Episode 5: The Touch
353 Words
On his second day, Lyric found an unmarked side room on the fourth floor—filled entirely with study replicas of the seven relics, labeled for academic use only.
Forty-seven perfect copies, each crafted with meticulous care. Lyric pulled on his gloves and began examining them one by one.
He was mid-inspection of the bronze mirror replica when he sensed a presence behind him.
Caspian stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, watching silently.
“How long have you been there?” Lyric asked.
“Long enough to notice you talk to the artifacts.”
“I think better out loud when appraising.” Lyric set the mirror down. “This forger knew the original mirror’s power. They copied the shape perfectly, but avoided replicating its function—they were afraid of it.”
Caspian stepped into the room, picking up a ninth-century funerary vessel replica. “Show me. The full extent of what you can do.”
Lyric stripped off his glove, taking the ceramic vessel bare-handed. He held it flat in his palm, no grip, no pressure—just open contact.
Memories flooded in, filtered through the replica to the original artifact’s ghost: a ninth-century craftswoman, aware of her own mortality, building something permanent to outlive her grief. Northern river clay, a custom glaze recipe, modern kiln marks on the replica.
Lyric opened his eyes and set the vessel down. “Original crafted by a local female artisan. Replica made within the last decade, by someone with academic access to spectral analysis of your collection.”
He looked straight at Caspian. “Your thief is an academic. They studied these relics for months, maybe years, before acting.”
Caspian stared at him, his gaze unreadable, intense. “You think better out loud with objects.”
“I do.”
“And with people?”
Lyric didn’t hesitate. “Not particularly.”
A faint, almost imperceptible tug at Caspian’s jaw hinted at a smile. “That’s unfortunate.”
He left the room without further explanation. Lyric stared at his own hands, the ghost of Caspian’s gaze still lingering on his skin.
- Writer
