The bells did not stop.
One after another, they echoed through the palace, their deep voices traveling down through the stone corridors and into the underground archives.
Evelyn instinctively covered her ears.
The sound seemed to vibrate inside her chest.
Lucien remained beside her, sword drawn, his attention fixed on the entrance.
Adrian had barely managed to sit upright.
His face was pale.
“What did you remember?” Lucien demanded.
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
He looked at the open book on the floor.
Then at Evelyn.
Then at Lucien.
“The emperor.”
Lucien’s expression hardened.
“You said the first betrayal was his.”
“Yes.”
“What did he do?”
“I don’t know.”
“You just said you remembered.”
“I remembered the beginning.”
Adrian pushed himself to his feet.
“The rest is still missing.”
Evelyn looked around the archive.
The strange light beneath the floor had disappeared, but the air still felt charged.
She could feel something beneath her skin.
A faint warmth.
Almost like a pulse.
“What happened when the Crown awakened?”
Adrian shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“Then why are the bells ringing?”
“Because someone knows we’re here.”
Lucien glanced toward the ceiling.
“How?”
Adrian’s expression became grim.
“The archives are connected to the palace.”
“Meaning?”
“If the seal was broken, the emperor knows.”
Evelyn looked toward the entrance.
“Then we need to leave.”
“No.”
Lucien looked at her.
She continued.
“If he knows we’re here, the palace will be sealed.”
Adrian nodded.
“She’s right.”
Lucien frowned.
“We can’t leave without finding out what this place contains.”
“We don’t have time.”
“Then we’ll make time.”
Evelyn looked between them.
“You’re both forgetting something.”
They turned toward her.
She pointed at the shelves.
“We don’t need the entire archive.”
Lucien understood.
“We need the records about the first betrayal.”
“Exactly.”
Adrian looked at the books.
“If they still exist.”
“They do.”
“How do you know?”
Evelyn stared at the shelves.
She didn’t know how.
But she could feel it.
Somewhere inside the archive, something was calling to her.
Not a voice.
A direction.
She walked toward the eastern wall.
Lucien followed.
“Evelyn?”
“Wait.”
She stopped before a shelf filled with black-covered books.
Most had no labels.
She ran her fingers across their spines.
Nothing.
Then one book seemed warmer than the others.
She pulled it out.
Dust fell from the cover.
There was no title.
Only a golden symbol.
A crown divided into three pieces.
Adrian’s face changed.
“That’s it.”
“What?”
“The original record.”
Lucien took the book.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve seen it.”
“In another life?”
“Yes.”
He opened it.
The pages were blank.
Lucien frowned.
“Nothing.”
Evelyn reached for the book.
The moment her fingers touched the page, ink began appearing.
One line.
Then another.
The words formed slowly.
The Empire was born from a lie.
Evelyn’s heart tightened.
Another line appeared.
The Crown was never meant to belong to the Emperor.
Then another.
It was entrusted to the Guardians.
Lucien looked at Adrian.
“The Arclights.”
Adrian nodded.
“And the Valemonts.”
Evelyn turned the page.
A map appeared.
It showed a territory much larger than the modern empire.
Several kingdoms were marked with different symbols.
At the center stood a golden circle.
The First Crown.
Below it was written:
The Crown binds memory to truth.
Evelyn read the sentence twice.
“So it doesn’t erase memories.”
“Not originally,” Adrian said.
She looked at him.
“It preserves them.”
“Yes.”
“Then someone changed it.”
Adrian nodded.
“That’s what I remember.”
Lucien leaned closer.
“When?”
“After the first war.”
“What war?”
“The War of Seven Thrones.”
Evelyn frowned.
She knew that name.
Every history book mentioned it.
It had supposedly been the conflict that united the seven kingdoms under one imperial ruler.
According to official history, the war ended when the seven kings voluntarily surrendered their crowns to the first emperor.
Evelyn looked at the book.
“That’s not what happened.”
“No.”
Adrian’s voice was quiet.
“They were forced.”
“By the Crown?”
“Yes.”
Lucien’s expression darkened.
“The emperor used it to control them.”
“Not exactly.”
Adrian pointed to the page.
“The Crown didn’t control them.”
