[House Veyrath — The Same Night — Training Ground]
The night had settled over House Veyrath, casting long shadows across its sandstone corridors. Bronze lamps illuminated the carved pillars, while the desert wind whispered through the open lattice windows.
An attendant carrying a bundle of fresh training cloths was passing the guardian pillar when—
WHOOOSHHHH!
A violent gust swept through the corridor, scattering dust and sending the bronze bells beneath the eaves into a sudden frenzy. The attendant stumbled, shielding his face as the wind roared around him.
Then, as abruptly as it had appeared, the wind vanished and the bundle slipped from his hands when he saw the little girl lie motionless beside the guardian pillar, her dark hair scattered across her pale face.
"Lady Seyra?"
He rushed to her side and dropped to his knees. When she failed to respond to his gentle touch, fear seized him. He checked her breathing and felt a faint breath against his fingers.
She was alive, but unconscious.
"Lady Seyra!"
He glanced around the deserted corridor. There had been no footsteps, no approaching carriage, and no one else in sight. Yet the young lady of House Veyrath was lying on the cold stone floor as though the wind itself had deposited her there.
He dared not waste another moment. Gathering her carefully into his arms, he hurried towards the main residence.
"BUTLER RENN! WE NEED THE PHYSICIAN!"
His shout echoed through the halls, drawing startled servants from their chambers. Before anyone could question him, he reached the inner hall, where Butler Renn emerged from his office.
Renn’s expression changed the instant he saw the unconscious child.
"What happened to her?"
"I—I don’t know, sir!" the attendant stammered. "I was walking past the guardian pillar when a terrible gust struck me. When I opened my eyes, Lady Seyra was lying there. There was no one else!"
Renn immediately took Seyra into his arms, supporting her head as he examined her pale face. "Send for the physician. Now."
The servants scattered to obey.
Renn carried Seyra towards her chamber, his usual composure strained by the sight of the little girl who had somehow returned from the Imperial Palace without her escort. She had left House Veyrath that morning full of excitement, carrying cookies Mira had packed for her. Now she lay limp in his arms, and no one could explain how she had come to be there.
"Inform Mira and have her prepare the chamber, then send a message to the palace. Find where is Sir Ravian and Captain Ishtar are."
"Yes, Master Renn."
By the time they reached Seyra’s room, Mira had already arrived. Her hair was hastily braided, and a shawl hung loosely around her shoulders. The moment she saw Seyra, she hurried to the bedside.
"My lady..." She took Seyra’s small hand, rubbing it gently between her palms.
"Please wake up. What...what has happened?"
Renn carefully laid the child on her bed.
As the physician prepared his medicine, a servant arrived with warm water and clean cloths. Mira remained beside Seyra, refusing to release her hand, while Renn stepped into the corridor to organize the household’s response.
The estate had already begun to stir. Guards were being summoned, the gates placed under stricter watch, and messengers dispatched to the Imperial Palace. No one knew how Seyra had returned, and the uncertainty troubled Renn more than he cared to admit.
His gaze drifted towards the training ground at the end of the corridor.
The guardian pillar stood there, ancient carvings worn smooth by generations of hands. It had witnessed countless ceremonies and prayers, yet no one had ever reported anything unusual happening around it.
Until tonight.
Inside the chamber, the physician suddenly paused.
The bronze lamps had flickered, though no wind entered through the closed windows. For the briefest instant, he felt a strange pressure pass through the room, unlike any flow of Aether he had encountered in his years of service.
He turned towards the doorway, but the sensation had already disappeared. Near Seyra’s bed, seven faint glimmers shimmered in the shadows.
White. Crimson. Sapphire. Emerald. Gold. Violet-black. Silver.
They lasted only a heartbeat before fading from sight; the physician saw nothing, and neither did Mira, but the seven guardians remained close to the sleeping child, invisible to every human eye.
***
[Two Days Later — House Veyrath]
"Finally! I can sleep for an entire day without anyone dragging me out of bed."
Captain Kharzen stretched both arms above his head as the company of knights entered the outer courtyard of House Veyrath. Dust clung to their boots and travel cloaks, and the long journey back from Azrath Desert had left even the most disciplined soldiers eager for a proper meal and a few hours of rest.
Captain Darian glanced at him. "An entire day? I can already picture the servants carrying your meals to your bed because you refuse to get up."
Kharzen grinned. "Now that sounds like the sort of service a loyal subordinate deserves."
"You are a captain, not a prince."
"A tragic oversight on the part of Malik."
A few knights chuckled, their exhaustion briefly forgotten.
Vaerun Veyrath walked ahead of them, paying little attention to the exchange. His dark travelling cloak stirred in the breeze, and his silver eyes were fixed on the small parcel in his hand. Inside the cloth bag were honey cakes purchased from a merchant along the road. The little wooden box tucked beneath his arm contained the gift he had promised to bring home.
