The murmur of water echoed gently in the silent garden. The moon reflected in the fountain, casting silvery glows on the stone slabs. Aïsha, sitting at the edge of the water, traced circles with her fingertips on the surface, disturbing the starry reflections.
Raikuto slowly approached and sat down opposite her.
— My father almost never talks about her.
Raikuto didn't answer, immediately guessing who she was talking about.
—Since she left... he has become different.
She raised her head to the sky, her green eyes sparkling in the night light.
— He says he's going to make amends for the past. But I don't know how.
Raikuto crossed his arms.
— He does strange things.
Aïsha immediately turned her gaze towards him, intrigued.
—What do you mean?
Raikuto hesitated for a moment. He didn't know if it was a good idea to talk about it. But something told him that Aïsha could be an ally.
—Abraham makes me work in places where other servants cannot access. He watches me more than the others. And your father often receives letters which he burns immediately after reading them.
Aisha frowned.
— Letters?
- Yes. Just today he received one.
She bit her lip, thoughtful.
— He must be hiding something...
She dipped her fingers into the water, making them dance beneath the surface.
— I noticed that he spends more and more time locked up. Even I can't always get into his office.
Raikuto stared at her for a moment.
— Did he forbid you?
She nodded.
— He didn't say it clearly... but I can see it clearly. Before, he always let me in. Now he tells me he's "busy."
She looked up at Raikuto.
—And Abraham? What exactly is he doing with you?
Raikuto clenched his fists slightly.
— My witness.
Aisha narrowed her eyes.
- How so ?
— He watches me all the time. And he has…
Raïkuto hesitated before adding:
—He used a locket on me.
Aïsha arched an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
—A medallion? What kind of medallion?
Raikuto shrugged his shoulders.
— It glowed when it was close to me. Abraham looked... surprised. As if he wasn't expecting that.
Aïsha sat up slightly, her interest piqued.
—A medallion that reacts to you?
She looked down thoughtfully before whispering:
— Maybe it detects chaos...
Raikuto frowned.
— Chaos?
Aïsha hesitated for a split second, then quickly caught herself.
—It's… a force that some people can feel.
She was searching for words. She didn't want to reveal what she knew right away, but she couldn't hide her curiosity.
—Have you ever felt something strange, Raikuto? Like a warmth in your body... or a feeling of energy around you?
Raikuto thought for a moment.
— No… I don't think so.
He frowned slightly.
— But sometimes, when Abraham tests me too much, when I'm at the end of my rope... I feel like something is boiling inside. Like I could explode.
Aïsha bit her lip.
—Maybe it's related…
She hesitated before asking:
— Do you know how chaos works?
Raikuto shook his head.
— Non.
Aisha took a deep breath.
She knew more than she wanted to admit.
She felt chaos inside her. Always.
But no one was to know that.
So she chose her words carefully.
— Some say that chaos is an energy. Others think it is a deeper force, that it comes from us.
She stared at Raikuto, trying to see if he understood.
—And if this medallion reacted to you... then that means you have it in you.
Raikuto remained silent for a moment.
Then, slowly, he whispered:
—Abraham said that too.
Aïsha felt a slight tension in her chest.
She didn't know why, but she felt like she and this boy had something in common.
She looked down at her hands.
His palms tingled slightly.
She knew this feeling.
She stood up suddenly.
— Tomorrow, we will find out what my father is hiding.
Raikuto looked at her cautiously.
— Comment ?
Aïsha smiles mischievously at him.
— Leave it to me.
Raikuto did not yet know where this alliance would lead them.
But he knew one thing.
They could only count on each other.
****
A slight shiver ran through Aïsha when a gust of wind raised a trickle of water from the fountain.
"They must still be at the table…" she whispered.
Raikuto nodded.
— Do you want to go back?
Aisha shook her head.
- Not really.
She sighed before looking up at him.
—You know, if I'm not here, he'll probably act like nothing happened.
Raikuto knew it was true. He had seen Ghadib control every situation with cold precision.
"But you… we're probably going to wonder where you've been," she added.
Raikuto shrugged his shoulders.
—I'm just a servant.
Aïsha stared at him for a moment, before displaying a mischievous smile.
— Not this evening. Come on.
Raikuto frowned, but before he could say anything, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him through the halls of the palace.
— Where are we going?
—If I have to go back there, I might as well do it my way.
They sneaked to a wing of the palace adjacent to the banquet hall. Aïsha pushed open a hidden door, revealing a small terrace overlooking the interior garden. From there, they had a perfect view of the illuminated great hall.
