The doors closed behind him.
Silence filled the chamber immediately.
The space was vast, stretching farther than he could see.
Tall windows let in pale sunlight, painting the polished floors.
A man sat at the far end of the room.
Seoluke Veythrone.
Calm. Perfectly composed.
Aurelian stopped in his steps instinctively.
The man's gaze rested on him, unblinking.
"…Aurelian."
The voice was soft. Gentle. Controlled.
"Come closer."
Step by step, Aurelian obeyed.
Not because he wanted to.
Because refusal felt impossible.
He stopped at a measured distance.
Seoluke did not rise.
He did not move.
He only observed.
Seconds passed. Then more.
No questions. No greetings.
Just his gaze.
Aurelian felt it deep in his chest.
He is measuring me.
Not as a father.
As something else.
"…You woke up differently today."
The words were casual.
Almost idle.
Aurelian's mind tightened instantly.
"…I apologize, Father. I am still… adjusting."
Safe words. Vague, careful.
Seoluke's smile remained unchanged.
"Adjusting," he repeated softly.
"…Interesting choice of word."
Silence returned.
Then, a quiet chuckle.
"Tell me, Aurelian… what do you remember?"
A trap.
Aurelian did not rush.
He paused long enough to seem natural.
"…My name. This house. Basic matters."
A slight hesitation.
"…And… the Order of Rose Garuda."
Seoluke's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
Just once.
"…Ah."
The single sound carried weight.
"Then your condition is… better than expected."
Expected.
Aurelian caught it but did not react.
Seoluke leaned back slightly, gaze never leaving him.
"Do you know what Rose Garuda is?"
Aurelian shook his head.
"…Only the name."
Truth. Carefully controlled.
Seoluke smiled lightly.
"Good."
The answer came too quickly. Too smoothly.
"Then there is no need to burden you with unnecessary understanding."
Aurelian felt it.
Not protection.
Control.
Seoluke rose effortlessly.
Natural. Precise.
The moment he stood, the atmosphere shifted.
Subtle. Undeniable.
"Knowledge, Aurelian… is not something one should consume recklessly."
He began to walk. Slowly.
Each step exact.
"There are truths in this world that do not enlighten…"
He stopped beside Aurelian.
"…They distort."
Aurelian's breath slowed.
The memory of the trumpet surfaced.
The flood of knowledge, the pain, all returned.
Seoluke's gaze shifted slightly.
Not to his face.
To his hands.
"…You touched something."
Not a question. A statement.
Aurelian's fingers tightened slightly.
"…Yes."
Silence.
Then a soft hum of amusement.
"I see."
Seoluke turned away.
"No need to explain."
Which meant he already understood.
Or worse—he expected it.
"Tell me, Aurelian."
Seoluke walked back toward his seat.
"What did it feel like?"
Aurelian hesitated.
Not because he did not know.
Because he knew too well.
"…Like something entered my mind… that shouldn't be there."
"…And refused to leave."
Seoluke sat.
"…Mm."
Approval. Subtle, yet present.
"That means you did not reject it."
Aurelian's eyes narrowed slightly.
Seoluke continued.
"Most do."
They break. Collapse. Forget themselves.
"You, however… remained."
Silence stretched.
"Do you know what that means?"
Aurelian did not answer.
Seoluke did.
"It means you are… usable."
The word lingered.
Not gifted. Not talented.
Usable.
Seoluke leaned forward slightly.
"For now, you will rest."
A pause.
"Observe."
Another pause.
"And do not seek answers on your own."
The smile deepened.
"That would be… unfortunate."
Aurelian understood.
It was not advice.
It was a boundary.
"…Yes, Father."
Seoluke waved his hand lightly.
A dismissal.
Before Aurelian could turn, Seoluke spoke again.
"Aurelian. Stay away from the eastern wing."
Aurelian's heartbeat slowed slightly.
"…Understood."
Seoluke's gaze lingered.
Something beneath the smile shifted.
Not warmth. Not cruelty.
Interest.
"You resemble her… a little more today."
Aurelian's thoughts froze.
Her?
Seoluke said nothing more.
He simply smiled and looked away.
"Go."
Aurelian turned and walked.
Steady. Controlled.
Only when the doors closed behind him did thoughts move again.
Her.
The sealed wing.
The presence behind that door.
"…What kind of family did I end up in…?"
Far behind him, inside the chamber, Seoluke sat in silence.
His fingers rested lightly against the armrest.
His gaze fixed on the closed doors.
Seconds passed.
Then a quiet breath escaped him.
A smile followed.
Not wide. Not forced.
Just enough.
"…It begins."
A faint chuckle slipped into the silence.
Soft. Measured. Almost pleased.
As if something had finally moved as expected.
As if a piece had taken its rightful place.
Somewhere within the mansion, something else had already taken notice.