He turned another page.
“They changed the memories of everyone who survived.”
Evelyn felt cold.
“Everyone?”
“Everyone.”
“So the surrender never happened.”
“No.”
“The emperor conquered them.”
“Yes.”
“And then erased the memory.”
“Yes.”
Lucien stared at the book.
“Why would the Guardians allow that?”
“They didn’t.”
Evelyn looked up.
Adrian’s expression had changed.
“The Guardians fought him.”
“Then why did they lose?”
Adrian hesitated.
“Because someone betrayed them.”
Evelyn’s heart began beating faster.
“The emperor.”
“No.”
He looked at Lucien.
“One of the Guardians.”
Lucien went still.
Evelyn turned another page.
There was a list of names.
Three.
Aurelia Arclight.
Caelan Valemont.
Seraphine.
Evelyn stared.
“Seraphine.”
Adrian nodded.
“She was one of them.”
Lucien looked at the list.
“She betrayed us?”
“No.”
Adrian shook his head.
“She was the one who survived.”
Evelyn turned the page.
A drawing appeared.
Three people stood before the Crown.
Aurelia.
Caelan.
Seraphine.
Behind them stood the first emperor.
The drawing had been damaged.
Someone had scratched out his face.
But one thing remained visible.
His hand.
He wore the same silver ring.
The black bird.
Evelyn’s breath caught.
“The Silver Crow.”
Lucien stared.
“The symbol belonged to the emperor.”
“Not originally,” Adrian said.
“What do you mean?”
“The symbol represented the Guardians.”
Evelyn frowned.
“Then why do the assassins use it?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Because they believe they’re continuing the Guardians’ work.”
“By killing people?”
“By destroying the empire.”
Silence.
Evelyn slowly closed the book.
“So the Silver Crow isn’t one organization.”
Adrian shook his head.
“It has changed over time.”
“How many factions?”
“At least three.”
Lucien’s expression darkened.
“Three?”
“The original Guardians.”
“The imperial faction.”
“And the current Silver Crow.”
Evelyn understood.
The conspiracy wasn’t a single enemy.
It was a conflict that had survived for centuries.
Different people had inherited different versions of the same secret.
And now she and Lucien had become trapped in the middle.
A loud noise echoed from the corridor.
Metal striking stone.
Someone was coming.
Lucien closed the book.
“We’re leaving.”
Evelyn nodded.
Adrian moved toward the exit.
Then stopped.
“Wait.”
“What?”
He pointed toward the wall.
A section of stone had opened.
Behind it was a narrow passage.
Evelyn stared.
“I didn’t see that.”
“I did.”
Lucien looked at him.
“When?”
“In another life.”
They entered.
The passage was barely wide enough for two people.
Lucien went first.
Evelyn followed.
Adrian stayed behind them.
They walked for several minutes.
The sounds of the palace disappeared.
Then the passage opened into a small chamber.
There was a table.
Three chairs.
And a single mirror.
Evelyn stopped.
She knew that mirror.
She didn’t know how.
But she did.
Her breathing changed.
Lucien noticed.
“What is it?”
“I’ve seen it.”
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
She approached.
The surface of the mirror was black.
Not reflective.
Just black.
She touched it.
The surface rippled.
Then an image appeared.
A woman.
Aurelia.
She was sitting at the same table.
Across from her was Caelan.
Both looked exhausted.
Seraphine stood behind them.
Their voices echoed through the chamber.
“We can’t keep running.”
“We don’t have to.”
Aurelia looked at Caelan.
“You know what the Crown will do.”
“Yes.”
“If we use it, we can erase the emperor’s control.”
“Or we can become exactly like him.”
Aurelia looked down.
“I won’t.”
Caelan reached for her hand.
“I believe you.”
Seraphine interrupted.
“You shouldn’t.”
Aurelia looked at her.
“What?”
Seraphine stepped forward.
“The emperor knows.”
The image flickered.
Aurelia stood.
“How?”
“He knows where the Crown is.”
Caelan reached for his sword.
“Then we move it.”
“No.”
Seraphine shook her head.
“There’s no time.”
Aurelia looked at her.
“What do you suggest?”
Seraphine’s voice became quiet.
