Through Aetherland: A Faint Light Rewrites the Crown

Chapter 7: Interrogation, Hidden Plots, and Looming Danger

The air in the cottage hung thick and stagnant, so still it might have been carved from stone. The only sound was the ragged, labored breathing of the bound member of the mysterious organization, mixing with the occasional chirp of birds outside—a sharp, jarring contrast to the fleeting calm we’d found. Edmund tied him fast to the wooden post in the corner, shoving a tattered cloth into his mouth to muffle any cries for help, before turning to me. He brushed a gentle hand over my shoulder, his calloused fingers grazing my still-trembling palms, a silent reassurance.

“Don’t fear—he’s powerless now,” Edmund said, his voice soft but steady. His gaze flicked to the unconscious man on the floor, hardening with resolve. “When he wakes, we’ll drag the truth out of him—their motives, their numbers, why they’re so desperate to get the jade seal and the manuscript.”

I nodded, clinging to the silver bookmark in my hand. The faint warmth and resonance of the jade seal still lingered on my fingertips, the memory of activating it fresh in my mind—the dazzling silver-green glow, the surge of protective power, the man’s scream outside the door. A shiver ran down my spine. I walked to the wooden table, staring at the jade seal, the manuscript, and the two lockets laid neatly side by side, a storm of questions swirling in my head. Who was this mysterious organization? How did they know the jade seal’s secrets? How many others secretly lusted after the time-space secret the founding monarch had left behind?

Edmund joined me at the table, his hand resting lightly on the back of mine. “We’ll find answers,” he said, as if reading my thoughts. “Whatever they’re hiding, we’ll uncover it. For Aetherland—and for us.”

We waited in tense silence, the cottage’s quiet broken only by the man’s breathing and the rustle of leaves outside. After nearly an hour, his eyes fluttered open, squinting against the cottage’s dim light. He froze at the sight of us, his body tensing against the ropes, a snarl twisting his lips as he tried to speak—only muffled grunts escaped the cloth in his mouth.

Edmund leaned down, his voice cold and sharp, cutting through the hush. “I’ll take the cloth out, but if you scream, I’ll silence you for good. Understand?”

The man glared at him, his eyes filled with hatred, but he nodded slowly. Edmund pulled the cloth from his mouth, stepping back quickly to keep a safe distance.

“Who are you?” Edmund demanded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “What is your organization, and why do you want the jade seal?”

The man let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “You’ll get nothing from me. The organization will find you—sooner or later. They’ll take the seal, and Aetherland will fall. You and this little outsider will pay for what you’ve done.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words, but I stood my ground, staring back at him. “The jade seal’s power is for protection, not destruction,” I said firmly. “Whatever your organization wants, it’s not worth destroying an entire kingdom.”

“Protection?” He scoffed, spitting to the side. “You know nothing. The seal holds the power to control time itself—to rewrite the past, to conquer the future. The organization will use it to rule not just Aetherland, but all worlds. Your little ‘protection’ is a joke.”

Edmund’s jaw tightened, his grip on his sword tightening. “What is the name of your organization? How many of you are there? Where is your base?”

The man fell silent, his lips pressed into a tight line, his eyes glinting with defiance. We waited, but he refused to speak—not even when Edmund threatened to hand him over to the soldiers at Fort Glimmer, not even when I begged him to think of the innocent people who would suffer if the organization succeeded.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke again, his voice low and menacing. “Torture me all you want. I won’t betray the Order of the Eclipse. They’ll come for you—they always do. And when they do, they’ll take the seal, the manuscript, and the lockets. Your little time traveler will never get home, and you’ll watch Aetherland burn.”

“The Order of the Eclipse?” Edmund repeated, frowning. “I’ve never heard of them. What do they want with the seal’s time power?”

But the man clammed up again, shaking his head. No matter how we pressed, he refused to say another word—only glared at us, his hatred palpable.

Edmund sighed, straightening up. “We won’t get anything more from him now. We’ll tie him tighter, leave him here, and send soldiers to collect him later. We need to get back to Fort Glimmer—if the Order of the Eclipse is coming, we need to prepare.”

I nodded, my mind racing. The Order of the Eclipse—their name sent a chill down my spine. They wanted to control time, to conquer worlds. If they got their hands on the jade seal, the manuscript, and the lockets, everything we’d fought for would be lost. Aetherland would be destroyed, and I might never find my way home.

Edmund tied the man more tightly, ensuring he couldn’t escape, then grabbed the jade seal and the manuscript, tucking them securely into his cloak. He took my hand, his grip warm and reassuring.

“We’ll stop them,” he said, his voice firm. “Together. We have the jade seal, the lockets, and the manuscript. We know their name now—and that’s a start. We’ll warn the soldiers, shore up the fort’s defenses, and find out everything we can about the Order of the Eclipse. Whatever they throw at us, we’ll face it together.”

I squeezed his hand, a flicker of hope cutting through the fear. He was right—we weren’t alone. We had each other, and we had the power to protect Aetherland. But as we left the cottage, stepping back into the woods, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come. The Order of the Eclipse was out there, watching, waiting—and they wouldn’t stop until they had what they wanted.

The sun was dipping low, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. We walked hand in hand, hurrying through the woods, our eyes scanning the trees for any sign of the Order’s scouts. The woods’ quiet felt deceptive now, every rustle of leaves making me jump, every shadow looking like an enemy.

When we finally reached the edge of the woods, Fort Glimmer came into view, its stone walls glowing in the sunset. But even the familiar sight of the fort didn’t ease my worry. The Order of the Eclipse was coming—and we had little time to prepare. Our journey to protect Aetherland, to uncover the truth, and to find my way home had just grown far more dangerous.

Edmund squeezed my hand, pulling me closer. “We’ll be ready,” he whispered, his eyes fixed on the fort. “I promise.”

I nodded, but I knew—deep down—that the real fight was just beginning. And this time, the stakes were higher than ever. For Aetherland, for Edmund, and for the chance to keep our promise to each other, we had to win.