The sun rose over the Auroran Empire, its golden rays illuminating the grand capital, but the light did nothing to dispel the dark cloud of grief that hung over its people. The brutal murder of Leslie Romanoff had shaken the very foundations of the empire, sending shockwaves through both the common folk and the nobility. The palace was silent that morning—too silent. It was the kind of silence that preceded a storm.
Cassius Auroran stood in the grand hall of the imperial palace, staring at the report in his hands. It detailed everything about Leslie's murder in clinical, emotionless words, but the image burned into his mind was far more gruesome than ink on parchment. His hands trembled slightly, a rare crack in the Crown Prince's composed demeanor. He clenched his fists, crumpling the paper.
"Your Highness." A deep voice broke the silence. It was Duke Valerian Droswold, the head of the Royal Intelligence Division. His piercing eyes studied Cassius carefully. "The people demand justice. Whispers of conspiracy have already begun to spread. If we do not act swiftly, this could escalate beyond our control."
Cassius exhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm. "What have you found so far?"
Duke Valerian's expression darkened. "We have traced Leslie's movements on the night of her murder. She remained in her laboratory long after the banquet. There were no signs of forced entry, which means the murderer either had a key or she let them in willingly."
Cassius narrowed his eyes. "That means it was someone she knew."
"Precisely," the Duke confirmed. "However, there is something else—something far more disturbing."
The air in the room grew heavy. "Go on," Cassius urged.
The Duke hesitated for a brief moment before speaking. "Her body was… drained of blood. And yet, there was no sign of it anywhere in the lab. It was as if it had vanished."
Cassius stiffened. "Vanished?"
"Yes. There are very few who can perform such a clean extraction, and even fewer with the knowledge to do it so precisely." The Duke's expression was grim. "And there's more. We found traces of an unknown energy signature at the scene. The palace mages are still analyzing it, but some believe it might be linked to forbidden magic."
Forbidden magic. The words sent a shiver down Cassius's spine. If someone within the empire was dabbling in such things, it was no longer just a murder—it was a declaration of war against the very foundation of the Auroran Empire.
"Have you informed the Emperor?" Cassius asked.
Duke Valerian nodded. "Yes. His Majesty is gravely concerned. He has ordered a full lockdown of the city. No one enters or leaves until we uncover the truth."
Cassius exhaled sharply. "We need to act fast. If word spreads that forbidden magic was involved, panic will grip the empire."
Duke Valerian nodded in agreement. "I have already dispatched covert units to monitor known practitioners of forbidden magic. If any of them had a hand in this, we will find out soon."
Just then, the large double doors to the chamber burst open, and Vahn Romanoff strode in. His usually composed demeanor was gone, replaced by an aura of barely restrained fury. His dark eyes burned with a quiet intensity that made even seasoned warriors take a step back.
"Your Highness," he said, his voice cold and clipped. "What are you doing to find my sister's killer?"
Cassius met his gaze without flinching. "Everything in my power."
"Not enough." Vahn's jaw tightened. "The one who did this is still out there. And while you sit in your palace discussing politics, my sister's murderer walks free."
Duke Valerian's eyes flickered with warning. "Mind your tone, young Romanoff."
Vahn ignored him. He took a step closer to Cassius, his fists clenched. "If you won't find them, I will."
Cassius studied him for a long moment before speaking. "You are not the only one grieving, Vahn. Leslie was… special. To all of us."
Vahn's expression flickered with something unreadable, but it was gone in an instant. "Then prove it."
Cassius held his gaze for a moment longer before nodding. "We will work together."
Vahn hesitated, but then gave a curt nod. "Fine."
Duke Valerian crossed his arms. "Then let's start by reviewing what we have. The lack of blood, the precision of the cuts, and the presence of forbidden magic—this wasn't the work of an ordinary assassin. This was ritualistic."
Cassius frowned. "A ritual?"
The Duke nodded. "There are certain dark sects that practice blood magic. This level of precision suggests they were extracting something from her."
Vahn stiffened. "You mean… the Source Crystals?"
The room went still.
Cassius slowly turned to Vahn. "What do you mean?"
Vahn's expression was grim. "Leslie had recently been researching the properties of Source Crystals more deeply than ever before. She theorized that under certain conditions, a human body could naturally generate a Source Crystal."
Cassius's eyes widened slightly. "Are you saying…"
Vahn nodded. "If she was right… she might have been the first to prove it. And if someone knew that…"
"They would have killed her to harvest it." Cassius finished the thought, his voice dark.
A heavy silence fell over the chamber.
Duke Valerian let out a slow breath. "Then we are not just dealing with an assassin. We are dealing with a faction that wants to use Source Crystals in ways that defy nature itself."
Cassius turned to Vahn. "If what you say is true, then whoever did this will come after her research next."
Vahn's expression hardened. "Then we make sure they don't get it."
Cassius nodded. "We need to retrieve all of Leslie's research before it falls into the wrong hands. Effective immediately, her lab is under my direct protection."
Duke Valerian tapped his chin in thought. "If they wanted the research, they would have searched the lab already. Which means… they might not have found what they were looking for."
Vahn's eyes widened. "Leslie kept a private notebook. If it's still hidden…"
"Then we have our next move," Cassius said. "We find that notebook before they do."
At that moment, a royal messenger rushed in, his face pale. "Your Highness! Urgent news from the city gates!"
Cassius turned sharply. "What is it?"
The messenger gulped. "There's been another murder. And this time… they left a message."
Vahn clenched his fists. "Where?"
"The Grand Plaza."
Cassius exchanged a glance with Duke Valerian and Vahn. "We move now."
The three of them strode out of the palace, knowing that whatever awaited them at the plaza was only the beginning of something far worse than any of them had imagined.