He had chosen both carefully.
The honey cakes were sweeter than the ones prepared at House Veyrath, and the box held something he suspected Seyra would appreciate.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"She will love it," he murmured.
Kharzen, walking close enough to hear him, glanced at the parcel. "Should we prepare the entire household for Lady Seyra’s arrival, Azram? I suspect she will make enough noise to wake the dead."
Darian snorted.
Vaerun said nothing more, but his thoughts had already travelled ahead of him.
He could picture Seyra the moment she heard his footsteps. She would abandon whatever mischief occupied her attention, race across the hall with her short legs moving as quickly as they could, and throw herself at him without the slightest concern for his dignity. Then she would begin talking, probably about three unrelated matters at once, and insist that he listen to every word.
He would pretend to be inconvenienced; she would accuse him of being a terrible father.
He would give her the honey cakes.
The image was so vivid that the faint smile remained on his face as he crossed beneath the great bronze arch bearing the crest of House Veyrath.
Then he stepped into the main courtyard and stopped.
The courtyard was empty.
No attendants hurried to receive their master, no guards stood at their usual posts, and even the servants who normally gathered near the entrance to exchange news of the returning knights were nowhere to be seen.
Vaerun’s smile disappeared; behind him, Kharzen lowered his arms and looked around.
"That is strange; where is everyone?"
The knights exchanged uneasy glances. House Veyrath was rarely silent, even during the late hours of the night. There was always the sound of servants carrying supplies, guards changing shifts, or kitchen workers arguing over some trivial matter.
Today, there was nothing.
Kharzen’s expression sobered. "The house is unusually quiet."
Vaerun did not answer as he walked towards the entrance; a side door opened, and the household physician stepped out. He was carrying a leather medical satchel, his expression weary, as though he had spent the past two days without proper rest.
Behind the physician stood Butler Renn, whose usually immaculate robes were creased and whose expression had grown considerably more severe than usual.
"The High Priest will arrive shortly," Renn was saying quietly.
The physician nodded. "I will remain until he has examined the child. I shall get the new herbs."
Vaerun heard every word.
The child.
His fingers tightened around the parcel.
"What is going on here?"
His voice echoed through the hall, and both men flinched. Renn turned immediately and bowed. "We welcome the Azram home."
The physician followed suit. "May the Seven bless your return, Azram."
"Enough."
The single word silenced them.
Vaerun’s silver eyes moved from Renn to the physician and then to the medical satchel in the older man’s hand.
"I asked a question. Why is the physician leaving my residence? Why are my guards missing from their posts? And why," he continued, his voice growing colder, "does my household look as though it is preparing for a funeral?"
Neither man answered quickly enough.
Vaerun took one step forward.
"Speak."
Renn opened his mouth, but no words came.
That hesitation was a mistake.
The wind swept through the hall. The physician instinctively lowered his head, while Renn’s shoulders stiffened beneath the pressure of his master’s elemental power.
Vaerun had returned from the desert expecting to find his home waiting for him. Instead, he had been greeted by an empty courtyard, a physician, and two men who seemed afraid to tell him what had happened.
His patience had already begun to wear thin, as he turned away from them.
"Where is Seyra?"
The question fell into the silence like a blade.
Renn’s face changed. It was a small movement, barely noticeable to anyone who did not know him well. But Vaerun saw it.
And whatever patience remained in him vanished.
He strode down the corridor without waiting for an answer. Kharzen and Darian followed immediately. They reached Seyra’s chamber within moments.
Inside, Mira was kneeling beside the bed, holding a small cloth in her hands. Another servant stood near the window, while the faint scent of medicinal herbs lingered in the air.
Then Vaerun saw the bed and the little girl lying upon it.
Seyra was motionless beneath the light blanket, her dark hair spread across the pillow. Her face was pale, and her small hands rested beside her body. She looked far too still for a child who had never seemed capable of remaining quiet for more than a handful of breaths.
For several seconds, Vaerun did not move.
The honey cakes crinkled beneath his fingers.
Slowly, he approached the bed. Mira looked up and immediately bowed her head. The other servants followed, trembling as the Azram stopped beside Seyra.
Vaerun stared down at his daughter for a while without speaking.
"Why is she sleeping at this hour?"
His voice was quiet but no one answered.
He glanced towards Mira. "Did she stay awake waiting for me?"
Mira’s lips parted, but she could not bring herself to speak.
Vaerun looked at the physician.
"Is she ill?"
No one moved and no one answered and then his silver eyes swept across the room.
"It appears the people in this house have developed a death wish."
His silver eyes swept across the room.
"Very well."
He raised the sword slightly.
"Then I shall honour my blade with fresh blood."