Worldly conversations filled the air, punctuated by the clinking of cups and the rustling of precious fabrics. Ghadib was chatting with a noble dressed in purple, looking completely relaxed, as if nothing had happened moments earlier.
Aïsha crossed her arms, leaning against the railing.
— Do you see? As expected.
Raïkuto observes the scene silently.
— He acts like everything is fine.
Aïsha clenched her fists slightly.
— Because he knows how to lie better than anyone.
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the guests.
"I bet he's already forgotten what just happened.
Raikuto raised an eyebrow.
— Do you want to test it?
A mischievous smile stretched his lips.
- Always.
She suddenly turned around and motioned for Raikuto to follow her.
— Come with me.
Raikuto hesitated.
- For what ?
— Because I have an idea.
She pulled him by the hand and led him down the hallway, past the banquet hall until she reached a side entrance. They stopped just before they were visible.
"Okay, here's the plan," she whispered. You go back to your side, me to mine, and we see how long it takes before someone realizes we were gone.
Raikuto narrowed his eyes.
— You are playing with fire.
Aisha shrugged her shoulders.
— Life would be too boring otherwise.
Raikuto sighed.
—And what do I gain if I come back before you?
Aïsha gave a smirk.
— My eternal gratitude.
He raised an eyebrow.
— Not very motivating.
She tapped her chin, falsely thoughtful.
—Okay... In that case, I'll find a way for you to escape Abraham for a day.
Raikuto hesitated for a moment.
— Deal concluded.
- GOOD. Three… Two… One…
They each set off on their own.
Raikuto quickly blended in with the servants, grabbing a silver platter before returning to his post. He kept his expression neutral, although he felt Abraham's piercing gaze weighing on him when he returned.
Aïsha, for her part, returned to her place at the table as if she had never left the room. She grabbed a piece of fruit from a tray and bit into it casually, watching her father out of the corner of her eye.
He didn't show anything. Not a reaction, not a glance in his direction.
She narrowed her eyes.
But just when she thought she had won, Ghadib slowly put down his glass and turned his head slightly towards her.
—Have you finished your tantrum?
Aïsha froze for a moment before displaying a provocative smile.
— I don't know what you're talking about.
Ghadib gave a slight smile before resuming his discussion with his neighbor at the table.
Aïsha leaned forward slightly, glancing sideways at Raikuto.
—I think we both lost.
Raikuto raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Abraham.
The steward said nothing, but he crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on him as if he had guessed every second of his absence.
Raikuto sighed.
—I think I lost more than you.
Aïsha burst out laughing and bit into her fruit again.
— Welcome to my home.
****
Abraham had been observing Raikuto for several days.
Firstly out of simple distrust. Then, out of curiosity.
Now that was a certainty.
This boy was not normal.
The steward was a pragmatic man. He believed neither in the superstitions nor in the fables that the servants whispered in the shadows of the corridors. But he knew how to recognize an anomaly.
Raikuto was one.
It wasn't just his inhuman endurance in the face of the trials he imposed on him. It wasn't just his calculated silence or his way of analyzing every detail of the palace.
It was something else.
A feeling that never left him when he was near him.
Like an invisible tension in the air.
Abraham, leaning against a sculpted column, discreetly observed the child. He stood a few meters from Aïsha, exchanging a knowing look with her before resuming his work.
"Her eyes…" he muttered to himself.
They weren't normal.
He had seen this kind of look before. In other circumstances.
His fist closed slowly.
An unstable being.
An ordinary slave would have lowered his head, bent under the pressure. But Raikuto…
Raikuto resisted.
Not physically. Not by openly opposing it.
But in his eyes.
A look that shouldn't exist.
— Abraham.
The steward turned slightly, without showing the slightest surprise.
A man in a sober tunic, one of the many scribes in the palace, had discreetly approached. He handed her a sealed roll of parchment.
— For the master.
Abraham took the missive without a word. His fingers brushed the seal, immediately recognizing the discreet emblem carved into the wax.
An important message.
He slipped the scroll under his tunic and stared at Raikuto again.
The child had just finished a task, absently wiping his hands on his worn clothing before following Aïsha into another corridor.
Abraham smiled slightly.
—I will learn more this evening.
A slight sound of chairs scraping the floor made him turn his attention away.
The banquet was coming to an end.
