Kael stopped before the tall, dark wooden door, carved with ancient runes that shimmered faintly in the magical light of the castle corridors. The Witch Kingdom was silent—too late for servants, too early for meetings. The kind of hour when only the heaviest thoughts seemed awake.
He raised his hand and knocked. Three firm knocks.
The sound echoed through the empty corridor.
For a few seconds, nothing. Then, soft footsteps. The doorknob turned.
The door opened, and there she was.
Sylphie.
Her long, white hair cascaded in waves, reflecting the lilac light of the runes like strands of moonlight. Her emerald eyes met his first in surprise, then in relief.
"Kael?" She blinked, surprised. "Are you… alright?"
He tried to smile, but the weariness on his face betrayed him.
"More or less."
She opened the door completely. "Come in."
