The Flame's Ascent

The shard's hum stayed with Lynx long after he left the study. Even as he moved through the quiet halls of the Fenwyk estate, its faint resonance seemed to echo in his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder if it was reacting to him—or if it was warning him.

He turned a corner, his steps slowing as he caught sight of Vera waiting in the sitting room. She stood near the fireplace, her figure silhouetted by the flickering flames. Her blue eyes locked onto him as he entered, her expression unreadable.

"I didn't expect you back so soon," Lynx said, his voice light in an attempt to cut through the tension.

"I couldn't stay away," she replied, though her tone carried more weight than her words suggested. She gestured toward the chair opposite her. "Sit. We need to talk."

Lynx complied, sinking into the chair and leaning forward. "What's on your mind?"

Vera hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Veryl and I heard something today. A name—Caervyn. Does that mean anything to you?"

Lynx froze. The name struck a chord, though he couldn't immediately place it. "Caervyn… It sounds familiar, but I can't say why."

Vera nodded, as if she'd expected the answer. "It's an old house, long extinct. But their name has been appearing in whispers lately. Supposedly, they were one of the few houses tied directly to the founders' original magic."

"And now they're gone," Lynx said, leaning back in his chair. "Do you think that's a coincidence?"

"I don't," Vera replied. "And neither does Veryl. We think the queen's searches might be connected to them. Artifacts, relics—things left behind by the Caervyns could hold answers the crown doesn't want found."

Lynx's thoughts drifted to the shard hidden in his satchel. The faint hum he'd felt earlier seemed louder now, more insistent. He hesitated before speaking. "If that's true, then what's the next step?"

Vera studied him closely, her gaze piercing. "You tell me. You've been keeping something from us, Lynx. I can see it."

Lynx opened his mouth to deny it, but the words faltered. Instead, he reached into his satchel and pulled out the wooden box. He set it on the table between them and opened the lid, revealing the metallic shard inside.

Vera's eyes widened, her composure slipping for a brief moment. "Where did you get that?"

"A merchant brought it to me earlier today," Lynx said. "He claimed it was unique, something tied to our craft. My father thinks it's older than anything we've documented—older than the Fenwyk lineage itself."

Vera reached out but stopped short of touching the shard. "It's connected to the founders, isn't it?"

"That's what I'm starting to think," Lynx admitted. "But I don't know what it means—or what it's capable of."

The room fell silent, the weight of their discovery settling between them. Finally, Vera broke the silence. "We need to take this to Veryl. If anyone can make sense of this, it's him."

Lynx nodded, though unease prickled at the back of his mind. "Do you trust him with something like this?"

"Veryl might be reckless, but he's not careless," Vera replied firmly. "And if this shard is as important as we think it is, then we can't afford to keep it a secret—not from each other."

Lynx closed the box and stood. "Let's go, then."

The two made their way through the estate, the wooden box tucked securely under Lynx's arm. Outside, the evening air was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain. The moon hung low in the sky, its pale light casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets.

Veryl was waiting for them at a secluded corner of the estate's gardens, lounging on a stone bench beneath a canopy of ivy. He straightened as they approached, his blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Well, this looks serious," Veryl said, his usual smirk softening into something more sincere. "What have you brought me?"

Lynx set the box on the bench and opened it, revealing the shard once more. Veryl's expression shifted immediately, his playful demeanor replaced by focused intensity.

"Where did this come from?" he asked, his voice quieter than usual.

Lynx repeated the story, watching as Veryl leaned closer to study the shard. He reached out, his fingers hovering just above its surface before pulling back.

"It's powerful," Veryl murmured. "I can feel it. Whatever this is, it's not just an artifact. It's a piece of something bigger."

"Something tied to the founders," Vera added. "We think it might be connected to House Caervyn."

Veryl's gaze flicked to her, his expression unreadable. "If that's true, then we've stumbled onto something dangerous. The queen's searches, the rebellion, even the whispers about the founders' magic—this shard could be at the center of all of it."

Lynx nodded, his resolve hardening. "Then we need to figure out what it's meant for—and who wants it."

Veryl's smirk returned, though it carried a sharper edge. "Looks like we've got ourselves a mystery, cousin. Let's hope we're ready for the answers."