Chapter 6: The Eyes That Watch from the Dark
The bells of the Church of the Veiled Night rang before dawn.
the gentle chimes that marked prayer hours replaced by the low, deliberate toll reserved for matters of gravity. Each echo rolled through the stone corridors like a warning whispered directly into the bones.
Inspector Halbrecht adjusted his gloves as he ascended the narrow spiral stairs beneath the cathedral.
He did not rush or panic by the sound.
Rushing was for men who feared what awaited them.Halbrecht had learned long ago that fear was a luxury—one the Church did not permit.
The chamber at the top of the stairs was dimly lit, its tall arched windows covered with heavy black drapes embroidered with silver constellations. Candles burned steadily along the circular table at the center of the room, their flames unnaturally still.
Three figures were already present.
Bishop Vareen sat at the head of the table, his thin fingers resting atop a leather-bound scripture. His eyes were closed, lips moving in silent prayer. Though his robes were immaculate, the faint scent of incense could not fully mask the metallic tang of blood magic that clung to him.
To Vareen's left stood Sister Maribel, her posture rigid, hands folded before her. Her expression was calm, almost gentle—but Halbrecht knew better. Maribel had personally overseen at least six "purifications" in the past year alone.
On the right lounged Inquisitor Darius Kelm.
He did not rise when Halbrecht entered.
Darius leaned back in his chair, boots crossed atop the table, fingers lazily spinning a silver insignia between them. His smile was sharp, eyes glittering with cruel amusement.
"Well," Darius drawled, "if it isn't the Veiled Night's favorite hound."
Halbrecht ignored him and bowed toward Bishop Vareen.
"You summoned me, Your Grace."
Vareen opened his eyes.
"They dream," the bishop said.the Bishop said without any pleasantries.
Halbrecht stiffened slightly. "The academy?"
"Yes," Vareen replied. "The seal has stirred."
Sister Maribel spoke next, her voice soft but firm. "At precisely the third bell before dawn. The fluctuation was brief, but unmistakable."
Darius chuckled. "Brief is still one too many."
Halbrecht removed his gloves slowly. "Which one?"
"The princess," Vareen said. "And the boy."
Silence followed.
Halbrecht's jaw tightened. "Both?"
Maribel nodded. "Their resonance overlapped."
Darius whistled. "How romantic."
Halbrecht shot him a warning glance before turning back to the bishop. "That confirms our suspicions."
Vareen leaned forward. "Explain."
"The curse on the Crown Princess is no longer dormant," Halbrecht said. "It has begun to synchronize with the anomaly."
Maribel's fingers twitched. "The transmigrated soul."
Halbrecht inclined his head. "Lucien Arkwright."
Darius's smile widened. "I told you he was trouble the moment he survived the awakening."
"He was never meant to awaken at all," Maribel said coldly. "The ritual failed."
"Or succeeded too well," Darius countered.
Vareen raised a hand, silencing them.
"Enough."
The bishop turned his gaze toward Halbrecht. "What do you recommend, Inspector?"
Halbrecht hesitated , only briefly.
"Increased surveillance," he said. "Immediate pressure. We need to provoke a response."
Maribel frowned. "That risks accelerating the seal's collapse."
"Yes," Halbrecht agreed. "But stagnation is worse. The thing beneath the academy feeds on ignorance."
Darius leaned forward, interest sharpening his gaze. "Finally. Something fun."
Maribel glared at him. "This is not a game."
Darius shrugged. "Everything is a game. The Church just pretends otherwise."
Vareen stood.
"The academy will host a Sanctified Examination," he declared. "Within the week."
Halbrecht's eyes widened slightly. "That will expose all students to divine scrutiny."
"Precisely," Vareen said. "If the anomaly reacts, we will see it."
"And if the princess reacts?" Maribel asked.
Vareen's voice was calm. "Then the Crown will be reminded who truly guards this kingdom."
Darius laughed softly. "I'll prepare the Inquisition."
Halbrecht bowed once more. "I will return to the academy."
"Do not interfere unless necessary," Vareen warned. "Observe. Record. Endure."
Halbrecht replaced his gloves. "As the Veiled Night wills."
---
Blackthorn Royal Arcane Academy woke unaware of the eyes upon it.
Inspector Halbrecht blended easily among the faculty, his presence unremarkable by design. He stood near the courtyard fountain as students passed, laughing and arguing about lectures, duels, and rumors.
His gaze lingered on Princess Elowen.
She moved differently today—more guarded. Her steps were measured, her shoulders tense beneath her uniform cloak. She spoke to her companions, but her eyes flicked often toward shadows.
She remembers, Halbrecht noted.
Then there was Lucien Arkwright.
The boy stood alone near the academy wall, a book open in his hands that he was not truly reading. His attention drifted, senses stretched outward like unseen tendrils.
Halbrecht felt it.
That faint distortion in the air.
You shouldn't exist, Halbrecht thought.
Lucien's head snapped up.
For a brief moment, their gazes met.
Lucien frowned—not in recognition, but in a instinctive unease.
Halbrecht looked away first.
Interesting.
---
Sister Maribel watched from the cathedral's scrying chamber.
The mirror before her shimmered with moonlit images of the academy. Her reflection overlapped with Elowen's, their eyes aligning for a heartbeat.
Maribel inhaled sharply.
"So young," she murmured. "And already carrying a sin older than empires."
A junior priestess stood nearby, trembling slightly. "Sister… will she be purified?"
Maribel did not answer immediately.
"Purification is mercy," she said at last. "Whether she accepts it is not our concern."
---
Inquisitor Darius sharpened his blade.
He hummed cheerfully as sparks danced along the enchanted edge. To him, this was the best part—the calm before the screams.
"A princess and a monster," he mused. "What a lovely fire this will make."
---
Deep beneath the academy, stone cracked.
The seal pulsed once.
And the Church of the Veiled Night smiled.