The roads that led to the capital of Ilyrion shimmered faintly, carved with sigils and glowing stones that pulsed like veins beneath the earth. Gold sat beside Kane inside the carriage, watching the trees blur past. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable—it felt like a quiet agreement, a truce forged from exhaustion and unspoken understanding.
Kane stirred slightly, her head resting against the window. "How long until we get there?"
"An hour or two, maybe." Gold replied. "You okay?"
She nodded, though her eyes remained distant. "I keep getting flashes… smells, sounds. A marketplace. Bells."
Gold looked down at his hands. "Same. I remembered… you crying, once.
I think I made you a crown of broken flowers to cheer you up."
Kane let out a soft laugh. "That sounds like you."They sat in silence again, but this time with a shared smile.
The capital of Ilyrion was unlike anything they'd ever seen. Towering spires twisted into the clouds, made of stone that shimmered with divine enchantments. Bridges weaved between buildings, suspended mid-air by unseen forces. People walked the streets without fear, and magic hung in the air like mist.
At the palace gates, they were met by a tall figure clad in violet robes embroidered with silver threads. Her eyes gleamed like molten gold.
"You must be the pact bearers," she said. "Welcome to Ilyrion. The king has been expecting you."
Elsewhere – Between Realms
A sphere of black glass floated in an infinite void. Shadows coiled around it, whispering in tongues no mortal could hear. Nytherion stood still, his form shifting between humanoid and abstract. Across from him, Velkain emerged from darkness—draped in a long cloak stitched with crimson runes.
"You allowed them to live," Velkain said without bowing. "Even after what he is."
Nytherion's voice echoed like wind over broken bones. "They are not tools. They are anchors. The world will need anchors."
Velkain's jaw clenched. "You're gambling with a storm that's already begun."
"They will survive if they learn to hold each other."
"And if they don't?"
Nytherion paused. "Then the world forgets them. Like it forgot everything else."
Velkain stepped closer. "Tell me, who will protect them when memory turns against them?"
Nytherion said nothing, and the silence weighed like a mountain.
Training Grounds – Two Days Later
Kane stood in a wide circle etched into marble, her hair tied back, sweat beading at her temples. Gold stood opposite her, sparring lightly.
"Again," their trainer barked. A stern woman named Calis—blonde, sharp-eyed, scarred.
Gold lunged, and Kane parried, barely keeping up.
"I'm not used to this," she panted.
"You're improving fast," Gold said. "You remember that counter I taught you?"
She hesitated, then sidestepped and twisted—his blade missed by inches. Kane grinned. "There it is."
Later, under the shade of a willow tree near the temple steps, Kane sat beside Gold and shared a piece of warm flatbread.
"Do you remember the rain?" she asked.
"What part?"
"When we hid in the grain store. I was scared of thunder. You told me it was the sky laughing."
Gold laughed now. "I was such a liar."
"But it helped." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "You always helped."
He went quiet. "I'll keep doing that. No matter what."
That Night
Velkain stood on the edge of the palace tower, gazing at the twin moons above. Another figure stepped out of the shadows—an agent.
"They're settling in. Kane is regaining control. Gold is... growing faster than expected."
Velkain nodded. "Then the true training begins. Send word to the King. And prepare the Sanctum."
Kane jolted upright, breath ragged. Her fingers gripped the railing.
Gold ran up to her. "Kane? What is it?"
"I saw her," she whispered. "A woman in white. The ruins. She called me by name."
Gold frowned. "Who?"
Kane's eyes met his. "...Mother."
Just then, a crack formed in the sky. Not thunder. Not clouds.
A tear—burning with divine fire—split across the horizon.
From within it, something began to emerge.