They were silent. Only the crown prince's cry of despair echoed in the night. When they returned to the Duke's manor with news of Cecilia's passing, sorrow seeped into the walls. Grief hung thick in the air, servants wept quietly, and the halls mourned with them.
The captured grave merchants were held under heavy watch, awaiting interrogation.
"How is Lady Isabelle?" Rue asked Sir Conrad as they passed the somber corridor.
"She's not improving," Conrad replied grimly. "The healers can only ease the pain, but not stop it. Earl Edmund has been informed. He's expected to arrive in a few days."
Rue nodded and made his way to the chamber where Cecilia's body was kept but stopped short at the doorway. There, he saw Caleb, slumped beside her motionless form. The prince was silent now, but his grief was louder than any scream. Rue couldn't bring himself to step inside. The finality hadn't settled yet. He still expected to hear her laugh echo somewhere down the corridor.
Meanwhile, in her room, Princess Elery turned the shard over in her hand. Its surface shimmered with quiet power, whispering secrets only she could hear.
"Now that our task here is finished, we should return and report to Her Majesty," Sir Lucian said from across the room.
Elery didn't look up. "When we were trapped in our nightmares… I kept reliving our sister's death. Over and over. But there was something different, something I had missed before. I don't know if it was truth or illusion, but I saw it clearly: our sister believed the key to our curse lies in Arcane Lyceum. That's why she insisted on returning there… and Mother knew. She tried to stop her anyway. That masked man we fought, he knew our sister. I think they were heading north… to Kouzlo Duchy."
"You're saying the answers lie in Arcane Lyceum?" he asked.
"I think it's worth investigating," Elery said softly.
Lucian stood, tense. "No. The Queen only allowed us to handle this case, and now that it's over, we return. You know the edict, no one sets foot in Kouzlo. Not after what happened to Princess Liora."
"You really believe this ends with one mage?" Elery's gaze hardened. "We haven't found the one they called Scion. There's someone pulling the strings, and these mages… they were merely puppets."
Lucian ran a hand through his hair. "Exactly. Puppets. And we barely survived them. Without the crown prince's help-" he paused, the memory of helplessness flashing across his face. "What if we face someone stronger next time?"
"We leave tomorrow. Get some rest," he said, voice clipped, and walked out.
Elery remained seated, the shard still glowing faintly in her palm.
In a study room somewhere in the Vestur Empire...
"So you're telling me," the man began, his voice cold and composed as he looked out the tall window, "you lost two shards. One is now in the enemy's hands, and the other…" he paused, "was wasted on Lady Cecilia, who is now dead."
Zephora trembled where she knelt, her head bowed low. "Y-yes, my lord. Please forgive my incompetence."
Though he didn't turn around, she could feel his fury, a silent storm brewing behind his calm posture. With a snap of his fingers, Zephora clutched her throat, gasping. Invisible hands constricted her airways, cutting off her breath.
"How will you make up for this failure?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. "You couldn't even control two Brandeds. What makes you think you deserve to carry the title of Scion?"
"P-please… have mercy…" she croaked, fingers clawing at her neck as her vision darkened.
"You've proven yourself a disappointment," he said. "From this moment on, you are stripped of your title. You are now a Bloodforged Knight."
A dark smoke poured out from Zephora's body, tendrils of shadow slithering across the floor and into the man's outstretched hand. As her power drained away, she collapsed, shaking."Return to the Duke's manor and retrieve the shards," he ordered, releasing his hold.
Zephora forced herself to her feet and bowed deeply. "Your will shall be done," she whispered, before vanishing in a ripple of shadows.
Silence returned to the room until he spoke again.
"Thaddeus."
A man in a mask emerged from the darkness, kneeling.
"You called, my lord."
"It's time to proceed with the second step."
"Understood," Thaddeus said, then melted back into the shadows.
At the Duke's manor, a maid carefully washed Lady Cecilia's body in preparation for the funeral. As she gently combed through her hair, she suddenly felt a breath on her neck, too close, too real. A chill ran down her spine. Slowly, she turned to look at Cecilia, fear creeping in. Holding her breath, she leaned closer to the woman's lips. Then she felt it, warm air brushing against her ear. The maid screamed in fright. Moments later, the Duke and Crown Prince Caleb burst into the room.
"What happened?!" the Duke demanded.
"M-My Lord… It's Lady Cecilia," the maid stammered, trembling. "She's… she's breathing."
"What?!"
The Duke rushed to her side, placing an ear to Cecilia's chest. A stunned gasp escaped him. "C-Cecilia is breathing!"
"Healer! We need a healer, now!" Caleb cried, carefully lifting Cecilia into his arms and rushing her to her room.
The manor quickly descended into a flurry of activity. Whispers spread like wildfire, Lady Cecilia was alive.
Meanwhile, Sir Lucian met with the marquess. "Thank you for all your help, my lord. We wouldn't have made it this far without you."
"Are you truly leaving tomorrow?" Rue asked. "You should rest more before returning."
"I'm afraid we can't delay our departure any longer," Lucian replied.
