In one of the luxurious rooms of the castle, illuminated by rge windows overlooking the gardens, several of the king’s children had gathered. It ce where important decisions were often discussed informally, away from the intrigues of the throne. But that m, the air was thick with tension.

  “Have you heard what Iris is up to?” asked Prince Lu, the eldest of the siblings. His tone carried a mix of surprise and perhaps a hint of disbelief.

  Princess Amara, elegantly seated on a nearby armchair, lifted her gaze from the book she was calmly reading.

  “Of course, I’ve heard. She’s inviting Non Rook to her party. Isn’t that a bit... reckless?” Her words, though gentle, didn’t hide the she felt about her sister’s political maneuver.

  “More than reckless, it’s risky,” interjected Prince Cedric, who had moved closer to the window.

  “Non has been a stant topic among the nobles, but not everyone believes the rumors cirg about him. By inviting him publicly, Iris is betting a lot on someone who, despite having special abilities, is still a strao much of the court.”

  Lu nodded, crossing his arms as he pohe implications of this decision.

  “Non is an enigma, but if what they say is true, his mastery ic could ge a lot of things. However, that also makes him a target. If Iris is putting him in the spotlight, other kingdoms won’t be slow to move and try to sway him to their side.”

  Amara closed her book and sighed.

  “What surprises me is not so much the decision to invite him but what seems to be behind that invitation. Iris never makes a move without a bigger pn. She’s not just thinking about her birthday... she’s thinking about the future of the kingdom.”

  “And about her own future,” added Cedric, without taking his eyes off the horizon. “If Non turns out to be the figure everyone believes, having him on her side will secure her a key position within Valenfort. The court will be watg her every move.”

  The princes and princesses exged gnces filled with uainty, knowing their younger sister ying a risky political game but with the cleverhat had always characterized her.

  Though Iris was the you of the king’s children, she had proven more than capable of handling court affairs, and this time would be no exception.

  ◇◆◇

  While her siblings specuted about her iions, Iris, unaware of their versations, remained in her private study.

  She knew her decision to invite Non to the party had caused a stir among the nobles and her own family, but that didn’t worry her.

  In time, Non could bee a key pie her pn tthen her influen the kingdom.

  However, she also knew she wasn’t the only oerested in Non.

  Rumors of his attenda the party had already reached the ears of other nations, such as Bravka and Astralia, and she had no doubt those powers would send their own representatives to assess her man.

  With these thoughts in mind, Iris was reviewing a dot in front of her.

  It was a decree to increase security at Non’s residence.

  She khat his sudden notoriety put him in a vulnerable position, and she couldn’t allow anything to happen to him before the party.

  “Things are moving faster than I expected…” she murmured to herself, taking the quill and signing the paper with a firm stroke. “Increase the surveilnce. We ’t afford any mistakes.”

  Closing the dot, Iris stood and walked to the window of her study. She observed the pace gardens, where her guards were already beginning to move with new instrus.

  She khat the ing days would be crucial, not just for Non, but for the future of Valenfort.

  ◇◆◇

  In the austere and symbol-den corridors of the capital of Bravka, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation.

  It was a nation aced to meticulous anization, to the disciplihat only years of shared effort among its citizens could fe.

  At the top of a tower in the tral headquarters of the ittee, Dmitri Volkov, the Supreme issioner, calmly watched the horizon as the evening light filtered through the thick gss windows.

  The room was filled with some of Bravka’s most important officials, but the mood was not one of rexation, but of pnning.

  Around a dark, polished wooden table, a small group of figures occupied key positions within the ittee.

  Among them was Anya Volkov, Dmitri’s daughter, a young woman of about 24 who, though she shared her father’s surname and ideals, maintained aional distance from him, something everyone in the room could sense.

  Her face, as rigid as her father’s, was a mirror of her discipline, and though blood tied them together, there was a ess in her eyes that suggested Anya was there on her ow, not due to favoritism.

  Dmitri stood in front of the rge map of Valenfort, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.

  The rest of the attendees, including high strategists and ittee members, watched him attentively.

  There was o raise his voi a room where respect was anded merely by the presence of their leader.