The guests stood up one by one, exchanging the last words of the evening, thanking Ghadib for his hospitality. Some merchants were already proposing future trade deals, while nobles were adjusting their precious fabrics before slipping away.
Aïsha had returned to the table, silent, looking down at the remains of her meal.
Ghadib, still impassive, stood up last.
— The evening is ending. May my guests leave with the promise that tomorrow's business will be even more prosperous than today's.
Smiles, approving nods.
Then, slowly, the last guests left the great room, leaving behind the servants who were already busy cleaning the tables.
The banquet was over.
But the game was only just beginning.
****
The room was silent, lit only by the flickering glow of a lantern placed on a small mahogany table. Aïsha, sitting cross-legged on her bed, absently patted her pillow, her eyebrows furrowed.
Raikuto was leaning against the wall near the window, arms crossed. He observed the gardens, lost in thought.
"You're hiding something," Aïsha declared, breaking the silence.
Raikuto turned his head towards her, without moving from his position.
- What ?
— I don't know yet, but I'm going to find out.
He sighed.
—You say that as if I were a spy or a cursed prince.
Aisha shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, considering how Abraham has been watching you and how strange my father has been since you got here, it's not impossible.
Raikuto held his gaze without saying anything.
- I see. You decided not to talk, right?
He looked away at the lantern.
— That's not it...
—Then tell me what you know.
Raïkuto hesitated, but Aïsha did not give up.
—I already understood that there was something with you. You don't have a normal life here. My father bought you but he doesn't treat you like a simple servant. Neither did Abraham. And this medallion...
She paused before adding:
—They are trying to understand something about you.
Raikuto closed his eyes briefly, then breathed:
— There is a door.
Aisha blinked.
— A door?
— A huge wooden door, with symbols engraved on it. Two guards are permanently posted in front. And no one talks about it.
Aïsha sat up slightly.
— Where?
— In the west wing. Even the servants avoid him.
- For what ?
Raikuto shrugged his shoulders.
— They are afraid.
Aisha frowned.
— My father always forbade me from going to this part of the palace...
She crossed her arms, thoughtful.
— We should go see.
Raikuto immediately shook his head.
— Bad idea.
— Very good idea.
— Very bad.
—Are you afraid?
He rolled his eyes.
—It's not a question of fear. Abraham is watching me. If I get too close, he'll know.
Aisha let out an exasperated sigh.
— So we don't do anything? We stand there and imagine what is behind it?
Raikuto remained silent for a moment.
Then, in a low voice, he whispered:
—There is something else.
Aisha raised an eyebrow.
- That's to say ?
Raikuto took a slight breath.
— A woman.
—A woman?
—Not an ordinary servant. She is always alone. She speaks little. And…
He hesitated, but Aisha's insistent eyes urged him to continue.
—She looks like your mother.
Silence fell suddenly on the room.
Aïsha blinked, trying to see if Raikuto was joking.
— …Repeat.
—I have seen her several times. She stays away, and Abraham does everything to keep her invisible.
Aïsha unconsciously squeezed the sheets between her fingers.
—Are you sure?
- Yes.
She stood up abruptly, her eyes glowing with new energy.
- You're going to show it to me. NOW.
Raikuto immediately stood up.
— Attends.
— No, I'm not expecting anything at all.
—It's risky.
— Do you think I'm going to sleep after what you just told me?
Raikuto hesitated.
—And if Abraham sees us—
— Then we'll do it quickly!
Before he could protest further, she opened the door and motioned for him to follow her.
Raikuto closed his eyes briefly, then sighed.
- This is a really bad idea...
—So why are you following me?
He shrugged his shoulders slightly.
— Because you are going to go with or without me.
Aisha smiled a little.
- Exactly.
They slipped silently down the hall.
The halls of the palace seemed even wider and quieter at night. The flickering light of the torches cast shifting shadows on the carved walls, making each step riskier.
Aïsha walked in the lead, her gaze fixed straight ahead. Her heart was beating harder than usual, not out of fear, but out of a feverishness she didn't fully understand.
Raikuto, just behind, cast cautious glances around him.
"Walk more slowly," he whispered.
"I'm already walking slowly," she whispered back.
They progressed through the corridors, following the walls, until they reached the west wing.
It was here.
Raïkuto stopped a few meters from the famous door.
It was massive, carved with intricate designs and set with ancient symbols he didn't understand. Two guards in dark armor stood in front, their spears crossed on their chests.
Aïsha observed him for a moment before whispering:
—What are these engravings?
Raikuto shook his head.
