As Xerxus stepped into the council chamber, he was hit with air that smelled of melted wax and old parchment.
Every chair along the long oak table was filled. Nobles sat rigid in deep blue and silver robes, faces tight, eyes fixed on him.
"The crystal ceremony left a mess on the floor," a noble on the left muttered, staring at the empty space ahead. "The capital cannot afford to look weak."
"He belongs in custody, not a palace suite," another said, fingers drumming hard against the wood.
A third slammed a fist down. Silver inkwells rattled. "The strength is real. We look past the weapon, we lose the leverage."
A young noble in pale Sanctum robes sat beside his father, Councilman Harlan. His hands stayed folded in his lap, knuckles white.
Faint gold light shimmered in his eyes as his sensor energy quietly mapped the panic and ambition in the room.
Harlan leaned forward. His gold signet ring scraped across a scratch in the oak. "A fragile remnant. Or a spark waiting for dry wood. The branch lines built this house, and we are letting a wild thing sleep under our roof."
A young noblewoman near the center frowned and leaned in. "Lord Harlan, what do you mean when you say fragile remnant? Like the people who walked the earth with our ancestors?"
Harlan's gaze cut toward her. "No, Miss Caldera. That's not what I meant. Those people left legacies of ruin. This boy carries the raw spark of their undoing."
Miss Caldera held her stare. "Then do you fear the main bloodline, or do you just fear someone who possesses the same inkling Miss Leona possessed?"
Harlan's jaw locked. "I fear what follows when an unstable bloodline finally claims its dual nature."
The noble on the left leaned across the table. "Then we don't wait for a storm. We break him ourselves before he becomes a danger."
"If he's Leona's blood, we'll manage him," another said, tugging at his silver collar. "Or we risk an uprising from the lower districts."
"Silence." Harlan's voice cracked across the room. He turned toward the head of the table. "What will you do, Xerxus? You brought him inside these walls. Tell us how you intend to bind him before he ruins us all."
They are all terrified, Xerxus thought, watching their shoulders tighten and their eyes flick between one another.
They look at the boy and see the ghosts of everything they tried to bury. But… Caldera sees something different.
Xerxus rose. His palms settled flat on the wood. His shadow stretched long across the map.
"The boy is under my supervision. His presence is a matter of state, not a debate for an open floor. No actions will be taken against him without my explicit decree."
"The crown still dictates the law of this land. You would all do well to remember who stands guard over it. The palace guards are on the floor. This meeting is adjourned."
Chairs scraped hard against stone. The nobles filed out in tight clusters, muttering under their breath.
In the corridor, Harlan caught his son's arm before the crowd fully scattered.
"Tomorrow morning, I need you to get close to that boy, Remi." His fingers dug into the Sanctum wool. "Use your sensor ability. I need to know what he actually is."
"Not what Xerxus says he is. What your ability tells you he is. Bring me something I can use before the next council session."
Remi's fingers curled tight into the fabric of his robes. His eyes flicked toward the closed doors, then back to his father.
"And if his energy is too unstable to read safely?"
Harlan's grip tightened on his shoulder. "Then you force your way through it. I didn't raise a sensor to have him flinch when the stakes are this high. Do your job, Remi."
Remi lowered his head. A sharp breath left him. "Understood."
Harlan released him and walked away. Remi looked back once at the closed chamber doors. Just once.
What are you hiding, Xerxus?
He turned and followed his father down the hall.
Xerxus sat alone in the empty chamber. His eyes rested on the vacant chair at the head of the table. He pinched the nearest candle flame between thumb and forefinger. Darkness took the room. He walked out.
Later, the guest wing was freezing. The crew split without a word. Thorne and Mira walked toward their rooms. Jaeger stopped outside Kota's door.
Kota kept walking. Soft footsteps trailed him the entire way. He didn't look back.
He stepped into the room. Leiya came in right behind him and shut the door. From the hall, Mira watched them for a second, then turned away without saying anything.
Kota walked to the window and stared out at the dark streets below. "Why are you in my room?"
Leiya's voice came low but firm. "I'm staying here tonight. They looked at you like you were something to be locked away. You're not a monster and we have to make them see that…"
She stared at the side of his face, waiting for any reaction. None came.
Kota's eyes stayed fixed on the dark streets below. His shoulders didn't move.
Of course he's not listening.
Leiya let out a quiet breath while walking to the bed, she pulled back the covers, and climbed in without another word.
Outside in the corridor, footsteps were approaching.
Xerxus was coming to talk to Kota.