The day after the afternoon in the gardens, Kael woke up with a strange feeling. He had slept. Actually slept. Not a few hours between one investigation and another. Not a night interrupted by a dream or a flare of his aura. A full night. He stayed in bed for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling. Then he sat up. Nyxara wasn't in the room. She was probably already in the gardens. Kael ran a hand through his hair before reaching for his glasses on the nightstand. He put them on, slipped into a dark jacket, and left his room. As he reached the hallway, he heard voices. Noah. Of course. — I'm telling you, he's going to come out. — You've been saying that for ten minutes, Lysandra replied. — Because I know him. — You know his schedule. — Same thing. Kael appeared at the end of the hallway. Noah noticed him immediately. — Ah! There he is! Kael stopped. — Why are you standing outside my room? Noah crossed his arms. — We were checking something. — What? Lysandra looked at Noah. — Go ahead. Noah sighed. — We wanted to make sure you were alive. Kael stared at him. — I'm fine. — Did you sleep? — Yes. Noah's eyes widened. — How long? Kael thought for a moment. — About eight hours. Noah placed a hand over his heart. — I'm touched. — Why? — Because I thought you were physically incapable of sleeping like a normal person. Lysandra smiled. — You're not the only one. Kael looked at them both. — Did you really come all the way here just for that? — No, Noah replied. He pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. — We got this. Kael took it. The paper bore the seal of the Imperial Academy of Asteria. He unfolded it. Only a few lines. An extraordinary assembly had been scheduled for the afternoon. Attendance was mandatory for all first-year students. No reason had been given. Kael looked up. — Do you know why? Noah shook his head. — Nope. Lysandra thought for a moment. — Maybe another assessment. — Again? Noah looked genuinely offended. — They hate us. Kael folded the letter. — We'll see. They started walking together. Noah walked backward in front of them. — You know what would be funny? — No. — If they announced that a member of the imperial family was coming to Asteria. Lysandra raised an eyebrow. — Why would that be funny? — Because I've never talked to a prince. Kael answered calmly: — You already talk too much to people who don't know you. — Exactly. I'd get some practice. Lysandra laughed. Kael shook his head. They reached the main staircase. Before going down, Kael sensed a presence behind him. He turned. Nyxara was sitting a few meters away. In her reduced form, she almost looked like an enormous black wolf. Her red eyes were fixed on him. — How long have you been there? Nyxara tilted her head slightly. Noah looked at the creature. — I think she was watching us. — She does that a lot, Kael replied. Lysandra approached carefully. Nyxara looked at her. Then she turned her head and stood up. She walked over to Kael. Lysandra held out a hand. Nyxara briefly sniffed her fingers before resting her head against her palm. Noah stared. — She never does that with me. Nyxara slowly turned her eyes toward him. Noah stepped back. — Okay. Message received. Lysandra smiled. Kael watched them. — She likes you. — I'd noticed. — That's rare. Lysandra looked up at him. — Are you jealous? Kael blinked. — Of Nyxara? — Maybe. He was silent for a second. — No. — Too bad. She smiled before continuing down the stairs. Kael watched her walk away. Noah had seen everything. He grinned. — Interesting. Kael slowly turned his head. — Don't start. — I didn't say anything. — Your face did. Noah burst out laughing. --- That afternoon, the students gathered in the great hall. The professors were there as well. Lucian stood slightly behind the headmaster. Kael took his place with Noah, Lysandra, and Adrian. Nyxara remained outside in the gardens. The headmaster waited until the conversations died down. Then he summoned a projection above the stage. An imperial symbol appeared. A silver eagle surrounded by a golden circle. Whispers immediately spread through the room. Noah leaned toward Kael. — I think I was right. Kael said nothing. The headmaster began speaking. — The Imperial Academy of Asteria will be receiving several representatives of the imperial family in the coming weeks. The room fell silent. — The visit will take place as part of an academic ceremony intended to strengthen the relationship between the Empire and the great noble houses. Adrian frowned slightly. — An official ceremony… Lysandra murmured: — That sounds important. Kael nodded. The headmaster continued. — Several students will be invited to participate in different activities during this period. Further details will be provided later. Noah slowly raised his hand. The headmaster looked at him. — Yes? — Do we have to wear particularly fancy clothes? Silence filled the hall. A few students laughed. The headmaster sighed. — Yes, Noah. — Perfect. Kael briefly closed his eyes. At the back of the hall, Lucian seemed to be holding back a smile. The headmaster continued. — I also want you to understand that this is not merely a social event. Members of the imperial family will be observing the academy, meeting with several professors, and speaking with representatives of various noble houses. This time, Kael paid closer attention. Several noble houses. House Veyron would almost certainly be among them. He hadn't received a personal summons yet. But he already knew his name would come up. Ever since becoming patriarch, he'd learned one thing. Official ceremonies were never simply ceremonies. They were places where people