Stone

Sebastian glanced at Legareth and said softly, "Let's go downstairs."

"Yeah," Legareth nodded, following him down the creaky steps.

As they reached the living area, Legareth turned to Oliver. "I should probably head out now."

Oliver looked up from where he was washing vegetables in the kitchen sink. "The rain's coming down hard. You should stay here tonight — it's not safe out there in this weather."

Legareth walked to the window, watching the sheets of rain pounding against the glass. He gave a small, grateful smile. "Alright then. I'll stay."

Sebastian quietly settled onto the sofa and reached up to the nearby bookshelf. Pulling out a book, he glanced over at Legareth. "You can pick one too, if you want. There are some good ones here."

Legareth smiled, touched by the gesture. "Thanks." He walked over and chose a book for himself, flipping it open as he sat beside Sebastian.

After a moment of quiet reading, Legareth looked over at Sebastian and asked, "So… do you work anywhere?"

Sebastian wrinkled his nose slightly and shook his head. "Nope."

Legareth chuckled at his expression, finding it unexpectedly endearing.

Meanwhile, Oliver was in the kitchen, humming to himself as he prepared dinner — the comforting scent of herbs and broth slowly filling the house, wrapping them all in a warm, domestic calm.

—

In the quiet of his bedroom, James sat on the velvet sofa, his eyes scanning a stack of documents. Behind him, a knight stood at attention, waiting silently.

Without looking up, James asked, "Where is Prince Legareth?"

The knight replied, "He said he had business outside the palace."

James frowned. "Did you remind him he's the crown prince? He's not allowed to wander freely without notice."

"We did, Your Highness," the knight answered carefully. "But he told us not to give him orders."

James let out a long sigh and placed the documents aside. "Fine then." He stood up, straightening his robe. "I want to meet with Father."

The knight nodded. "I'll prepare the royal carriage."

He exited promptly. Moments later, magic shimmered through the air outside the palace gates, forming the ornate royal carriage from thin air. Its golden crest gleamed under the sun.

James stepped outside, his thoughts still tangled with worry. He climbed into the carriage without a word. Behind him, a row of royal knights followed on horseback, their armor gleaming.

As the carriage rolled forward, James leaned back, gazing out the window. Sebastian… the dark magic user. If he can control that power… maybe there's still hope for peace.

—

Noah was lounging in the office of the Knights of Lunaris, his legs casually propped up on the table, leaning back in the chair with a bored expression on his face.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Kaereth stepped in, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

"You do know we have a mountain of work to handle, right?" Kaereth said flatly, clearly irritated.

Noah let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "So what do you expect me to do?"

Kaereth's brows furrowed. He crossed the room and sank onto the nearby sofa, arms crossed. "If you're going to keep acting like this, then I'll just take care of it myself."

Noah glanced at him, smirking faintly. "Fine. Do whatever you want."

Without another word, Kaereth got up and walked over to the chair, picking up the stack of reports from the desk and getting to work, his silence a mix of frustration and quiet resolve.

Kaereth cast one last glance at Noah before leaving the office. His boots echoed softly down the marble hallway as he walked, his mind busy with the growing list of tasks he had taken upon himself.

Just then, a magic knight hurried toward him, stopping with a slight bow. "Prince Kaereth."

Kaereth turned to him, brows furrowing. "What is it?"

"The family stone… It's changing. I believe it's beginning to darken."

Kaereth's eyes widened, his voice tense. "What? Where is it now?"

"In your chambers, Your Highness," the knight replied.

Without hesitation, Kaereth broke into a swift stride toward his room. When he entered, his gaze locked onto the glowing stone on the pedestal — once vibrant with flames, now flickering with strange, dark undertones.

"This… can't be possible," Kaereth muttered, stepping closer.

The knight followed him in. "Should we destroy the stone?"

Kaereth shook his head firmly. "No. Not yet. I need to understand what's happening."

He stared into the dimming firelight within the stone. "Every noble family has a magical family stone, tied to their unique magic. Ours has always carried the royal flame — the purest form of fire magic. If it's darkening… it might mean something, or someone, is connected to our bloodline and has awakened something strange."

The knight nodded. "Shall I begin searching for someone related to your family, perhaps someone previously unknown?"

"Yes," Kaereth said without hesitation. "Find them. And keep this quiet."

"As you command." The knight bowed and quickly exited the room, leaving Kaereth alone with the flickering stone and a rising sense of dread in his chest.

—

Dinner was ready. Sebastian crept around the table, setting the plates with practiced ease. The warm aroma of soup and roasted vegetables filled the room. Ignareth took a seat, watching Sebastian for a moment before settling in.

Oliver followed shortly after, placing the last dish down and smiling. "Alright, let's eat."

They all sat around the table. Ignareth took his first spoonful of soup, pausing as the flavor hit his tongue. A small smile appeared on his face.

"This soup… It's really good," he said genuinely.

Oliver chuckled, clearly pleased. "Ah, thank you. I'm glad you like it."

Sebastian ate quietly, eyes downcast. He didn't say a word, just listened as the others spoke.

Halfway through the meal, Ignareth glanced at him, then casually spoke. "Oh right, we forgot to mention—we were robbed at the market today."

Oliver's eyes widened in alarm. "What? Are you both alright?"

Ignareth nodded, relaxed. "Yeah. It was handled. Sebastian caught the thief."

Oliver turned to Sebastian, who kept his gaze fixed on his plate, avoiding Oliver's eyes.

"You did?" Oliver asked softly.

Sebastian simply nodded without looking up, his face unreadable.

There was a short pause around the table, filled only by the clinking of spoons against ceramic. The air felt heavier for a moment, but the warmth of the meal carried on.