The envelope arrived at noon.
Ivory parchment. Gold wax seal. A crest Aeris recognized instantly.
A coiled serpent around a broken crown.
House dreyce.
Lucien was the one who received it first. He didn't open it immediately. He studied the seal.
Then he handed it to her.
"It's addressed to both of us." lucien said.
Aeris turned the envelope slowly in her fingers. Her pulse remained steady. She broke the seal. Inside was a single folded card, thick and perfumed faintly with cedar.
———————————————————
Lady Aeris Vale
Lord Lucien Vale
You are cordially invited to afternoon tea at the Dreyce Estate
Before Crimson Academy welcomes its next candidates,
it is only proper we become acquainted.
— Caelan Dreyce
________________________________________
Caelean Dreyce.
Eldest son. Top-ranking Sequence III student. Political prodigy.
He had been present at her execution.
The whisper brushed against her ears — faint, distant.
Lucien watched her expression carefully.
"You know him."
"Yes."
"He's dangerous," Lucien added.
Aeris folded the invitation closed.
"We'll attend."
_______________________________________
The Dreyce Estate.
The Dreyce estate sat higher than the Vale grounds, built into the slope of black stone hills. Its architecture was sharper Less welcoming Designed to impress and intimidate.
Tea was served in a glass conservatory overlooking a manicured courtyard and Sunlight filtered through tall iron-framed windows.
Caelan Dreyce stood as they approached.
Tall, Composed, Perfect posture.
He smiled easily. "Lucien. Aeris. I'm honored."
His shadow rested neatly behind him.
"Thank you for inviting us." Aeris said.
His smile widened. "You'll both be attending Crimson soon. It's best that the leading families maintain clarity."
Caelan poured the tea himself. A gesture of control disguised as courtesy.
"You'll find Crimson… transformative," he said.
Lucien spoke calmly. "You speak as though you represent the academy."
Caelan's smile didn't falter. "No one represents Crimson."
Aeris felt it clearly. That was a lie.
Her pulse quickened.
The light in the conservatory dimmed slightly. Just slightly.
Caelan's eyes flickered downward — to the floor To her shadow. It had stretched past her chair. Too far.
He noticed But he didn't react.
"You're very calm," Caelan said softly, eyes returning to hers.
"In most cases," Aeris replied.
The air felt tighter now. The tea remained untouched.
Caelan leaned back slightly.
"You'll advance quickly," he said. "Some students do."
His gaze sharpened. "But Crimson has a way of correcting instability."
The whisper screamed. Lie.
Her heartbeat spiked sharply.
For a fraction of a second—She saw it.
The same conservatory But shattered.
Glass broken. Blood across white tiles.
Caelan on his knees. Her shadow standing behind him. Not attached to her.
The image vanished.
"Aeris?"Lucien's voice cut through her thoughts.
She realized her teacup was trembling in her hand.
The surface of the tea rippled violently Her shadow had risen behind her chair.
Caelan's smile thinned. He had seen it.
Aeris placed the cup down carefully.
"I look forward to Crimson," she said quietly.
Caelan studied her one final time. "I'm sure you do."
_______________________________________
When they left the estate, the afternoon sky had grown overcast.
Lucien walked in silence until they reached the carriage.
"He's testing you," Lucien said.
"Yes."
Lucien hesitated. "You reacted."
She didn't deny it. "He lied,"
"How do you know?"Lucien glanced at her.
Aeris looked at her reflection faintly in the carriage window.
For just a second—
Her shadow blinked before she did.
"I can tell," she answered.
As the carriage pulled away from House Dreyce,
Aeris felt something settle in her chest.
[End of the chapter 6.]