watched. Evaluated. Listened. And sometimes, searched for something. --- After the meeting, the students gradually left the hall. Kael stayed behind for a moment. Lucian approached him. — You look like you're thinking. — The imperial family is coming to Asteria. — Yes. — Is that normal? Lucian hesitated. — Not exactly. Kael looked at him. — Why? — Imperial visits are rare. Especially ones involving this many representatives. Lucian paused. — It's possible the crown prince will be here. Kael remained silent. — And the imperial family knows the Veyrons? Lucian gave him a faint smile. — Kael… — What? — You know very well that some of the great houses have maintained ties with the imperial court for generations. — That's not an answer. Lucian sighed. — House Veyron has always held a particular place within the Empire. Kael stared at him. — How particular? Lucian didn't answer immediately. Then he placed a hand on Kael's shoulder. — We'll talk about it later. Kael didn't press him. He knew Lucian well enough to recognize when a conversation was over. But the answer only left him with more questions. --- Later that day, Kael went to the archives. He needed to check something. Yesterday's incident kept coming back to him. The door. The small sound. That strange sensation. As though something had breathed behind it. Adrian arrived a few minutes later. — I knew I'd find you here. Kael looked up from his book. — Why? — Because you've been staring at that door for five minutes. Kael turned toward it. The archive door remained perfectly still. — It hasn't done anything. — Yet. Adrian stepped closer. — Do you think it opened by itself? — I don't know. — That's concerning. — Yes. Adrian examined the mechanism. — Want me to get Lucian? Kael shook his head. — Not yet. — Why? — Because I want to understand what it's protecting before I ask someone else to explain it to me. Adrian nodded. — Makes sense. They remained silent. Then a small metallic sound echoed through the room. Click. Kael immediately turned around. The door had moved. Barely. A millimeter. Adrian straightened. — Did you hear that? — Yes. The mechanism vibrated slightly. A thin red line appeared around the frame. Then vanished. Kael approached. He placed his hand against the surface. Nothing. No reaction. Adrian watched his face. — It recognized you yesterday. — Yes. — And today? Kael removed his hand. — It's refusing me. Adrian frowned. — Why? Kael looked at the door. — I don't know. A moment passed. Then a small light appeared beside the frame. Three characters. A-02. Kael stared at them. Adrian murmured: — A-01 was the main chamber. — Yes. — Then A-02 must be another section. Kael nodded. — And it just told us it exists. Adrian looked at the door. — But it's not letting us in. — Not yet. Kael turned away. He put his book away. — We'll come back. Adrian followed him. — You say that like you know it'll wait. Kael glanced back at the door. — It's already been waiting for sixteen years. --- That evening, Kael returned to the gardens. The sun was slowly sinking behind the towers. Nyxara was lying beneath a large tree. Lysandra was a few meters away with an open book resting on her lap. She looked up when she saw Kael. — You spent the afternoon in the archives again. Kael sat beside her. — Yes. — You don't look as worried as usual. — That's because I didn't discover anything catastrophic. Lysandra smiled. — That's a strange way of looking at things. — It's realistic. She closed her book. — The imperial family is coming. — Yes. — Does it bother you? Kael thought about it. — I don't know yet. Lysandra looked at him. — Are you worried they'll ask something of you? — No. — Then what? Kael looked out across the gardens. — Great families never go somewhere without a reason. Lysandra fell silent. Then she said: — You know you don't have to solve everything by yourself. Kael turned slightly toward her. The words reminded him strangely of something. Not the words themselves. The feeling behind them. The trust. He smiled faintly. — I know. Lysandra looked surprised. — You're not going to argue? — No. — That's concerning. Kael looked at her. — Do you prefer it when I argue? — A little. — Then I can start again. — No. They laughed quietly. Nyxara opened one eye. She watched the two humans for a few seconds. Then closed it again. Kael looked at her. — She's judging us. Lysandra smiled. — She does that to everyone. — Not you. — So you are jealous after all? Kael remained perfectly serious. — Maybe. Lysandra looked at him in surprise. He had said it so calmly that she couldn't immediately tell whether he was joking. Then Kael gave her a faint smile. — Maybe not. She lightly bumped his shoulder. — Idiot. — You started it. The silence that followed was comfortable. No ancient door. No forgotten system. No voice. Just the garden, the gentle breeze, and Nyxara's presence. For a few minutes, Kael completely forgot about the archives. He didn't think about his father. Or the Echo. Or the Empire. He simply sat beside Lysandra. And, for once, that was enough. --- Several hundred meters away, in a room reserved for the professors, Lucian slowly closed a document. The imperial seal was still visible on the final page. He looked at the signature. Then again. His expression changed slightly. A line had been added at the bottom of the document. Requested presence: Patriarch Kael Veyron. Lucian remained silent. Then he looked toward the window. — Of course… He knew this visit wouldn't be an ordinary one. And somewhere deep within Asteria's archives, an ancient door had just recognized a new number. A-02. The system wasn't finished waking up.

An Imperial Invitation