⚜️⚜️⚜️
> "The past is a mirror. What you see in it depends on where you stand, and what you choose to reflect."
> — Inscription, Veilstone Hall of Reflections
>
The next several cycles within the Elder Archives were dedicated to understanding the Ley Key and the various "aspects" of the Crown. Master Elara poured over diagrams and fragmented texts, deciphering ancient schematics that detailed not only the Ley Key's construction but its intended purpose: to bind the Crown's will to that of its wielder.
"This is not just a tool for breaking," Elara explained one 'morning', pointing to a particularly complex diagram. "It was designed for ultimate control. Lord Valerius sought to make the Crown his slave, to force it into absolute obedience. The Sundering was a catastrophic failure of this binding, not an intentional destruction."
This nuance chilled Ash even more. The original Valerius hadn't just accidentally shattered the Crown; he tried to enslave it. The current Captain Valerius's pursuit felt even more ironic now, a distorted echo of his ancestor's ambition for control.
Kael listened intently, his grim face reflecting his inner struggle. The weight of his family's name pressed down on him, but he also felt a growing sense of urgency. If the Ley Key could be used to control the Crown, perhaps it could also be used to heal it, or at least, guide its re-unification away from the monstrous vision Ash had seen.
Meanwhile, Selene focused on Ash's connection to the shard. She put him through simple, meditative exercises, guiding him to feel the subtle pulses of energy, to identify the different 'voices' of the Crown's memories. Ash found he could, with effort, distinguish between them: the profound harmony of the Crown whole, the sharp agony of its shattering, the cold ambition of Valerius. He was learning to listen, and to filter.
"The Crown has sent you certain echoes, Ash," Selene observed, her voice quiet. "Perhaps to show you the danger. The temptation. And the path to its true purpose, beyond control."
One 'afternoon', Elara unearthed another remarkable artifact. It was a small, ornate mirror, its frame made of a dark, unknown metal, and its surface as perfectly black as obsidian. There was no reflection in it, only an endless, inky void.
"This is a Mirror of Unveiling," Elara explained, holding it carefully. "Crafted by the Black Quill. It does not reflect the world as it is, but as it was. It is attuned to the deepest resonances of the Ley Lines, and through them, to the Crown's true history."
He held the mirror up to Ash. "It requires a strong resonance, a direct connection to the Crown's power, to activate. Ash, if you are willing, perhaps this can show us more. Not through a vision, but through a direct reflection of the past."
Ash felt a mix of fear and an undeniable curiosity. He wanted answers. He wanted to understand. He nodded slowly.
Elara carefully positioned the mirror so that its black surface faced Ash directly. Ash could feel the cold hum of the mirror, responding to the shard in his chest. The shard pulsed strongly, eagerly. Selene placed a hand on his back, a silent offer of support.
"Focus, Ash," Elara instructed. "Focus on the desire for truth. Let the shard respond."
Ash closed his eyes, centering himself. He focused on the truth, on the burning need to know more about the Crown, about Lord Valerius, about the true nature of the Sundering. He felt the shard flare, a silent, internal roar of power.
When he opened his eyes, the Mirror of Unveiling was no longer black. Its surface rippled like dark water, then cleared, revealing an image. It wasn't static; it was moving, like a silent, ghostly film.
He saw the golden city of Aethelburg again, whole and vibrant. He saw the radiant Prime Bearer, walking among its people, a beacon of peace. He saw Lord Valerius, distinct now, his face a colder, more cunning version of Captain Valerius, whispering to other council members, his ambition clear in his eyes. He saw the fateful Day of the Great Conjunction, the Prime Bearer on the ceremonial platform. And then, Lord Valerius, using a crude, jagged weapon of void-forged iron—the Ley Key—to strike the Crown.
The Sundering. But this time, Ash saw more. He saw the Prime Bearer's reaction: not just agony, but a desperate, final act. With the last flicker of the Crown's unity, the Prime Bearer didn't just let it shatter. He performed a counter-spell, a silent, desperate command that sent the fragments not just scattering randomly, but implanting them within chosen bloodlines, across Aerthos, across time. And with each fragment, a piece of the Crown's true purpose was instilled: to eventually be reunited, not by force, but by a worthy will.
The image in the mirror flickered, showing him a brief, chilling glimpse of the Prime Bearer's last defiant thought, a message imprinted into the very shards: Find the worthy. Reclaim the balance. Avert the dominion.
Then, the mirror's surface went black once more, reflecting only Ash's pale, stunned face.
Ash stumbled backward, clutching his chest, the shard throbbing. "The Prime Bearer... he chose the shattering," he gasped. "He sent the pieces... he imprinted them. And he imprinted a message. To reclaim balance. To avert dominion."
Elara's eyes widened, a profound understanding dawning on his face. "Chosen bloodlines! The shards are not random! They were placed! This changes everything! The Crown's will is not merely to be whole, but to be restored by those capable of wielding it justly!"
The revelation was staggering. Ash wasn't just a random vessel. He was part of a lineage, chosen by the Crown's last, desperate act. His journey was no longer just about survival, but about fulfilling an ancient, divine purpose.
⚜️⚜️⚜️