The book opened by itself.
Its pages turned slowly in the darkness.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then stopped.
Blue's small body glowed faintly beneath the table, casting enough light for Elara to see Ravenna's face.
Ravenna had one hand around Elara's wrist.
Not tightly.
Just enough to make sure she was there.
"Did you hear that?"
Elara nodded.
"Yes."
The voice had disappeared.
But the feeling remained.
Something was watching them.
Something old.
Something patient.
Ravenna looked toward Mira.
"What book is that?"
Mira did not answer.
She was staring at it as though she had seen a ghost.
"That book has never opened before."
Elara looked at the cover.
There was no title.
No crest.
Nothing except a silver rose pressed into the leather.
Ravenna slowly approached.
"Mira."
The archivist swallowed.
"I don't know what is inside."
"Then we'll find out."
Ravenna reached for the book.
Elara caught her hand.
"Wait."
Ravenna looked at her.
Elara pointed to the silver rose on their palms.
It was glowing.
Not brightly.
Almost like a heartbeat.
The book responded.
The silver rose on its cover opened.
A thin beam of light traveled across the table.
Then the first page turned.
There was writing.
But it was not in any language Elara recognized.
Ravenna leaned closer.
"I can't read it."
"Neither can I."
Mira stepped forward.
"Neither can I."
Elara frowned.
"Then why did it open?"
The answer came from the book.
Letters slowly appeared across the page.
This time, they were written in a language Elara understood.
Because you are the ones who chose.
Elara's breath caught.
Ravenna stared at the sentence.
Then another line appeared.
Not because you were commanded.
Another.
Not because you were destined.
And finally:
Because you chose each other.
The silver light faded.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Ravenna slowly looked at Elara.
Elara looked back.
Neither smiled.
The words were too close to what they had said only hours ago.
"I choose you."
It had been their choice.
And somehow, this ancient book knew.
Ravenna reached toward the page.
The moment her finger touched it, the room changed.
The walls disappeared.
The library was gone.
Elara stood beneath a night sky filled with unfamiliar stars.
She was not herself.
She was watching.
A woman stood before her.
She wore a black cloak.
Her hair was long and dark.
A black rose was woven into it.
Beside her stood another woman.
She wore white.
Her hair was pale.
A white rose rested near her ear.
The two women stood before the ancient stone door.
There was blood on their clothes.
Not much.
But enough to show that they had been fighting.
Elara could hear their voices now.
"We cannot keep doing this."
The woman in white spoke first.
The woman in black looked at her.
"I know."
"The kingdoms are already preparing for another battle."
"I know."
"They think we betrayed them."
The black-haired woman smiled sadly.
"They need someone to blame."
The white-haired woman lowered her eyes.
"Do you hate me?"
The black-haired woman looked surprised.
"Of course not."
The white-haired woman smiled.
"Good."
She reached out her hand.
The black-haired woman took it.
Elara watched them.
There was no hesitation.
No fear.
Only trust.
The black-haired woman spoke.
"If we cannot convince them to stop fighting..."
"Then we will protect them anyway."
"Even if they hate us?"
"Especially then."
Elara felt tears gathering in her eyes.
The vision shifted.
The two women stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Thousands of soldiers watched them.
The Black Rose Queen raised her hand.
The White Rose Saint raised hers.
Their magic spread across the ground.
Black roses bloomed.
White roses followed.
The battlefield became a garden.
No soldier could move.
No weapon could strike.
Then the ancient door appeared.
The ground shook.
Something behind it began to awaken.
The Black Rose Queen looked at the White Rose Saint.
"We need to seal it."
The White Rose Saint nodded.
"Together."
"But if the pact fails..."
"I know."
"There may be a price."
"I know."
The Black Rose Queen looked away.
"Then I won't ask you to pay it."
The White Rose Saint stepped closer.
"And I won't ask you to pay it."
They looked at each other.
Then the White Rose Saint smiled.
"We will find another way."
The vision shattered.
Elara returned to the library.
She was on her knees.
Ravenna was beside her.
"Elara."
"I'm all right."
Ravenna didn't believe her.
"You were crying."
