In Melanochelys, Violet's chamber.
The communication crystal shimmered with a pale blue light, its surface rippling like disturbed water.
Violet sat alone on a high balcony carved into the side of her mansion, the cold wind brushing against her pale skin.
Her fingers gently tapped the edges of the communication crystal, her eyes fixed on the magic-infused surface as it began to glow brighter.
A moment later, a woman's image appeared.
"...Viessa," Violet breathed, a faint smile touching her lips.
Her sister's expression, in contrast, was hard. Cold.
But behind the disdain in her eyes, there was surprise.
"Well," Viessa said after a beat. "Look what the crystal dragged in."
Violet chuckled softly. "Hello to you, too."
"I thought you were dead," Viessa said plainly, leaning back against the pillows behind her.
Her body was covered in bandages beneath a silk robe, and her left arm was strapped tightly across her chest.
