The sun had almost disappeared behind the trees when preparations for departure finally began in earnest. Around the camp, the knights packed the remaining crates and checked their mounts. The Imperial Guard made sure the wounded were fit to travel, while the Black Ravens finished inspecting the ruins. After everything that had happened that day, nobody wanted to remain at L-03 any longer than necessary. And yet, nobody seemed particularly eager to leave, either. There were still too many unanswered questions. And some of them could no longer be ignored. --- Near the main fire, Crown Prince Lucien Arclight was examining a report that Alaric had just handed him. "Three men disappeared into the side passages," the captain explained. "We found traces of their movements, but nothing that tells us where they went." "Soren's men?" "Most likely. However, we can't confirm that they all belonged to the same group." Elara, sitting across from her brother, looked up. "And Maeron?" Alaric paused. "Missing." The prince raised his head. "He was still here when the door closed." "I know, Your Highness. Two knights saw him heading toward the eastern passage. When we checked, there was no one there." Elara frowned. "So he disappears after telling us that our families are connected to a system nobody ever mentioned." "That's one way to summarize the situation," Lucien replied. "A fairly accurate one." The prince folded the report. He didn't seem particularly upset. He was thinking. "I want everything we've discovered recorded in a separate report. No documents are to be sent to the Imperial Administration until we've reviewed them together." Alaric inclined his head. "Understood." "And the prisoners?" "The few men we captured are under guard. They haven't provided any useful information yet." Elara crossed her arms. "I feel as though we've returned with more questions than we had when we left." Lucien looked toward the ruins in the distance. "That is probably the case." He paused. "But we now know that the Empire is involved in something far greater than this expedition." Elara followed his gaze. "And Kael is at the center of it." The prince didn't answer immediately. Then he slowly nodded. "Yes. That's precisely what worries me." --- A few yards from the camp, Kael was still asleep. His head rested against Lysandra's shoulder. A few strands of black hair had fallen across his face, and his breathing had become perfectly steady. Lysandra had barely moved since he had fallen asleep. Her shoulder was beginning to ache, but she had no intention of waking him over something so trivial. Nyxara lay beside them, her head resting on the grass. Her red eyes remained half-open, watching the movements around the camp. Every so often, she raised her ears when a knight passed nearby. Then she relaxed again when she realized it was only one of the expedition members. Lysandra looked down at Kael. He seemed much younger when he slept like this. Not weaker. Simply free from the constant vigilance that followed him almost everywhere. She thought about what he had told her earlier. He no longer knew what to think about his parents. She could understand why. Since their arrival at L-03, every answer had raised another question. His father seemed to have anticipated their return, but nobody knew why he had chosen to leave so much unexplained. And that voice behind the door... Lysandra shivered slightly at the memory. She didn't know whether what they had heard was a recording, a magical memory, or something far stranger. But she remembered perfectly how Kael had reacted. For a moment, he had stopped being the patriarch of House Veyron. He had simply been a son searching for his father. Lysandra gently ran her fingers through his hair. "You don't have to solve everything today," she murmured. Kael didn't react. A small smile appeared on her face. "You're not even listening to me." Nyxara lifted her head and looked at her. Lysandra gave her an amused smile. "At least you listen to me." The Nocterys slowly blinked before resting her muzzle on her paws again. Lysandra stifled a laugh. Then she turned her attention back to Kael. She didn't know how long it would take him to find some peace again. But she could at least give him this. A few minutes. A few hours, if he needed them. Without questions. Without expectations. Without waiting for him to explain what he was feeling. --- "I didn't think he'd actually do it." Ethan's voice made Lysandra turn her head slightly. He had stopped a few steps away, accompanied by Darius. Ethan nodded discreetly toward his brother. "Fall asleep like that." Lysandra glanced down at Kael. "He was exhausted." "I know." Ethan fell silent for a moment. "But he's always struggled to rest when something doesn't make sense to him." Darius folded his arms. "He struggles even more with admitting he needs someone." Lysandra smiled faintly. "You make him sound impossible to live with." "He can be," Ethan replied without hesitation. Darius nodded with exaggerated seriousness. "Very difficult." Lysandra held back a laugh so she wouldn't wake Kael. Ethan gave her an amused look. "Don't worry. We love him anyway." "I never doubted that." Ethan's smile softened. He watched his brother for a few seconds. "Thank you." Lysandra looked up. "For what?" "For not forcing him to talk." She didn't answer immediately. Then she looked at Kael. "He'll talk when he's ready." Ethan slowly nodded. Darius, meanwhile, seemed entirely satisfied with that answer. "That's exactly what he needs." A comfortable silence settled between them. Then Ethan glanced at Lysandra's shoulder. "You know, if you want to wake him, I could—" "Ethan," Darius murmured. His voice was calm, but his expression was enough. Ethan raised his hands. "I was joking." "Then try being quieter when you do it." Lysandra lowered her head to hide her smile. Kael shifted slightly against her shoulder. The three of them froze. He frowned in his sleep, then instinctively moved a little closer to Lysandra. She resumed gently stroking his hair. A few seconds later, his breathing became steady again. Ethan looked away with a smile. "All right. I'll leave you two alone." Darius gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "Excellent decision." They walked away without another word. Lysandra remained alone with Kael and Nyxara. And for now, that suited her perfectly. --- A little later, the camp began to empty. The last knights returned to their mounts. The crates had been loaded, and the wounded were settled into the carriages prepared for their transport. Alaric personally informed the prince and princess that everything was ready. Lucien