Celeste’s smile wasn’t warmth. It was careful calculation, honed over years of knowing exactly when to soften, when to cut.
In the hidden chamber, Nyra stood frozen, the echo of Celeste’s last words hanging in the air—like some blade just waiting for gravity to finish its work.
You are his inheritance.
Nyra turned the phrase over, looking for comfort and finding none. It just wouldn’t sit still. It pressed, harder and harder, insisting she find the meaning she wasn’t ready for.
Celeste watched her without blinking. Still smiling, but now Nyra saw the difference. It wasn’t kindness. Not curiosity either. It felt like being measured—one silent comparison after another against an invisible standard.
Kael was half a step behind and off to the side. He stayed quiet, but his presence fill