As they exited, a commotion in the hall caught their attention. Attendants were hurrying in every direction. Rue stopped a passing maid.
"What's happening?"
"It's Lady Cecilia, my lord. She's… alive."
"What?!" Rue and Lucian exchanged shocked glances and sprinted toward her room.
Inside, a group of healers surrounded Cecilia's bed.
"She's alive," one confirmed, still astonished. "She's wounded, but she's slowly recovering."
Caleb stepped forward, disbelief written across his face. "How is this possible? We were sure… she wasn't breathing."
"Even we can't explain it, Your Imperial Highness," said one of the healers. "All we can say is, it's a miracle."
"We'll need to examine her more thoroughly once she wakes up. For now, we must monitor her closely."
"She's alive… I can't believe it," Rue thought, his eyes fixed on her. He took a step forward, but paused as he saw Caleb by her side, filled with visible concern and relief. The moment reminded him of the painful truth, he had no claim, no right. He was merely the bastard brother of the crown prince.
In her chambers, Princess Elery stared at the glowing purple shard in her palm. Something about it pulled at her thoughts.Compelled, she tried to channel its energy, mimicking what she had seen the enemy do. In the blink of an eye, the world around her changed.
She found herself deep underground, surrounded by gnarled roots and walls of fire. Amidst the burning maze stood the spirit from the Tree of Darkness, yet this time, its presence wasn't as sinister. It looked… pained.
"It hurts!" it cried out. "Someone, please save me!"
Elery stepped forward, but the flames pushed her back. Though they didn't burn her, they barred her path. She raised her hand and spoke:
Water of life, I summon thee
Quench this fire, set spirits free
Cleanse the flame that steals the breath
And guard the world from searing death
She waited. Nothing happened. She tried again, still, no magic came.
"Aaah! This is your fault!" the spirit screamed, voice morphing with rage. "You and everyone else! I'll set this rotten world on fire!"
Elery froze. The words rang out like a curse but they echoed within her as if they were meant for her too.
"Your Highness! Wake up! Elery!"
She jolted awake, gasping, Sir Lucian at her side.
"You were having a nightmare," he said, concern etched into his face. "I thought you weren't going to wake up."
She looked down at her hand. The shard had stopped glowing.
"Was that really just a dream?" she whispered.
Lucian followed her gaze. "I've already informed the marquess about our departure. But I must say, you should get rid of that thing. It's giving you nightmares."
At the palace in Yamma, the Empress sipped her wine with a satisfied smile. The day had been good, Lady Rose had fallen ill ever since her bastard son, Rue, returned.
"It would be perfect if she dies… and he follows," she mused silently, swirling her glass.
"Your Imperial Majesty," announced the Grand Chamberlain, "Duke Thaddeus Vane requests an audience."
"Let him in," she said, her mood still light.
The Duke entered, bowing with grace. "Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Duke Vane," she replied, her lips curving into a smile. "It's good to see you in good health. What brings you to me today?"
"I bring news, though I see Your Majesty is already in high spirits."
The Empress chuckled darkly. "That woman has been vomiting every morning. If she dies, it would truly be a celebration. Now, what is it?"
Before the Duke could reply, a maid rushed in and whispered urgently into the Empress's ear.
Her smile vanished.
"What?! Are you certain?" she hissed.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty…" the maid stammered.
In a flash of fury, the Empress hurled her wine glass at the girl, barely missing her. The maid dropped to her knees, trembling.
"Your Majesty," Duke Vane said smoothly, raising a calming hand. "Please, don't waste your wrath on a servant." He gestured for the maid to leave.
The Empress's eyes burned with fury. "She wasn't sick. That wench was pregnant all this time."
Duke Vane raised an eyebrow. "Another child…?"
"She dares! How dare he sire another bastard! I'm already choking on the existence of Rue and his whore of a mother. And now this, this is how he repays me!"
"It appears the Emperor does not see Your Majesty's crown clearly," the Duke said, his words laced with venom. "The court is beginning to sway. More and more nobles treat her like an empress. If this continues… they may start seeing her son as the next heir."
The Empress clenched her fists. "That is something I will never allow."
"If I may speak freely…" Duke Vane said, bowing his head, "...I do not mean to sound treasonous."
"Go on."
"We've tried before, but the Emperor's protection always shields Lady Rose and her spawn. But if the Emperor were… indisposed, she would be vulnerable. Defenseless."
The Empress narrowed her eyes. "Are you suggesting we eliminate the Emperor?"
"Never," Vane said with a mock look of horror. "I merely wish to give His Imperial Majesty a well-earned rest. I've recently come into possession of a rather useful item, the Veil of Solas. Drape it on the face, and the target falls into an unbreakable slumber."
The Empress leaned back, intrigued. "You never fail to surprise me, Duke."
"I live to serve the future of our empire. And our future Emperor," he said, eyes gleaming.
"You'll be rewarded handsomely when Caleb takes the throne."
"I await the day with loyalty and devotion," Vane said with a bow, the corners of his lips curling into a hidden, wicked smile.