Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Queen's Command

Morning light streamed through the towering stained-glass windows of Seraphine Palace, bathing the grand hall in shades of gold and crimson.

At the center of the chamber stood a massive stone altar.

Upon its surface rested several glowing jewels.

Some radiated a faint emerald light.

Others had already lost their brilliance.

Queen Seraphine stood before them in complete silence.

Her crimson cloak flowed gently behind her as she waited.

Footsteps echoed through the chamber.

An elderly priest, dressed in pure white robes embroidered with silver threads, approached the altar.

He bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty."

Seraphine gave a slight nod.

"You've completed your examination."

"I have."

The priest carefully lifted one of the jewels into his wrinkled hands.

He closed his eyes.

For several moments, the chamber remained silent.

Then...

He slowly returned the jewel to its place.

"...It isn't enough."

The Queen's expression did not change.

"Are you certain?"

"I am."

"The power stored within these jewels has weakened."

"They cannot sustain him much longer."

A heavy silence filled the hall.

Seraphine lowered her gaze toward the altar.

"So..."

"We still need more."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"There is no other way."

The priest hesitated before continuing.

"Even if we gather ordinary magical stones..."

"They cannot replace these."

"They are unique."

"They resonate with an ancient power unlike anything else."

The Queen folded her hands behind her back.

"How much time remains?"

The old priest remained silent.

His hesitation was answer enough.

Finally, he spoke.

"I dare not make a promise."

"But if we fail to obtain more jewels..."

He stopped.

Unable to finish the sentence.

Seraphine closed her eyes for a brief moment.

When she opened them again, the hesitation had vanished.

"Then we will continue searching."

"No matter how long it takes."

The priest lowered his head.

"As you command, Your Majesty."

The Queen turned away from the altar and walked toward the palace window.

Beyond the walls, the vast kingdom stretched beneath the morning sky.

Somewhere...

The remaining jewels were still hidden.

And she intended to find every last one of them.

Far from the royal palace...

A lone rider waited beside a narrow mountain trail.

His dark horse stood perfectly still beneath the shade of ancient pines.

The man wore a weathered leather cloak, and a hunting bow rested across his back.

His sharp eyes scanned the morning sky.

A distant flutter of wings caught his attention.

"...Right on time."

A gray carrier pigeon descended in a slow circle before landing on his outstretched arm.

The hunter untied the small parchment fastened to its leg.

He unfolded it.

His eyes moved quickly across the short message.

Only a few lines had been written.

No names.

No locations.

Just a simple report.

**Two unusual lights appeared during the night.**

**The compass failed to determine their source.**

The hunter folded the parchment once more.

"So..."

"It wasn't a false alarm."

He looked toward the western horizon.

A faint smile appeared beneath the shadow of his hood.

"The old woodcutter rarely makes mistakes."

He slipped the message inside his cloak.

Without another word, he mounted his horse.

The animal let out a quiet snort before galloping down the forest path.

Dry leaves scattered beneath its hooves.

The hunter never looked back.

His destination was clear.

It was time to report what had happened.

Somewhere beyond the mountains...

Someone was already waiting for his arrival.

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the clinic window.

A warm breeze carried the scent of fresh herbs across the room.

Kyle slowly opened his eyes.

For a few moments, he stared at the wooden ceiling, trying to remember what had happened.

"...The clinic..."

He turned his head slightly.

The fever was gone.

His body still felt weak, but the burning pain that had consumed him the previous night had completely disappeared.

As he tried to sit up, a soft movement beside the bed caught his attention.

Lyra was asleep.

She sat in a wooden chair with her head resting against the edge of the bed.

One of her hands still lay near his.

Dark circles beneath her eyes revealed she had spent the entire night awake.

Kyle remained silent.

"...You stayed here..."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

He carefully reached for the blanket folded at the foot of the bed.

Moving as gently as possible, he draped it over Lyra's shoulders.

She stirred slightly but didn't wake.

Kyle let out a quiet breath of relief.

"I almost woke you."

Just then, the clinic door opened.

Lumi stepped inside, carrying a small basket.

The moment she saw Kyle sitting up, her eyes widened.

"Kyle!"

"You woke up!"

Kyle smiled.

"I think the fever finally broke."

Lumi hurried to his side.

"You scared everyone yesterday."

She touched his forehead.

Her face immediately brightened.

"The fever is gone!"

Kyle gave a small nod.

"It seems I'm much better."

Only then did Lumi notice Lyra sleeping peacefully beside the bed.

She smiled softly.

"She never left your side."

Kyle looked at Lyra once more.

His expression grew thoughtful.

"...Then..."

"I owe her my thanks."

Outside...

The village welcomed another peaceful morning.

Unaware that beyond the mountains...

Events had already begun moving toward them.

The hunter rode without slowing.

The royal palace soon appeared beyond the hills, its white walls shining beneath the afternoon sun.

The guards recognized him at once.

Without asking a single question, they opened the great gates.

He dismounted and handed the reins to a stable servant before making his way through the palace corridors.

At the end of the hall, two royal guards crossed their spears, blocking his path.

"The Queen is expecting your report."

One of them pushed the heavy doors open.

The hunter stepped inside.

Queen Seraphine stood before the tall palace windows with her back turned to him.

The elderly priest remained quietly at her side.

The hunter dropped to one knee.

"Your Majesty."

Seraphine spoke without turning around.

"You received the message."

"Yes."

"And?"

"There were two unusual lights during the night."

He paused before continuing.

"The first was violet."

"The second... pink."

The priest exchanged a quick glance with the Queen.

Seraphine's voice remained calm.

"Were you able to trace their origin?"

The hunter lowered his head.

"No, Your Majesty."

"The compass failed."

"It lost its direction the moment the lights appeared."

Silence filled the chamber.

At last, the Queen turned to face him.

Her crimson eyes remained steady.

"Then your destination has changed."

The hunter raised his head.

"I want you to travel west."

"Search every village, every forest, and every road."

"Find the source of those lights."

She took a slow step toward him.

"And if the jewels truly have appeared..."

Her voice grew colder.

"...bring them to me."

The hunter bowed deeply.

"As you command, Your Majesty."