Asta's voice cut through the silence. Not loud, but firm enough to demand attention.Jabber didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on that same spot on the floor, his whole body rigid."Jabber." Asta repeated, leaning forward despite the pain shooting through his ribs. "Why did you take the talisman?"The question hung there. Waiting.Jabber's lips parted slightly. His throat worked like he was trying to swallow something too big to go down. His fingers dug deeper into the blanket covering his legs.‘Should I tell him the truth?’The thought whispered through Jabber's mind. His jaw clenched. Unclenched. Clenched again.‘He's going to think I'm weak. Pathetic. He's going to look at me differently.’But what was the alternative? Keep lying? Pretend it didn't happen? Act like the dragon had just randomly taken control for no reason?Jabber took a shaky breath.‘I don't need to lie.’ His hands stopped gripping the blanket quite so hard. ‘I just have to face his thoughts on what I did. W

Old man Kael stood in the doorway like he'd materialized out of thin air. His white beard caught the afternoon light streaming through the windows, making him look almost ethereal for a moment.Then he spoke, and the illusion shattered."Oh. Good. You're both out of bed." His eyes swept over them,Asta standing beside Jabber's bed, Jabber sitting up with tears still wet on his cheeks. "So you two. Come with me."Neither of them moved for a second. Just stared at him."Now?" Asta asked."Yes, now." Kael's tone left no room for argument. "The Empress doesn't like to be kept waiting."That got them moving.Asta's hand fell from Jabber's shoulder. Jabber swung his legs over the side of his bed, his bare feet hitting the cold wooden floor. Both of them were still in the thin cotton clothes the healers had changed them into,simple pants and loose shirts that were easier to work with for medical treatment.They glanced at each other. Some unspoken communication passed between them in tha

The question hung in the air like a blade suspended by a thread.Everyone went completely still. Flora's hands remained clasped in front of her, but her knuckles had gone white. Mira's arms stayed crossed, but her jaw tightened. Old man Kael stood like a statue, his expression unreadable.And Jabber just stood there, staring at the Empress with wide eyes. His mouth opened. Closed. No sound came out.The silence stretched. Five seconds. Ten. Twenty.The Empress waited patiently, her steepled fingers not moving, her sharp eyes never leaving Jabber's face. She had all the time in the world, and her posture said as much.Thirty seconds."I asked you a question, Jabber of the Sunarising Clan." Her voice was still pleasant, but there was an edge to it now. "What actually happened to you in that dungeon?"Jabber's throat worked. His lips parted again.Asta saw his friend struggling and couldn't take it anymore. The words came bursting out before he could stop them."It was the weird Crysta

The green flames around the woman's body flickered once, then died completely. They didn't fade,they just vanished, like someone had flipped a switch.She crossed the office in quick strides, her boots clicking against the marble floor. Each step was purposeful, determined, eating up the distance between her and Jabber.Then she was there, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him into a fierce embrace.Jabber's whole body shook. His hands came up, gripping the back of her shirt like he was afraid she'd disappear if he let go. A sob tore from his throat,ugly and raw and completely unguarded."I thought…" His voice was muffled against her shoulder. "The letter said you and dad were…""Shh." Her hand came up to cradle the back of his head. "Not here. We'll talk about it later."The two girls had been hanging back, but now they rushed forward."Big brother!"The older one reached him first, wrapping her arms around his waist from the side. The younger one latched onto his other s

The corridor stretched out before them, warm afternoon light cutting through the windows in golden strips across the marble floor.General Rita walked ahead, her pace easy and unhurried now. Nothing like the fierce woman who'd blown through two guards like they were made of paper. The green flames were gone. She looked almost normal. Almost.Jabber walked beside her, his younger sister perched on his shoulder like she'd been glued there. Both her small hands were tangled up in his hair, gripping tight as she balanced herself. She swung her legs back and forth against his chest, completely unbothered by the height.His other hand,his free one,hung down at his side. The older sister had slipped her fingers into it without a word, her smaller hand disappearing almost entirely inside his. She walked quietly, matching his pace step for step, her eyes drifting up to his face every few seconds like she was checking to make sure he was still there.Jabber's thumb moved instinctively, rubbing