The morning air was still, but there was an unease beneath it, like the quiet before a storm. I woke slowly, the lingering weight of the previous night's events pressing against my chest. The soft rustle of fabric in the room told me Ramon was up already—his steady presence, like a grounding force, filled the space.
I opened my eyes. pulse of Lycian's energy—farther away, still. He wasn't close enough to reach out and touch, but his mana was always a presence, sharp and coiled like a snake waiting to strike.
The silence was heavy, a blanket over the room. I stretched out my hand, fingers brushing the edge of the cool stone by my side. The gem Lincoln had given me the night before was still there. It hadn't moved, but I could feel the weight of it, the outline slid against my fingers.
Ramon's voice broke the silence, a low murmur. "You're awake."
I nodded, though he probably couldn't see it. "Yeah. I'm awake."
"Someone delivered a letter this morning," he added, and the subtle vibration in his voice told me this wasn't a casual piece of news. Something important, then. "For you."
I stretched out my hand, feeling the parchment as he unfolded it. The paper was slightly crinkled at the edges, rough under my fingers. He read aloud:
⸻
Annabel,
I hope this message finds you in good health. There is a matter of utmost importance that requires your presence at the palace. The nobles have requested an audience, and it is essential that you attend.
The kingdom stands at a precipice. I trust you will understand the gravity of the situation upon your arrival.
Please come as swiftly as you are able.
King Hadrian
⸻
As the words rolled off Ramon's tongue, they settled in the air, dense, like a weight pressing down on my chest. It wasn't a question of if I would go—it was a matter of how I could not. The nobles, the kingdom, the palace—it was everything I was trying to avoid, but now I couldn't outrun it.
Ramon's presence shifted beside me. "What will you do?"
I drew in a breath, slow and steady. "I'll go."
There was no hesitation in my words, though inside, a thousand questions and doubts collided with each other. I wasn't ready for whatever the king wanted. I wasn't ready for the nobles to see me as more than just the girl who couldn't quite manage her powers.
Ramon's voice was soft but firm. "You don't have to do this alone."
I didn't answer immediately. What could I say? That this was mine to handle? That I had to do it alone because I didn't want to drag anyone else into this mess?
But when I thought of my family—Ramon, my parents, Julius, The Saint Clair's, Dr. Lorre and Kate—I realized how foolish it was to believe I ever was alone.
"I know," I whispered back.
A shift of energy from the far side of the room told me Lycian had stirred. He hadn't been close enough to hear the letter, but his presence was like a silent weight in the room, coiled and still. From the way the air rippled around him, I could tell he was up and moving. His sharp edges—his mana, his emotions—always cut through the air like a blade, just enough for me to feel his distance.
But he didn't speak.
I was aware of him, though. Even from the far corner of the room where he had settled, he was like a shadow in the background, though I knew better than to think he wasn't listening.
The letter was still in Ramon's hand, and though I hadn't seen it with my eyes, I could almost feel the words burning into the air. This was more than an invitation—it was a summons. The king expected me to come. And I had no choice but to obey.
I turned my attention back to the gem in my hand. The cool, jagged surface, its dull grayness. It felt like nothing. I could sense it only faintly, a blurred outline in my mana sight, as if the gem itself didn't want to reveal its true nature to me. And that stung more than I wanted to admit.
It was a cruel reminder. The gem Lincoln had given me—it was from him, It wasn't powerful like Ramon's axe or Lycian's serpent. It was just… a rock.
But it came from Lincoln.
He trusted me with it. That thought should have been comforting, but it only made me question what I lacked.
"Do you think…" I started, but my voice faltered, the words caught somewhere between hope and frustration. "Do you think it's a test? Or just a reminder that I'm not ready?"
Ramon didn't answer immediately. His mana, warm and grounding, filled the air between us. Then, after a long pause, he spoke gently. "Maybe both. But you're not alone, Annabel. And that's what matters."
I held the gem tighter, the jagged edges biting into my palm as though to keep me tethered to something real.
Lycian's presence flared sharply as he moved toward us. His energy coiled tightly, like a serpent ready to strike. The tension in the room shifted again, though no words passed between us. He was waiting. I was waiting.
Finally, the quiet broke, and I exhaled a long, shaky breath. "I'll go."