Morning arrived gently over Serethis, but the palace seemed to wake in fragments, as if half-asleep and listening to something distant. The golden rooftops glimmered with dew, and the corridors echoed with a hush that didn't belong to dawn—
but to anticipation.
Illyen and Cael walked side-by-side toward the Council Chamber. Illyen's steps felt lighter than they had in weeks, though the memories still shimmered under his skin like fresh ink. Cael glanced at him often—not out of worry, but with a quiet vigilance carved from years of carrying too much alone.
As the tall silver doors opened, Illyen's breath caught.
The entire Council was already assembled.
Queen Lyrienne sat at the center of the crescent table, her silver crown glinting against the stained-glass glow behind her. Ministers, generals, and scholars stood at respectful attention.
But Illyen's eyes immediately fell on the throne beside her.
The King's seat—broad, ornate, carved with the crest of Serethis—
sat empty.
A white silk cloth had been draped over it.
Esthara, still in her travel armor, bowed. "Your Majesties, forgive my interruption earlier. I've returned from the border with new information."
Queen Lyrienne nodded. "Before we begin, we must acknowledge the King's absence."
General Zaeron stepped forward, voice steady but soft.
"His Majesty's condition worsened during the night. The physicians have moved him to the Healing Wing. He will not attend today's session."
A heaviness rippled through the chamber. Cael's expression tightened—he rarely showed worry, but Illyen caught the flicker of concern in his eyes.
"He'll be informed of everything when he's stable," Queen Lyrienne added, folding her hands. "Until then, we proceed."
Illyen and Cael exchanged a glance before bowing.
"Then let us report what we witnessed," Cael began.
The room grew silent.
Illyen stepped forward, his voice soft but unwavering. "The Observatory revealed memories from our past lives—ones tied to the Great Veil."
He described the lantern-lit garden, the trembling journal pages, the confessions whispered under a violet sky. Cael spoke of the emotional resonance, of the Loom reacting the moment Illyen remembered him.
When they finished, the chamber felt as though the walls themselves were breathing.
Lysa rested a hand on her sword. "If memories this old have resurfaced, then Vaenn must have sensed the pull."
Esthara stepped forward next, placing a rolled map on the table. "There's more. On the border of the Veiled Frontier, moonlight bends unnaturally. Shadows whisper in languages no mage can identify. Villagers report hearing a second heartbeat echoing through the ground."
A murmur swept across the Council.
Maerin, scholar of the royal library, added quietly, "The Loom has shifted. Its ripples match the days before the Great Veil collapsed."
Astrae, the storm-mage, looked up from her crystal monocle. "If Vaenn is awakening, we cannot simply wait. We must uncover what truly happened back then. There are holes in our history—missing archives, erased records."
Illyen felt the weight of her words. "There must be a reason our memories returned now."
Cael inhaled slowly. "There is. And I believe the answer lies in a place we've avoided for centuries."
Every Council member turned toward him.
"The House of Echoes."
A silence followed—cold, brittle.
Queen Lyrienne's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Cael… that place was sealed by the First Council. No one has entered it in generations."
Astrae adjusted her monocle. "The House holds the original records of Serethis—before the Great Veil, before the wars. But its halls distort time and memory. People have walked in and returned seconds later—claiming they were inside for hours."
"And some never returned at all," Lysa added bluntly.
Illyen felt a faint shiver. "If truth lies there… then we need it. We can't fight shadows blindly."
Esthara nodded firmly. "Agreed."
The Queen looked from Cael to Illyen—her gaze softening with something almost maternal. "If your memories have begun to reawaken, then the House may respond to you."
A strange heat pulsed in Illyen's chest. "We're ready."
Queen Lyrienne stood, her cloak flowing like moonlit water.
"Then I authorize a small team to enter the House at nightfall. Cael, Illyen—you will lead."
A gasp rose from the back of the room.
Astrae bowed. "I'll join them."
Esthara placed a hand on her chest. "I too."
Lysa smirked. "Try leaving without me."
Maerin stepped forward last. "I'll prepare the ancient route glyphs."
The Queen raised her hand. "Very well. The team will depart at dusk. The King's physicians will be informed once his condition stabilizes."
Cael bowed deeply. "Thank you, Mother."
Illyen bowed beside him. "Your Majesty."
As the Council dispersed, Illyen and Cael stepped out onto the marble balcony overlooking the palace gardens. A soft wind blew through the lilies below, carrying the scent of sun-warmed stone and distant incense.
For a moment, neither spoke.
The weight of old memories mixed with the burden of what lay ahead.
Illyen leaned against the balustrade. "The House of Echoes… do you really think it will show us everything?"
Cael stood beside him, arms crossed lightly. "I think it will show us enough."
Illyen looked up, catching how the morning sun reflected in Cael's eyes—calm, steady, determined. Not intense like before; just present. Real. Grounded.
"What if the truth is worse than what we remember?" Illyen asked softly.
Cael shook his head. "Then we face it. Together."
His tone was steady, warm—carrying strength instead of pain.
Illyen breathed out slowly. "We should prepare. Lysa said the path is unstable."
"That's why you'll stay close to me," Cael said.
Illyen's lips curved slightly. "I was planning to."
A voice interrupted from behind them.
"Your Highnesses."
It was Esthara, holding two rolled maps and a list of supplies. "The Queen wishes for you to rest until dusk. The House opens only after the second moon rises. Also…" She hesitated. "The King asked for news of you both before he grew too weak to speak."
Illyen's heart tightened. "He was worried?"
"Yes. He… asked if the two of you were safe."
Cael's expression softened with surprise. "I'll visit him before we depart."
Esthara nodded and left briskly.
Illyen touched Cael's arm gently. "He cares about you. Even if he can't show it."
Cael looked out toward the horizon. "I know. That's why I need to return with answers."
Illyen nodded. "We will."
As they turned to leave the balcony, the palace bells rang once—low and trembling.
A sign the Loom had shifted again.
A sign Vaenn was stirring.
Dusk would bring the second moon.
And with it—the opening of the House of Echoes.
Illyen exhaled slowly.
"Tonight, everything changes."
Cael looked ahead, eyes steady.
"Yes. For Serethis… and for us."
They walked back inside, shadows stretching long behind them as the palace breathed in silence—
waiting for nightfall, and for whatever truth waited within the House of Echoes.