The girl—Alari—slept for the first time in days.Wrapped in Kael's cloak, she rested near a lantern Seren kept watch beside.Vaelrix sat by the temple's broken arch, eyes never leaving the altar.
The crown was still there.Blackened. Silent.But not… finished.
🌑 The Trap Revealed
Kael approached it cautiously, divine light faint in his fingertips.
"It's no longer whispering," Seren said.
"No," Kael replied. "It's listening."
He traced a circle in the air above the crown, using a Celestine symbol for "memory."Suddenly—a shockwave of dark light burst upward.
They were thrown back, not in pain—but into vision.
🕯️ The Withered Court Speaks
A shadowy figure formed in the center of the blast—a man in tattered royal robes, wearing a crown made of bone and starlight.
He didn't look like a monster.He looked like someone who had once loved the light… and been shattered by it.
"If you hear this, then we have failed to turn her."
"So now… we offer you truth."
"Elarion cannot save everyone. He chooses the few—and damns the many."
"We are the voice for the forgotten."
🌌 Kael Tries to Speak—But the Crown Pushes Back
He opens his mouth to respond, to call out in Celestine…
But the shadow's voice tightens around his chest like a fist.
"You were not meant to speak that tongue, mortal.It was ours once too."
Kael falls to one knee.Seren draws her bow.Vaelrix steps forward, wings rising with light—but the vision begins to break.
The figure fades, his last words haunting:
"If you find her, tell her the choice is still hers.And when the time comes...let her see who really remembers her name."
💠 The Crown is Silent… and Cracked
When they return to themselves, the crown has split in half.
Kael breathes heavily.Alari stirs, whispering:
"They'll send another."
🎭 What It Means:
The Withered Court left a message buried in the crown—a conditional threat.
They acknowledge Alari's decision… but they will not give up on her.
The figure seen was likely a former celestial, or even a fallen herald of Elarion.
And most chillingly… they once spoke Celestine too.