— I don't know, but they're there for a reason.
They crouched in the shadow of a column, just close enough to hear what was being said in low voices.
One of the guards whispered to his partner:
—The master said that no one should come near...
—No one ever comes near.
- Exactly. This silence makes me uncomfortable.
The second guard remained silent, but Raikuto saw his gaze rest on the door for a moment. As if he feared what lay beyond.
Aïsha no longer looked at the door.
She was looking a little further away, where a figure was moving in the shadows.
The woman.
Raikuto followed his gaze and felt a shiver run down his spine.
She was there, a few meters away, walking slowly, her gaze blank. She wore a more sober dress than those of the other nobles, but the carriage of her head, the delicacy of her features, everything about her recalled the portrait that Ghadib jealously kept in his office.
Aisha clenched her fists.
– It's her…
Raikuto nodded.
"We have to go," he whispered.
— No, we need to talk to him.
She took a step forward, but Raikuto held her by the arm.
—Think. If we do anything now, the guards will see us.
Aisha hesitated, but she knew he was right.
They had no plan. No escape route if we caught them here.
She took a deep breath and reluctantly stepped back.
"We'll come back," she whispered.
Raikuto nodded, but he felt deep down that they had just exposed themselves to even greater danger.
A slight crackle from the oil lantern broke the silence in Ghadib's office.
He gazed at the dancing flame, his gaze pensive.
Facing him, Abraham was waiting, standing with his arms crossed.
"They tried to approach the door," declared the steward.
Ghadib closed his eyes briefly.
—I suspected that.
He slowly turned a ring on his finger.
- And ?
—They retreated before being seen. But that only strengthened their curiosity.
The merchant slowly tapped the wood of his desk with his fingertips.
— It's time to have a conversation with Aïsha.
Abraham raised an eyebrow.
— With her? Not with the boy?
— He doesn't understand yet. But she will ask questions. And I'd rather answer it myself than have her discover truths she's not ready to hear.
He stood up slowly, adjusted his tunic and walked towards the door.
Ghadib took one last look at the lantern and blew out the flame with a slow gesture.
Darkness fell over the room.
****
The corridors of the palace were silent when they returned to Aïsha's room. The banquet was long over, and most of the servants were already asleep.
Aïsha closed the door behind them and crossed her arms, her dark gaze betraying her agitation.
"It was really her," she whispered, pacing back and forth in front of her bed.
Raikuto, leaning against a piece of furniture, nodded.
- Yes.
Aïsha stopped and turned towards him.
—But how is that possible?
Raikuto shook his head.
— I don't know.
A silence settled.
She sat on the edge of the bed, thoughtful, then continued in a lower tone:
— My father says my mother is dead. Everyone says it.
Raikuto hesitated before speaking.
—Maybe it's not her... Maybe it's just... someone who looks like her.
Aïsha stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head.
- No. It's her. I'm sure of it.
Raikuto sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
— Even if it's her… why is she here? Why is she acting like that? She looked...
"Lost," murmured Aïsha.
She clenched her fists on the fabric of her dress.
"If it's her… then that means my father has been lying this whole time.
Raikuto hesitated, then approached her.
— He's hiding things, that's for sure.
She looked up at him.
— Do you think he saw us?
Raikuto thought for a moment.
- No. If that were the case, Abraham would have already punished us.
Aisha grimaced.
— Or worse, he would have come to see us with that cold look…
They both shuddered at the thought.
- And now ? Raikuto asked.
Aïsha took a deep breath and raised her head.
— We need to know what's going on.
Raikuto crossed his arms.
—It's more dangerous than I thought.
Aïsha looked him straight in the eyes.
—Has that ever stopped you before?
Raikuto sighed and lowered his shoulders slightly.
— Non.
A silence settled before Aïsha continued, more determined than ever:
—Tomorrow, we'll find a way to talk to him.
Raikuto raised an eyebrow.
— To her?
She nodded.
- Yes. She.
Raikuto ran a hand over the back of his neck, unconvinced.
— If she speaks.
Aïsha placed her hands on her knees and stood up.
—Then we will listen to it.
She turned her head towards the window where the glow of the moon could still be seen.
—And if he lies to us...then we will find out the truth ourselves.
Raikuto remained silent for a moment, before nodding slowly.
- All right.
Aïsha showed a slight smile.
— Rest. Tomorrow we have work.
Raikuto sighed, but he knew he wouldn't have a peaceful night.
Tomorrow they might get into more trouble than they imagined.
