"Father!" Rory's scream pierced through the music of the festival. She shoved through the crowd, her voice raw, as a gleam of lantern light caught the arrow already in flight, a sliver of death aimed straight for Lord Sylvana's heart.
Romeus was a blur beside her, his boots pounding the grass. "Move!" he shouted, shoving a noble out of his way. Rory's heart hammered, her legs burning as she sprinted toward the platform.
Her mana was shot, a hollow, aching void in her chest. The single point left felt like a dying ember, and a dull headache throbbed behind her eyes with every heartbeat. The System pinged, urgent but useless: Warning: Mana Critically Low (1/10). Spellcasting Unstable. Immediate Action Required.
"No kidding," she muttered, her silver dress catching on a dancer's arm. She yanked free, the fabric ripping. There was no time for magic, no time for anything but instinct. Her Spark training in the courtyard, the sensation of channeling anger into flame, sharpened her focus.. The arrow was seconds away.
Romeus reached the platform first, leaping onto it with a grunt. He tackled Lord Sylvana, knocking him to the ground. The arrow grazed his shoulder, tearing his tunic, and buried itself in the wooden stage with a thud.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Rory skidded to a stop, her breath ragged, relief flooding her chest. Her father was alive. Barely.
Lord Sylvana shoved Romeus off, his face red with fury. "Draconis filth!" he roared, clutching his shoulder where blood seeped through. "You dare touch me?"
"It wasn't him!" Rory shouted, climbing onto the platform. Her gloves were slick with sweat, her scabbed hands stinging beneath them. "The arrow was meant for you! Calen's behind it!"
Calen stepped forward from the crowd, his gold robes pristine, his silver ring glinting. His smile didn't move, but his eyes went dead, the warmth vanishing like a snuffed candle.
His voice, however, stayed calm. "Lady Juliette, such accusations," he said, smooth as honey. "You point fingers while a Draconis attacks your father. Perhaps you're confused by your… loyalties." His gaze flicked to Romeus, heavy with meaning.
Rory's stomach twisted. He was twisting this, pinning it on Romeus. The crowd murmured, their eyes darting between her, Romeus, and Calen.
Lord Sylvana stood, his face dark. "Explain yourself, Juliette," he said, his voice cold. "Why should I believe you over Lord Calen?"
She opened her mouth, but the words stuck. No proof. Just her word against Calen's, and her father's trust in her was thinner than her dorm room's walls.
Romeus stood, his hand on his sword, his gray eyes locked on Calen. "She's telling the truth," he said, his voice low but firm. "I heard the same thing. Calen's planning something, and it's not peace."
The crowd's murmurs grew louder.
Calen laughed, a sharp sound that cut through the noise. "A Draconis defending a Sylvana? How quaint. Guards, seize him for attempted murder."
Rory's heart stopped. "No!" She stepped in front of Romeus, her hands raised. "He saved you, Father! Calen's the one you should be grabbing!"
The guards hesitated, their spears glinting in the lantern light.
Lord Sylvana's eyes narrowed, flicking between her and Calen. "Enough," he said, his voice like a whip. "Both of you, to the manor. We'll settle this now."
***
The manor's council chamber was a cold, stone-walled room, lit by flickering torches that cast shadows on the walls.
Rory stood beside Romeus, her dress torn and dirty, her gloves hiding the blood crusting her hands. Lord Sylvana sat at a long table, his advisors on either side, their faces grim. Calen stood across from them, his smile gone, his ring catching the torchlight. Lyssa was nowhere in sight, probably hiding in the kitchens.
"Speak," Lord Sylvana said, his voice heavy. "Juliette, you claim Lord Calen plotted my death. Where's your proof?"
Rory's throat was dry, her headache pounding harder. "I overheard him last night, in the kitchens. He said an arrow would strike at midnight, and Draconis would take the blame. Lyssa was with him, wearing a ring like his." She pointed at Calen's hand. "That ring is Thornbound, which is associated with a cult linked to the Starheart."
