Lucas was the first to stir, his eyes opening to the soft, muted light filtering in through the half-drawn curtains. Lira was breathing slowly but steadily, she lay curled beneath the sheets, her face relaxed.
He rose quietly, careful not to wake her, he moved to the small dresser, he took a fresh robe from where it hung neatly folded, a light, pale-colored garment embroidered with the insignia of the Royal Alchemists. Its silk-like weave caught the early light, glinting faintly as he drew it over his shoulders and fastened it.
His gaze shifted to the small lacquered box resting on the low table in the corner, the one where he had asked Lira to store the things he would need most. He lifted the lid, revealing the neatly stacked parchment sheets filled with Sage Raph's precise handwriting and, nestled beside them, the faintly pulsing Core of Dominion. Even in the morning light, the artifact seemed to carry its own subtle glow, as if it breathed with some hidden power.
