I’m still trying to breathe after digesting this rumor: as of now, Ramin Djawadi is not confirmed as the composer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. And if you’re anything like me — a long-time fan of this universe — you know just how terrifying that is. This isn’t just a case of swapping one artist for another; it’s the risk of losing the very soul of Westeros’ soundscape — the music that guided us through battles, farewells, and revelations for more than a decade.

The years of secrecy surrounding this series, with delays, reshoots, and creative changes, already hinted that something was happening behind the scenes. My heart tells me we may need to start grieving now: Djawadi has likely moved on to other challenges. It wouldn’t be shocking — his career skyrocketed after Game of Thrones, with scores for Westworld, Eternals, 3 Body Problem, and of course, House of the Dragon. But the idea of a new Westeros story without his musical signature gives me chills.

According to a rumor shared by the reliable House the Dragons account, the new composer would be Dan Romer — an Emmy-nominated musician known for Luca, Station Eleven, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and even the video game Far Cry 5. An impressive résumé, no doubt, and one that promises a different tone for a series that will indeed be different: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a more intimate story about Dunk and Egg wandering the land, with no thrones, no dragons, no great houses waging war. A smaller, lighter narrative — and maybe it really does call for a different musical approach.

But here’s the dilemma: it makes sense to try something new for a tale set a hundred years before Game of Thrones. And yet, for me, after George R. R. Martin himself, it is Djawadi’s music that best captures the spirit of this world. Just think about how he reinvented Westeros in House of the Dragon, writing new themes just as stirring as the originals without ever losing the saga’s DNA. The idea of starting over without that connective tissue feels almost like a betrayal of what we’ve come to feel every time those first notes played.

Casey Bloys — Chairman and CEO of HBO/Max Content — has confirmed that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will premiere in January. Fans are speculating that the teaser or trailer will drop during San Diego Comic-Con, but that hasn’t been officially confirmed. Until then, we can only hope this rumor proves false — or that, if true, Dan Romer wins us over the way Djawadi once did, turning music into an immersive experience that instantly transports us back to Westeros.

But I won’t lie: I’m scared. Scared of watching this series be born with a different sound, a different melody, and feeling like something essential is missing. Because at the end of the day, when we think of Game of Thrones, we think of thrones, dragons, betrayals — and that unforgettable theme that sent chills down the spines of millions, including me, every single time it played. Losing that would feel like losing a piece of the story itself.