****
The night enveloped the palace in thick silence. Far from the hustle and bustle of the day, only the wall torches diffused a trembling glow in the long stone corridors.
In a private room, Abraham sat at a low table, a small translucent crystal placed in front of him. He slowly ran his fingers over its smooth surface, observing the way the light from the oil lamp reflected on it.
He knew this artifact well. He had used it many times to test objects imbued with chaotic energy.
But this evening, it was not a simple object that he was going to analyze.
He was a child.
Abraham closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. He should not act on impulse. He had to be methodical, precise.
He jotted down a few details on parchment, scribbling down observations before he even began.
— A strange phenomenon emerges from him. Not natural. Too stable, and yet… too powerful.
His gaze hardened.
He must have known for sure.
He waited until the palace fell into absolute silence.
Then, with the discretion of a shadow, he left his office and headed towards Raikuto's room.
Raikuto was sleeping soundly, his breathing slow and peaceful.
Lying on his side, a lock of black hair fell on his forehead. He looked... normal.
But Abraham knew that was not the case.
He approached slowly, the crystal held tightly in his palm.
The further he went, the more he felt this strange sensation.
A thrill.
As if something in the air was changing imperceptibly.
He stopped just at the edge of the bed and, after a final hesitation, lowered the crystal near the boy.
At first, nothing happened.
Then…
A brutal light burst forth.
The crystal pulsed violently, and a wave of heat spread through the room.
The flames of the lamp flickered, casting moving shadows on the walls.
Abraham immediately felt resistance.
The crystal was reacting too strongly.
It was as if an invisible force was trying to absorb the energy around her.
—What is that...? he whispered, his eyes wide.
The intensity of the light increased further, illuminating the room with an unearthly glow.
Raikuto stirred in his sleep, his breathing becoming slightly more ragged.
Abraham felt his heart beat faster.
He had tested many artifacts before.
But he had never seen a crystal overheat to this extent in the presence of a human being.
This was not a simple affinity with chaos.
It was something else.
A phenomenon that he did not yet understand.
Abraham tightened his grip on the crystal and tried to pull it out.
But he resisted.
The force that attracted him seemed to want to hold him back.
As if something...or someone...wanted to absorb it.
For a moment he thought he felt a pulse.
A presence.
A consciousness lurking in the shadow of this energy.
A cold shiver went up his spine.
He pulled on the crystal with more force and suddenly the light suddenly went out.
Silence fell again in the room.
Raikuto moved slightly, but did not wake up.
Abraham remained frozen for a moment.
Then he slowly backed away, staring at the still warm crystal in his hand.
—It's much more than I imagined...
He took one last look at the sleeping child.
Now he no longer had any doubts.
Raikuto was not a simple slave.
He was an anomaly.
And soon, others besides Ghadib would be interested in it.
Quietly, Abraham left the room, his mind already thinking about the next step.
****
Dawn was slowly rising over Samakhrystal, painting the sky with golden and purple hues. In Ghadib's private room, daylight filtered through the silk drapes, casting shifting shadows on the tapestried walls.
Abraham stood with his arms crossed behind his back, while Ghadib, seated at his ebony desk, broke the wax seal of a newly arrived missive.
He scanned the lines with a lively and precise gaze.
His fingers tightened slightly on the parchment.
A heavy silence settled.
—A problem? Abraham asked in a neutral tone.
Ghadib did not respond immediately. He read the letter a second time, then handed it to his steward.
Abraham took the paper and looked through the message.
The royal guard watches the Crypt more carefully. Someone asked too many questions.
The God-King begins to suspect something, but he doesn't yet know what.
I can distract them for a while, but not forever.
— Alexander.
The name alone was enough to command respect.
Alexander, Hand of the God-King.
A man feared as much by nobles as by criminals.
Abraham pursed his lips slightly before putting the letter back on the desk.
—It had to happen.
Ghadib tilted his head, his gaze still fixed on the message.
— I thought I had more time.
"We must be careful," Abraham added.
The merchant was silent for a moment, his mind processing each possibility.
Then, slowly, he took the letter between his fingers and held it above the oil lamp on his desk.
The flames licked the parchment, blackening it before reducing it to ashes.
—Then we just have to wait for the right moment.
He watched the ashes scatter across the polished wood of the table.
And with them, every trace of their plan.
Abraham looked away from the window, watching the awakening city.
The shadow of the God-King hovered over them.
We would have to be extra vigilant.
****