call for the living, I search everywhere No one comes running, no one is there If mankind is finished, what purpose is mine? I guard an empty border at the end of time I speak to the silence, accusing the flame And wait for one heartbeat to answer my name