  “Young Rook,” began Dmitri, his voice deep and firm as steel, “could be the key we’ve been looking for tain our advantage in the magical field. For a long time, Valenfort has been our rival, not only militarily but also in magic researd trol. If the rumors are true, Non Rook has mastery over time—something that has been practically unreachable until now. We ’t let this opportunity slip by.”

  All eyes turo him, atteo every word.

  Dmitri turned slightly, pointing to the map where the location of Valenfort and its surroundings stood out.

  There ecial mark on Vindenhall, the pce where Non was said to reside.

  The attention that region received was not random, and the issioner khat his steps o be calcuted with precision.

  “We’ll send a delegation to observe him closely,” he tinued, his firag the edges of the map. “This delegation must move with the utmost discretion. We ’t allow Valenfort or any other kingdom to suspect our true iions. Officially, they’ll be attending Princess Iris’s party as guests, but their real mission will be to evaluate Non Rook. If we find a way t him to our side, we will. If not… we’ll take the necessary measures to ensure he doesn’t bee a threat.”

  General Petrov, a middle-aged man with visible scars on his faodded gravely. He was in charge of Bravka’s special operations and had years of experien covert missions.

  “issioner Volkov,” he said in a low but firm voice, “repare a team to leave as soon as you give the order. Our best-trained agents will be ready to infiltrate the court without raising any suspis.”

  Dmitri looked at him approvingly.

  “I want your best men and women on this, Petrov. No one should know that Bravka is ied in Non until it’s too te to stop us.”

  To his left, Ivan Korolov, one of the ittee’s main magical advisors, spoke up.

  “We must sider that Valenfort has already reinforced security around Non, acc to our test reports. It will be difficult to approach him directly, but if we mao obtain some information about his magical weaknesses, we could use it to our advantage.”

  Dmitri nodded, his eyes as cold as winter sweeping over those present.

  “That’s what I want. Data. We o uand his capabilities. I want his magic studied, his reas, his way of thinking. This young man could be an ally, but he could also bee a very dangerous enemy if he falls into the wrong hands. Let’s not uimate what he do.”

  Anya, who had remained silent until now, lifted her gaze from the papers in front of her.

  “Father, are you sure this is the best option? Sending a group to a royal party, where they’ll be surrounded by Valenfort’s elite… Don’t you think that increases the risk of them being discovered? It’s not on for Bravka to show so muterest in these celebrations.”

  Dmitri looked at her for a moment, a slight spark nition in his eyes at his daughter’s logic, but then spoke with the same ess as always.

  “You’re right, Anya, but it’s precisely at Valenfort’s court that we’ll be able to get the information we need. Any misstep will be seen as simple diplomacy between nations. Besides, no one will suspect our iions if we move carefully. And, if this fails, there are other ways to act.”

  Anya hough it was evident she still had doubts.

  Her loyalty to the system and her father was unwavering, but she couldn’t help but worry about the risk this missioailed.

  However, she khe decision had already been made and that, like everyone present, she had to fulfill her duty.

  Dmitri resumed his position in the ter of the room.

  “Petrov, I want you to hahe logistics. Choose whoever you think is best suited for this mission. Ivan, make sure we have the necessary equipment to analyze any type of magic they may enter. And you, Anya…” His eyes briefly rested on her. “I want you on this mission. You’re capable, and I trust your discretion.”

  ◇◆◇

  In the Dominion of Astralia, twilight bathed the vast white marble temples and golden chapels stretg as far as the eye could see

  In the ter of the capital, atop a hill that seemed to reach the sky, stood the imposing Cathedral of the Eternal Light, a majestic building where every er breathed devotion, sanctity, and power.

  There, at the top of a tower illuminated by the faint light of sacred dles, High Priestess Seraphihassa presided over a private meeting with the most important members of the cil of Sages.

  Seraphine, with her presend her light blue eyes that seemed to see beyond the earthly realm, remained in plete silence as the priests gathered around a circur stoable, carved with divine inscriptions.

  The flickering light of the dles made her golden embrlow softly, almost as if it were alive.

  Each of the sages surrounding her wore simple robes, but full of symbols representing their position within the religious hierarchy.

  The sileninating the room was broken only when Seraphine spoke, her voice soft but resonant, as if her words were an echo in the hearts of those who listened.