Calen's smile didn't move, but his eyes went dead, the warmth vanishing like a snuffed candle. His voice, however, stayed calm. "A maid's gossip and a Draconis's word? My lord, your daughter is swayed by her bodyguard's lies. House Draconis has always coveted Sylvana's power. This attack proves it."
Romeus's hand tightened on his sword, but he didn't move. "Check the arrow," he said, his voice rough. "It's not Draconis-made. The fletching's too fine, the shaft too light. It's Valen craftsmanship."
Rory's eyes widened. He was right. She hadn't noticed, but the arrow's feathers had a faint gold tint, like Calen's robes.
Her father's advisor, a wiry elf with sharp eyes, nodded. "Bring the arrow," he said to a guard.
The guard returned, holding the arrow carefully. Its shaft was pale wood, the feathers shimmering gold.
Lord Sylvana's face darkened as he examined it. "Valen make," he muttered, his eyes flicking to Calen.
Calen's smile faltered, just for a second. "A forgery," he said quickly. "Planned to frame me. My lord, you know my loyalty."
Rory's anger flared, her chest tight. She couldn't let him slither out of this. "Then explain the ring," she said, stepping forward. "Lyssa had one too, until she hid it. And the symbol under the dining table, a thorned circle. It's Thornbound, and you're part of it."
Lord Sylvana's eyes narrowed. "A symbol? Show me."
***
She led them to the dining hall, her boots echoing on the marble floor. The table was still set from last night, goblets and plates scattered. She knelt, pulling back the tablecloth to reveal the carved thorned circle.
The wood was rough under her gloved fingers, the symbol's edges sharp, as if it were freshly cut.
Her father's face paled. "The Thornbound," he whispered, his voice shaky for the first time. "They're real."
Calen's jaw tightened, but he stayed calm. "A coincidence, my lord. Surely you don't believe this… fantasy."
Lord Sylvana stood, his eyes hard. "We'll investigate. Juliette, Romeus, you're confined to the manor until we find Lyssa and question her. Calen, you remain under watch."
Rory's relief was short-lived. Confined? She needed to move, to dig deeper.
The System pinged: Quest Progress: Assassination Thwarted. New Objective: Find Starheart Fragment in Sylvana Vault. Reward: Mana Boost. Time Limit: 48 hours.
"A vault?" she muttered, glancing at Romeus. His eyes met hers, a silent question. She nodded slightly. They had to keep moving.
***
That night, the manor was quiet. The chaos of the festival had been replaced by an eerie stillness.
Rory and Romeus slipped through the halls, her Illusion Magic making them look like servants. Her headache throbbed, a dull pulse that made her vision blur at the edges, but she pushed through.
The vault was in the manor's depths, behind a stone door carved with runes. Romeus picked the lock with a dagger, his hands steady despite the guards patrolling nearby.
"You sure about this?" he whispered, his breath warm against her neck.
The memory of their kiss in the alcove made her face heat, but she shoved it down.
"System says there's a Starheart fragment in there," she said, keeping her voice low. "If it's tied to the Thornbound, we need it."
He nodded, pushing the door open.
The vault was a small room, its walls lined with shelves of dusty tomes and glowing artifacts. In the center, on a pedestal, sat a jagged crystal, pulsing red like a heartbeat.
Rory's skin prickled. It felt alive, wrong, like the dagger in the grove.
She reached for it, her glove brushing the crystal.
Agony, white-hot and intelligent, lanced up her arm. It felt less like touching a stove and more like the crystal had bitten her. She yelped, snatching her hand back to find her glove smoldering, the skin beneath already blistering.
The crystal's glow flared, and a voice echoed in her head, deep and cold: You are not worthy.
The System pinged: Warning: Starheart Fragment Activated. Mana Overload Detected. Seek Medical Attention.
Romeus grabbed her arm, his eyes wide. "What the hell was that?"
Before she could answer, footsteps echoed outside the vault.
A guard's voice shouted, "Intruders!"