The silence stretched just a little too long.
Then Duke Evermoon stirred, his tired eyes sharpening as he lifted his head.
"…There is something," he said quietly.
Everyone turned to look at him.
The Duke let out a slow breath. "Just now, I tried to…reach out. To sense my body."
A tense hush settled over the group.
A Marquis frowned. "And?"
"I cannot move," Duke Evermoon went on, his voice low and steady. "But…my perception…was not entirely severed."
The prince's brow furrowed. "You could sense the room?"
"More like…a lingering echo."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then the prince slowly closed his eyes, as if testing something unseen.
He stood there, motionless, for several breaths. Then he opened his eyes again.
"…He's right," the prince murmured. "I hadn't noticed. But there's a tether."
He looked thoughtful—a flicker of cautious intrigue crossing his face. "This spell is not as…complete as I first assumed."