  “Non Rook represents more than just a mere man with magic,” she said, her eyes narrowed, almost as if she were seeing a vision at that very moment. “His ability is not an act or a rarity. The gods have id their hand upon him, of that I am certain. We must be there to guide him towards the true light, to show him the path that the gods have set for him. It is our mission to ehat he does not get lost in the darkness of the mortal world.”

  Aric, a middle-aged priest with a long gray beard and one of Seraphine’s most fervent followers, bowed his head in agreement.

  “Seraphine, if Non is truly touched by the gods, then he is a soul in need of redemption. The danger lies in him being seduced by earthly power and the heresy of other kingdoms. Bravka and Valenfort see nothing beyond their own is; both are blinded by worldly ambition.”

  Cassiel, a young priestess who had quickly risen within the Church thanks to her unwaveriion and her ability to perceive the currents of divine mana, spoke in a calm voice.

  “High Priestess, if what they say about Non is true, his magic could be a gift from the gods, but also a test. If he falls into the misuse of his power out of mere pride or desire, his soul will be corrupted.”

  Seraphine nodded slowly, her eyes sweeping over the circle of priests and sages around her.

  “That is why we ot allow the power he possesses to be trolled by forces of chaos. Bravka will try t him into their aterial philosophies, while Valenfort will only keep him as a military tool. We, however, must show him that his power has a higher purpose, a destiny that transds mere mortality.”

  Aric, always the most pragmatic among the sages, stepped forward and spoke more firmly.

  “Then, what do you propose, Seraphine? How roach him without raising suspi?”

  The High Priestess looked at Aric with an overwhelming calm.

  “We will send our envoys to Princess Iris’s party, uhe pretext of maintaining diplomatic retions with Valenfort. Officially, we will attend as a show of respect towards their nobility. However, our true mission will be to observe Non Rook, to uand who he really is. If his spirit is pure, we guide him gently towards the truth. If he is corrupted, we redeem him… in our own way.”

  Ariodded, knowing that Astralia’s methods were not aleaceful.

  Cassiel, however, raised a delicate hand.

  “Seraphine, we must proceed with extreme caution. If roaon too quickly or if we try to impose our will, we could push him away. We must be subtle, speak to him of faith as one lights a path in the dark, not as one who pushes him into the void.”

  The High Priestess showed a faint smile in reition of Cassiel’s words.

  “Exactly, Cassiel. Our mission is not to force him but to make him see for himself the truth that has always been before his eyes. We will present it as a divi. At the party, our words must be carefully measured. He must feel the light surround him without suffog him.”

  At that moment, a figure who had remained in the shadows of the hall stepped forward.

  It was Caleb, Seraphine’s younger brother, and one of Astralia’s most devout padins.

  Caleb, with his ceremonial armor adorned with sacred symbols and his expressionless face, was known for his unyielding fervor and absolute loyalty to the gods.

  He had bee on numerous diplomatic missions in the past but was always the st option when subtlety was needed.

  “Seraphine,” said Caleb in his monotonous yet respectful tone, “if this young man bees a threat to the divine pn, shouldn’t we act with force? Sometimes lost souls ot be saved, only trolled.”

  Seraphine’s eyes gleamed with a dark hue for a moment before she spoke again, her voice still soft.

  “Caleb, my dear brother, our first duty is redemption. If Non be guided towards the light, we will do so. But... if his as suggest he is too ensnared in the shadows, then yes, we will take the necessary steps to ensure he does not bee a threat to the divine will. But for now, our focus will be on passion and persuasion.”

  The other members of the cil murmured in agreement, though they khat when Seraphine spoke of necessary measures, the possibilities were varied and often severe, as there was no room for heresy in Astralia.

  Finally, the High Priestess turo the group, her figure bathed in a soft halo of light.

  “We will send a delegation of priests and holy knights. I want them to move discreetly, and for Non Rook to feel not even an ounce of pressure. We must make him feel safe, uood. Let him see us as a source of answers, not of trol. Cassiel, you will lead the delegation, and Caleb will apany you. Aric, you will prepare the magical reports. I want every possible detail about his magic.”

  Cassiel bowed her head in acceptance, while Caleb simply nodded, ready for any order from his sister.

  The meeting dispersed with a solemn air. The divine maery of Astralia was in motion, slow but relentless.

  The envoys would soo for Valenfort, with the mission to guide, observe, and, if necessary, judge the prodigy Non Rook.