Liora slept peacefully that night.
Which was impressive, considering she had spent most of the day being watched.
At least, she thought she had.
The stranger from the market had probably been nothing.
Probably.
Liora rolled over in bed.
She pulled the blanket higher.
“Definitely nothing.”
A soft scratching sound came from outside her window.
Her eyes opened.
She stared at the darkness.
Silence.
Then—
Scratch.
Liora sat up.
“What was that?”
She reached for the small lamp beside her bed.
The moment she touched it, the magical crystal inside flickered to life.
Nothing.
Her window was closed.
The curtains were still.
Liora slowly got out of bed.
She approached the window.
Her fingers reached for the curtain.
Then stopped.
A strange feeling crawled up her spine.
She stepped back.
“Nope.”
She returned to bed.
“Whatever is outside can stay outside.”
She pulled the blanket over her head.
After several minutes, she peeked out.
Nothing.
Eventually, she fell asleep.
The next morning began normally.
Almost.
Liora walked into the kitchen and immediately noticed that the cook was staring at her.
“What?”
The cook blinked.
“Nothing.”
“You keep saying that.”
“You look tired.”
“I am.”
“Did you sleep?”
“Not very well.”
The cook frowned.
“Nightmares?”
“No.”
Liora paused.
“Maybe.”
Before the cook could ask anything else, Lucien entered.
His gaze immediately settled on Liora.
“You look exhausted.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know.”
Lucien walked closer.
“Did something happen?”
Liora hesitated.
“I heard something outside my window last night.”
His expression changed.
“What?”
“A scratching sound.”
“Did you investigate?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Liora blinked.
“That was surprisingly reasonable.”
Lucien ignored the comment.
“Did you see anyone?”
“No.”
“Any magical disturbance?”
“I don’t know.”
He was silent for a moment.
Then he turned toward the door.
“Stay here.”
Liora frowned.
“Where are you going?”
“My room?”
“To inspect the window.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
He left anyway.
Liora looked at the cook.
“He does that.”
The cook nodded.
“Frequently.”
Lucien stood outside Liora’s bedroom window.
Two guards stood behind him.
He examined the magical wards surrounding the mansion.
Nothing.
No broken barrier.
No forced entry.
No trace of hostile magic.
Yet something bothered him.
He crouched near the window.
There, almost invisible against the stone, was a faint mark.
A silver line.
He touched it.
Nothing happened.
One of the guards stepped forward.
“Your Majesty?”
Lucien stood.
“Did you see anyone near this side of the mansion last night?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“Increase patrols.”
“Yes.”
“And don’t tell Liora.”
The guard hesitated.
“Why?”
“Because she’ll try to investigate.”
The guard looked unconvinced.
“She probably will anyway.”
Lucien sighed.
“Then make sure she doesn’t investigate alone.”
Later that morning, Liora was organizing the library when Julian appeared.
He leaned against the doorway.
“Good morning.”
Liora looked up.
“Why are you here?”
“That hurts.”
“You’re usually here when you’re avoiding something.”
Julian smiled.
“You know me too well.”
“What are you avoiding?”
“My cousin.”
“Why?”
“He has paperwork.”
Liora nodded.
“Understandable.”
Julian walked farther into the room.
“Actually, I came to ask you something.”
“What?”
“How is Celeste?”
Liora slowly lowered the book in her hands.
“Oh.”
Julian immediately became suspicious.
“What?”
“You like her.”
“I never said that.”
“You don’t have to.”
He sighed.
“She agreed to dinner.”
Liora smiled.
“Congratulations.”
“Don’t make it weird.”
“I’m absolutely going to make it weird.”
Julian laughed.
Then his expression softened.
“I really like her.”
Liora blinked.
The joking tone was gone.
“You do?”
He looked down.
“She’s different.”
“Different how?”
“She listens.”
Liora smiled.
“That’s because she likes people.”
Julian nodded.
“She makes me want to stop pretending everything is a joke.”
That surprised Liora.
She had never heard him speak so seriously.
“Then don’t pretend.”
Julian looked at her.
“You make that sound easy.”
“It’s not.”
Liora closed the book.
“But you don’t have to be someone else for her.”
Julian smiled.
“You’re good at this.”
“At what?”
“Giving advice.”
Liora laughed.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
That evening, Celeste’s dinner with Julian went well.
Very well.
They walked through the lantern-lit streets after eating.
Julian bought her a small flower from a street vendor.
Celeste smiled.
“You don’t have to keep buying me things.”
“I know.”
“Then why do you?”
“Because I like seeing you smile.”
Celeste looked away, trying to hide her blush.
Julian noticed.
He smiled.
For once, he didn’t make a joke.
Back at the mansion, Liora sat in the garden.
She had finished her work early.
The evening air was cool.
She closed her eyes.
For a few minutes, everything was quiet.
Then she felt it.
A faint pulse beneath the ground.
Liora opened her eyes.
The garden flowers shimmered.
Only for a second.
She stood.
“What was that?”
The silver flower from weeks ago was glowing faintly.
Liora approached it.
She remembered the vision.
The crying woman.
The baby.
The voice.
Take her.
Her hand hovered above the flower.
Then she stopped.
“No.”
She stepped back.
She didn’t want another vision.
Not tonight.
She turned away.
Behind her, the flower slowly stopped glowing.
But beneath the earth, something else had awakened.
Something old.
Something that had been waiting.
Far beyond the mansion walls, the stranger from the previous night stood beneath a tree.
He held a small silver object in his hand.
It pulsed once.
Then twice.
His eyes narrowed.
“So it has begun.”
He looked toward the mansion.
“She’s waking.”
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he whispered,
“Forgive me.”
And disappeared into the darkness.