Chapter 27 – The Pact of Flame and Starlight
The moon was high when Silvia Luther arrived.
Clad in silver armor that shimmered like quiet snowfall, she entered Jean's war chamber with a presence that silenced even the most hardened knights. Her crimson eyes locked with Jean's, and for a long moment, neither sister spoke.
Then Silvia smiled faintly. "You've grown."
Jean stepped forward. "You came."
Silvia's hand brushed Radiant Fang where it rested against Jean's hip. "And the sword responds to you now."
"I earned it."
Silvia looked around the chamber—maps, scrolls, runestones glowing with divine sigils.
Then she said, "You're not just fighting a war for the throne. You're fighting the final battle of an older war. One most of this world has forgotten."
Jean's expression hardened. "Then remind me."
Silvia pulled a worn scroll from her belt. Its seal bore the ancient symbol of Celeste—the winged sun.
"This is the Pact of Flame and Starlight," she said. "Forged a thousand years ago between the gods and the Seven Mortal Blades. The Emissaries were chosen to carry that legacy, one for each god."
Jean read the scroll in silence.
At its heart, a warning:
> Should the Dragon Lord rise again, and no blade stand tall enough to meet his flame, the world shall fall into ruin. Only one emissary may hold the Sunfire Sigil. Only one may awaken the Final Light.
Jean looked up. "The Final Light?"
Silvia nodded. "A divine sword. Said to be the last gift of Celeste to mortals. It sleeps now in the ruins of Aurora Sanctum, sealed by the blood of Martin Luther."
"Martin—?"
"Our ancestor," Silvia said quietly. "He didn't just wound Antares. He sealed the gateway to the Final Light... and named a successor in prophecy."
Jean's breath caught. "It's me."
Silvia looked away. "It always was."
Jean stared into the map. "Then I need to win this war. Not just to save our clan. But to awaken that sword."
Silvia turned, her cloak trailing light like moonfire. "Then you must do what even I could not."
Jean met her gaze. "I will."
Silvia placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Then I will guard your back until the stars fall."
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