~Kaida Orion POV~
The night was long, I stayed awake in the temple courtyard with my sisters beside me. Lunara slept soundly on Biat's lap. Akira, the hidden twin, lay in my arms, face pale beneath torchlight. Lupus rested nearby, shoulder aching but eyes watchful.
We awaited dawn, and the return of the whispering voice that threatened to erase our bond.
At midnight, the archive chest glowed brightest it ever had. Red, blue, and violet root light pulsed in sync. I pressed my fingers over the engravings. Deep sorrow pounded within me. If the voice spoke again, we risked losing our defense...unless we found its source.
Moon Priest murmured beside me: "The voice echo came from deep root memory...someone inside the palace with direct blood tie to tumble the third heir." We kept vigil in silence.
When dawn neared, a hush fell, the grove lay still beneath shrinking stars. From the Hollow Root, wind breathed, branches shifted.
