Lorin's eyes slowly returned to their natural shade as he stared at Seraphina. For a moment, something ancient flickered in them — something not entirely his own.
He blinked. It was gone.
His gaze shifted to Kael, confusion shadowing his expression, but before any of them could speak, a knock sounded at the chamber doors.
"Lorin," a guard called from the other side, "the King seeks your presence."
Lorin stiffened. He bowed quickly to Seraphina and Kael before leaving at once, unwilling to keep the King waiting.
Silence lingered behind him.
Seraphina turned to Kael. "What just happened?"
Kael stepped closer, lowering his voice. "It confirms what I feared."
Her brow furrowed. "Which is?"
"The amulet is not only awakening within you," he said carefully. "It conversed through the immediate one who share it's essence, lorin."
Her fingers tightened around the crimson gem.
"You must train harder," Kael continued. "The amulet does not reveal visions without reason. When it stirs, danger is already moving."
Kael approached the door, Seraphina followed behind him. He headed to the court yard, in order to prepare for the practice.
"I don't even know what my emotions can do," she admitted.
Kael knelt slightly so their eyes met. "Then you must learn. Anger sharpens it. Fear shields it. Determination makes it immovable. Compassion can heal what rage destroys. But without control… it becomes unpredictable."
The amulet pulsed in response — not violently, but knowingly.
"I won't let it rule me," Seraphina said, her voice steadying. "I'll master it."
Kael gave a single nod.
"Then we begin now."
---
The guard had finally left the shadowed tower, the chill of the night biting at his face. The path ahead stretched endlessly, a winding maze of dark forests and rocky hills. Fatigue pulled at his limbs, and every step felt heavier than the last. Still, the bangle on his wrist pulsed faintly, a silent force urging him onward. Somewhere deep inside, a whisper he could not control insisted he move forward - toward a destiny he did not yet understand.
He paused to catch his breath, leaning against a tree. His thoughts drifted, fragmented, as though pieces of someone else's will had begun to weave through his mind. The stars above were faint, swallowed by the thick clouds of the storm, and a faint crimson glow flickered in the distance, teasing him with something unknown, something powerful.
---
Back in the jagged cliffside tower, Maryse and her husband hovered over the crystal orb, their hands tracing arcs of glowing energy. Outside, lightning split the sky, thunder rolling like the drumbeat of some invisible army. The orb pulsed faintly, responding to their combined power, and yet its crimson heart remained elusive.
"The amulet has grown stronger than we thought," the sorcerer murmured, eyes narrowing as he watched the orb flicker. "It is no longer hidden, but... its location remains uncertain. It has chosen its new bearers, and it seems... it is with royalty somewhere."
Maryse's violet eyes gleamed with quiet fury. "Then we will find it," she said, her voice low, precise, unwavering. "It does not matter which castle, which halls. The moment we possess it... the world will bend to our will. All of Altheris, the royal courts... every kingdom will kneel."
Her husband's hand brushed hers briefly, a silent acknowledgment of their shared ambition. "We must be careful," he said. "It will not be easy. Its current guardians are strong... clever, perhaps even bonded to the amulet in ways we cannot yet see."
Maryse's lips curved into a thin smile. "Then we wait. We prepare. The amulet is out there, and it will call to us eventually. When we find it... Varion will rise again, and nothing will stop us."
The crimson glow in the orb flickered once more, as if sensing the promise of power yet to come. Beyond the cliffs, the storm raged, responding to their will, but the amulet remained hidden, pulsing far away, waiting, drawing its new bearers ever closer to the fate that even the power couple could not yet foresee.
---
Back in the palace courtyard, Seraphina raised her hand.
"Focus," Kael instructed.
She drew in a slow breath, thinking not of fear — but of resolve.
The amulet brightened.
A ripple of crimson energy expanded outward in a controlled arc, lifting fallen leaves from the marble floor before settling again.
Kael's expression did not change, but approval flickered in his eyes.
"You see? It listens when you are clear."
She exhaled slowly and smiled as if proud of the outcome of the training.