That night, despite being granted a private chamber within the Senate Castle by Caesar himself—a lone, uniquely adorned room of marbled splendor—I did not remain there as I had intended. The lavish silence of that regal space could not compete with the call of my heart, nor could its luxury weigh against the comfort I sought elsewhere.
I had somewhere else to go—somewhere far more intimate, far more sacred than the stone walls of Rome's political heart.
It was a place removed entirely from the mortal world. Hidden behind layers of celestial seals and veils, I found myself in Khione's isolated realm—a realm carved from the divine fabric of the cosmos itself. No human, god, or creature could trespass here without her explicit invitation. Guarded by barriers wrought from Divine Law, only those sanctioned by Khione could ever pass through the invisible veil that surrounded her sanctuary.
