The carriage rolled through the gates of the White Rose capital just as the evening bells began to ring.The city was already alive with the festival. Banners in silver and gold hung from every building. Lanterns were being strung across the streets, their soft glow catching the fading light. Crowds moved through the main thoroughfare—merchants hauling carts, nobles in silk carriages, performers juggling fire for laughing children.Lucian watched it all through the window, his shades hiding the silver glow of his eyes.The capital was massive. Nothing like Trench Town. This was the heart of the White Rose Kingdom, and every brick, every banner, every polished stone screamed power.Garrett directed the carriage away from the main roads, toward a quieter district near the city's eastern wall.The inn he had chosen was modest, tucked between a bakery and a closed shop. The kind of place where travelers came and went without questions.Inside, Garrett had already arranged their rooms. Two

The silence in the dining room stretched. Just an intense gaze between the Emperor and King Cyrus the Third."What about... Cassian's letter? How is he doing?" King Cyrus stammered.The Emperor hesitated. He held the wine up and just stared at the cup."Red is such a beautiful color," the Emperor said. "I wonder how you manage to keep this kingdom white when it should be the same as this wine."He poured the wine over a white loaf. The bread absorbed the red, staining deep until It was no longer white but stained."Red? Is that what you mean?" King Cyrus asked."No," the Emperor answered. "A few weeks back, I had an encounter with a Devil associate. It was new to me. But for an Emperor to be invaded? It didn't sit right.""What? A whole Emperor attacked? What were the Night-Suns thinking?" King Cyrus let out."At first I thought it was war. But the Night-Suns aren't as strong as before. They're scattered. Too weak to go against me." The Emperor continued."Don't be deceived. The Devil

Isabel remained frozen in place. Her heart was still racing from the fat man's aggressive approach, but now a different kind of fear had settled into her chest. The Bloodgrave in front of her knew her real name. He knew about Lucian. He knew about their disguise.She forced her voice steady. "I have to go now."She took a step back, but Sol's voice stopped her."You might want to stick around with me. I can show you around the capital."Isabel shook her head. "I don't trust strangers."Sol smiled, calm and knowing. "My master is planning something against yours."Isabel's blood went cold. She had suspected the Bloodgrave family was dangerous the moment Skylar approached Lucian at registration. But hearing it confirmed, hearing that there was a plan, made the threat feel immediate.She didn't want to ask. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. But she needed to know."What is that?" she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.Sol laughed. It was a soft so

The crossroads appeared without warning. One path stretched forward into the endless forest, the other veered left into darkness. Lucian and Skylar took the left path without hesitation. The tunnel entrance was carved into the earth, its mouth wide and dark, swallowing the light from the forest behind them.They stepped inside and the air turned cold and still. The sounds of the race died away. Their footsteps echoed off the rough stone walls, soft and hollow. The tunnel stretched forward into blackness.Lucian could see perfectly. His False Sight painted the walls in white lines, the path ahead clear as day. He was still Light. still a blind fighter. He would play the role until he couldn't anymore.Skylar walked beside him, his hands in his pockets, his steps unhurried. He didn't seem bothered by the dark. He didn't seem bothered by anything.They walked in silence for a long time. The tunnel twisted and turned, branching into smaller passages that led to more tunnels. Other contes

The buzzer silenced.The white room settled into a low hum. Contestants were scattered everywhere, resting against walls, sitting on the floor, some lying flat on their backs. A few were still catching their breath. Others were already scanning the room, sizing up the competition.Lucian stood near the center. His body was still. His breathing was steady. The drain from False Light had faded, but he could still feel the hollow pull where his essence had been.Skylar stood beside him, hands in his pockets, looking at the room like he was already bored.The room was filled with high nobles who had come down from the viewing boxes. They moved through the crowd, studying the contestants with cold, appraising eyes. Some wore fine silks. Others had weapons strapped to their sides, ornate things that looked more like art than tools.Lucian took them in. The polished steel, the glowing hilts, the way some of the contestants held themselves like they had already won. He filed it all away.A