Chapter 74| A Word Too Heavy— Guardians

Vincent and Arthur sat in silence as hours passed in a brutal blur. The chamber was lit dimly by a single lamp perched on a corner shelf, casting elongated shadows on the walls. The silence between them was not born of peace, but rather the kind of quiet that settled over a battlefield once the dust had cleared. Both men sat stiffly, their expressions unreadable, each wrapped in a web of memory and foreboding.

Caelric had stood up moments ago and was wandering around the halls. His footsteps echoed softly across the worn marble floors, the sound muted but constant. He ran his fingers along the faded tapestries lining the corridor walls, occasionally pausing to squint at the motifs stitched into their fibers — symbols of the past, of forgotten wars and once-glorious victories. He did not speak. He did not need to.