Elara touched her cheek.
Her fingers came away wet.
"I saw them."
"The first two."
Elara nodded.
"They knew."
"About the Void King?"
"About the war."
She looked at Ravenna.
"They tried to stop it."
Mira's face was solemn.
"That confirms what I feared."
Elara turned toward her.
"What?"
"The first pact was not a weapon."
Mira touched the old book.
"It was a promise."
Ravenna looked at the pages.
"A promise between them."
"Yes."
"Then why did it fail?"
Mira's eyes moved toward the black feather on the floor.
"Perhaps it didn't."
The words hung in the air.
Ravenna frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Mira opened another book.
"Look."
She turned it toward them.
It was an old record written by a human historian.
The final entry was dated three hundred years ago.
The Saint and the Witch disappeared after the sealing.
Elara read the next line.
Neither body was ever found.
Ravenna stared.
"Then they may have survived."
"Perhaps."
Elara leaned closer.
The final sentence had been damaged.
Only a few words remained.
They left behind...
The rest was missing.
Ravenna's eyes narrowed.
"Another missing section."
Mira nodded.
"Someone has removed pages from nearly every record concerning them."
"Someone?"
"Or several someones."
Elara looked around the library.
"So the truth wasn't merely forgotten."
"No."
Mira closed the book.
"It was hidden."
Ravenna's expression hardened.
"By whom?"
Mira looked toward the shelves.
"Then we find out."
Elara looked at Ravenna.
There was something different in her expression now.
Not fear.
Determination.
Ravenna noticed.
"What?"
Elara shook her head.
"I was just thinking."
"About?"
"The two women."
Ravenna waited.
"They were told that there was only one way."
Ravenna nodded.
"Their sacrifice."
"But they refused to accept that."
Elara looked at their silver marks.
"They chose to look for another way."
Ravenna's expression softened.
"Like us."
Elara smiled.
"Exactly."
For a moment, the darkness in the library felt less frightening.
Then a loud crash came from somewhere behind them.
Blue squeaked.
Mira jumped.
Ravenna immediately drew her sword.
Elara turned.
A stack of books had fallen from a shelf.
Blue flew toward it.
"Blue!"
The little dragon landed on the pile.
He sniffed.
Then sneezed.
A cloud of dust exploded.
Ravenna lowered her sword.
"I thought we were under attack."
Elara covered her mouth.
"I think Blue is attacking the books."
Blue looked proud.
Mira stared at him.
"That dragon is remarkably disruptive."
"He has a talent."
Blue dug his claws into the fallen books.
Something metallic struck the floor.
Clink.
Elara crouched.
It was a small silver key.
She picked it up.
The moment she touched it, the silver mark on her palm glowed.
Ravenna looked at the key.
"That wasn't there before."
Mira approached slowly.
"No."
"What does it open?"
Mira looked toward the far wall.
"There is one room."
She pointed.
"It has never been opened."
The wall looked completely ordinary.
Just shelves.
Stone.
Dust.
But Elara noticed something.
A small black rose had been carved into the stone.
Beside it was a white rose.
And between them...
A tiny silver keyhole.
Elara looked at Ravenna.
Ravenna nodded.
Together, they walked toward it.
Elara inserted the key.
It fit perfectly.
The lock turned.
A hidden door opened.
Cold air flowed from the darkness beyond.
Ravenna raised her sword.
Elara stood beside her.
Blue flew onto Ravenna's shoulder.
Mira remained behind them.
"What is in there?" Elara asked.
Mira shook her head.
"The records no one was allowed to read."
Ravenna looked into the darkness.
"Then let's read them."
They stepped inside.
The door closed behind them.
And on the other side of the library, the black feather lying on the floor slowly turned silver.
A whisper passed through the shelves.
Not the voice of the Void King.
Something older.
Something human.
"Do not repeat our mistake."
Elara stopped.
Ravenna turned toward her.
"What did you hear?"
Elara looked back at the closed door.
Her heart was beating faster.
"Someone warned us."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
The silver mark on her palm glowed.
Ravenna's answered.
Their light joined.
And deep within the hidden room, a single white rose began to bloom.