“Someone has to stay.”
Caelan immediately understood.
“No.”
Aurelia stared at her.
“You mean…”
“One of us must remain behind and convince him the Crown is gone.”
Caelan shook his head.
“Not you.”
Seraphine smiled.
“Not me.”
Aurelia’s expression changed.
“Then who?”
The image froze.
Evelyn stepped backward.
“No.”
Lucien looked at her.
“What?”
She already knew.
She didn’t want to say it.
The image resumed.
Seraphine looked at Caelan.
“You.”
Caelan’s face went pale.
Aurelia stepped forward.
“No.”
“You are the only one he trusts.”
“Seraphine—”
“He believes you love the empire more than you love her.”
Caelan looked at Aurelia.
“I do love her.”
“I know.”
Seraphine looked at him.
“That’s why you’ll do it.”
The image changed.
Caelan standing before the emperor.
Aurelia hidden behind a door.
The emperor spoke.
“Where is the Crown?”
Caelan answered.
“Destroyed.”
The emperor smiled.
“You’re lying.”
Caelan raised his sword.
“Then kill me.”
The image shattered.
Evelyn gasped.
The mirror went black.
Lucien was staring at her.
“You remember.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“That was your memory.”
“I know.”
She looked at him.
“That’s what happened.”
“What?”
“You weren’t the traitor.”
Lucien remained silent.
“The emperor thought you betrayed us.”
She touched the mirror.
“But you were protecting me.”
He looked at her.
“From what?”
“I don’t know.”
The chamber suddenly shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Adrian shouted:
“We need to go!”
Lucien grabbed Evelyn’s hand.
They ran.
The passage behind them began collapsing.
They barely reached the archive before the stone door slammed shut.
Soldiers were already entering from the opposite side.
Dozens.
Evelyn froze.
The imperial guards raised their weapons.
Behind them stood the emperor.
His expression was no longer tired.
It was furious.
“Give me the book.”
Lucien stepped forward.
“No.”
The emperor looked at Evelyn.
“You don’t understand what you’re holding.”
“Then explain it.”
“You have no right.”
She laughed bitterly.
“No right?”
She raised the book.
“Your family erased my memories.”
The emperor’s face changed.
“You remember.”
“Not enough.”
He looked at Lucien.
“And you.”
Lucien’s hand tightened around his sword.
“What about me?”
“You were supposed to remember twenty years ago.”
Evelyn stared.
“What happened twenty years ago?”
The emperor said nothing.
She stepped forward.
“What happened to my family?”
Still nothing.
“What did you do to them?”
The emperor finally answered.
“I saved the empire.”
Evelyn felt anger rising.
“By erasing us?”
“By preventing another war.”
“You murdered people.”
“I removed the memories that would have caused another rebellion.”
“You don’t get to decide what people remember.”
The emperor’s eyes hardened.
“I already did.”
Lucien stepped beside her.
“Then you’ll do it again.”
The emperor looked at him.
“No.”
He raised his hand.
The guards moved.
“Not this time.”
A voice came from behind them.
“He’s right.”
Everyone turned.
Seraphine stood at the entrance.
Blood covered one side of her coat.
She looked exhausted.
But she was smiling.
The emperor’s face went pale.
“You.”
Seraphine lifted the silver mask.
“You should have killed me twenty years ago.”
The emperor stepped backward.
Seraphine looked at Evelyn.
“Now.”
Evelyn didn’t understand.
“Now what?”
“Remember.”
The lights went out.
Every single one.
Darkness swallowed the archive.
Then Evelyn heard a voice.
Her own.
Whispering directly into her ear.
Don’t trust the emperor.
She turned.
Nobody was there.
Another voice followed.
Lucien’s.
Don’t trust me either.
Her heart stopped.
She looked at him.
He was standing beside her.
Confused.
He hadn’t spoken.
The voice came again.
This time, louder.
Because the first betrayal wasn’t the emperor’s.
Evelyn’s vision blurred.
It was yours.
The archive exploded with golden light.
And the last thing Evelyn saw before losing consciousness was Lucien reaching for her.
His face filled with terror.
Not because she was falling.
But because he had finally remembered why she had betrayed him.