Setting: House Norwyn – Interrogation Hall, Lyra's Private Garden, Secret Passageways
Theme: Truth revealed, loyalty tested, secrets buried deep
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[Scene 1 – The Interrogation Hall]
The chamber was cold — built from obsidian stone with warded sigils glowing faint blue along its edges. Magic here couldn't lie.
Kaelrin stood at the center, arms crossed. Before him, Thorne sat restrained in a chair of runesteel, his crimson mask tossed aside.
> Kaelrin: "You're not here as a noble. You're here as a suspect. Speak carefully."
Thorne's face was unreadable. For once, the arrogance in his voice was missing.
> Thorne: "I didn't kill Vael. But someone wants you to believe I did."
> Kaelrin: "And the ribbon? Your crest?"
> Thorne: "Stolen. Or planted."
The sigils glowed brighter as his words echoed. No lie detected.
Darien watched from the corner, uneasy.
> Darien: "He's telling the truth. That means... someone inside Norwyn planned this."
Kaelrin's jaw clenched. "Then we're hunting a ghost wearing familiar skin."
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[Scene 2 – Lyra's Garden of Thorns]
Lyra stood amidst blooming midnight roses, her fingers trembling over a letter — the second one.
"You've already chosen wrong."
She burned the paper with a flick of magic.
> "You think I'm afraid of shadows?" she whispered.
But truth was — she was.
Just then, the garden door creaked. Kaelrin entered silently.
> Kaelrin: "Why didn't you tell me Thorne came to you last night?"
> Lyra: "Because I knew you'd react like this."
He stepped closer.
> "Every time I think I have you figured out, you change shape."
> Lyra: "Maybe you're looking too hard."
Their gazes locked — something unspoken passed between them. Then Kaelrin handed her something: Vael's ring. Blood still crusted its side.
> Kaelrin: "Your father had one just like this. It's a Pact ring. They weren't just assassins — they were royalty once."
Her world tilted.
> Lyra (softly): "You think my father…?"
> Kaelrin: "I think your bloodline is more tangled than you know."
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[Scene 3 – The Hidden Passage]
That night, Lyra lit her mother's old lantern and descended into the forgotten wing of House Norwyn — sealed since her father's death.
Beneath the crumbling paintings and half-lit halls, she found a hidden door behind the old tapestry.
Inside — a secret study. Books of sigils, maps of the kingdom, and a journal.
Her father's final words:
> "If the Crimson Pact returns, don't trust the crown. Nor the duke. Not until you know the truth beneath their velvet lies."
She stumbled back, heart racing. On the wall — a symbol carved in ash:
A Crown. Wreathed in Thorns.
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[Scene 4 – The Tapestry of Secrets]
Kaelrin returned to the Interrogation Hall, only to find Thorne missing.
Chains broken. Guards unconscious.
But there was no sign of a fight.
Darien ran in moments later, breathless.
> Darien: "There's something else — a missing guest ledger. Someone altered the names from the masquerade."
Kaelrin: "Meaning what?"
> Darien: "Meaning someone else was there, disguised. Someone uninvited."
Kaelrin's face went pale.
> "The Crimson Pact is already inside Norwyn."
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[Scene 5 – Closing Flames]
Lyra returned to her chambers — the journal clutched tightly. Her hands were still shaking.
But as she reached the window, she noticed something glowing in the garden —
a symbol burning into the ground.
She ran down.
There, with magic scorched into the earth, was a message:
> "The crown is cracking. Choose your loyalty now."
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To Be Continued...
In Chapter 28:
Thorne's escape reveals deeper betrayal
Kaelrin and Lyra confront the secret council of Norwyn
A forgotten heir to the Crimson Pact returns
And one of Lyra's oldest memories resurfaces — with blood.