nodded. "Very well. We'll leave once everyone has gathered." Elara looked around. "Where is Patriarch Veyron?" Alaric followed her gaze. He spotted Lysandra beneath the trees, with Kael asleep against her shoulder and Nyxara lying beside them. "Over there, Your Highness." Elara smiled faintly. "I see." She took a few steps in that direction but stopped before getting any closer. The prince joined her. "What is it?" Elara discreetly gestured toward the scene. Lucien watched for a few seconds. Then he understood. "He's asleep." "Yes." "Then we'll wait." Alaric nodded. "I'll tell the knights to keep this part of the camp quiet." Elara gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Captain." He walked away. The princess remained for another moment, watching Kael. "He looks different like this." Lucien nodded. "We're mostly used to seeing him when he's carrying his responsibilities." "And sometimes we forget how exhausting it must be to carry them." The prince didn't reply. He watched Lysandra, who was still gently running her fingers through Kael's hair. "She seems to know how to help him." Elara smiled. "Yes." Then she turned away. "Come on. He'll wake up when he's ready." They returned to the rest of the expedition. Neither of them had been heard. And neither had interrupted the moment. --- The sun disappeared completely behind the trees. When Kael finally opened his eyes, the first stars were beginning to appear. He remained still for a few seconds. Then he realized where he was. His head was still resting against Lysandra's shoulder. Nyxara lay beside his legs. Lysandra was looking up at the sky. Kael slowly straightened. "How long have I been asleep?" She turned toward him. "Long enough." He stared at her. "Lysandra." She smiled. "Several hours." Kael went still. Then he ran a hand over his face. "I was only supposed to close my eyes for a few minutes." "That's what you said." "And you didn't wake me?" "You were sleeping deeply." He glanced at her shoulder. "You could have pushed me away." Lysandra shrugged slightly. "I could have." "But you didn't." "No." Kael looked at her for a few seconds. Then he turned his eyes away. "Thank you." Lysandra's smile softened. "You don't have to thank me for that." Kael said nothing. He simply looked toward the camp, which was now almost entirely ready for departure. "Has everyone left?" "Not yet. They're waiting for us." Kael straightened completely. "How long have they been waiting?" "Not long enough for you to worry about it." He gave her a look. "You just made that up." "Maybe." A faint smile appeared on Kael's lips. He stood, then offered Lysandra a hand to help her up. She accepted. For a brief moment, their hands remained joined. Neither seemed particularly eager to let go. Then Nyxara stood and moved beside Kael. He naturally rested a hand on her head. "Did you sleep well too?" The Nocterys twitched her ears slightly. Lysandra smiled. "I think she enjoyed the peace and quiet." Kael looked at Nyxara. "At least someone around here knows how to rest properly." Lysandra nudged his shoulder. "You just slept for several hours." "I was making an exception." "Of course." Kael gave a small smile. Then his expression grew serious again as he looked toward the ruins of L-03. The rest had eased his exhaustion, but not his questions. Maeron had known his father. Soren knew more than he was willing to admit. The Guardians had tried to stop them from opening the door. And something was still waiting behind it. Not to mention the message the system had displayed before it closed. ROVENHART ORIGIN — CONNECTION DETECTED. Kael lowered his eyes. He now knew this went beyond his family. The Empire was involved. So were the Rovenharts. And somewhere, someone was trying to prevent him from discovering the truth. Lysandra noticed the change in his expression. "You're thinking again." "I'm always thinking." "I know. But you could wait until you're back in the carriage." Kael turned toward her. "Are you trying to give me orders?" "No. I'm giving you advice." He studied her for a few seconds. Then nodded. "All right." Lysandra looked surprised. "You agree that easily?" "Don't get used to it." She laughed softly. Kael headed toward the camp. Nyxara walked beside him. Behind them, L-03 gradually disappeared into the darkness. He hadn't found the answers he was looking for. Not yet. But he had discovered something more important than he had expected. His father might have prepared this path years ago. Yet he hadn't chosen the people who would accompany Kael to the end. That decision belonged to Kael himself. And now he knew who he wanted beside him. --- When Kael rejoined the others, Ethan was the first to approach. "So, did you sleep well?" Kael gave him a look. "Do you really want to start?" "I'm asking a question." "You already know the answer." Ethan smiled. "I just wanted to make sure." Darius arrived a moment later. "You know, we were this close to leaving you here." Kael folded his arms. "You wouldn't have." "No," Darius admitted. "But we considered it." Aldren approached with an amused smile. "Leave him alone. He's finally made a sensible decision." Kael looked at him. "You're all becoming unbearable." "That's because we're relieved," Aldren replied. This time, Kael couldn't think of anything to say. Ethan briefly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go home." Kael nodded. In the distance, the prince and princess were already climbing into their carriage. Alaric was giving his final instructions to the Imperial Knights, while Darius rejoined the Black Ravens to organize the escort. Everyone was ready. Kael took one last look at the ruins. He didn't know when he would return. But he knew he would have to. One day, he would discover what lay behind the black door. He would understand what his father had wanted to protect. And he would find out why the Rovenharts were connected to this story. But not tonight. Tonight, he was going back to Asteria. He would eat something. Sleep in a proper bed. And, for once, let the questions wait until tomorrow. Kael climbed into the carriage. Nyxara shrank to her smaller form and settled beside him. Lysandra climbed into the next carriage with Noah and Adrian. When the convoy finally began to move, Kael watched the lights of the camp disappear behind the trees. Then he closed his eyes. This time, he wasn't trying to remember. He was simply resting. And somewhere far from L-03, another door had just received a new notification. HEIR RETURNED. VEYRON ORIGIN CONFIRMED. NEXT CONNECTION: PENDING. Beneath those three lines, a name appeared. L-01 — FOREST OF LORN.

The Weight of Answers