Part 1: The Silence of Separation
---
The rain came gently.
Like whispers over the stone balcony, the sound of droplets tapping against the marble echoed in Kael's room. He didn't move, didn't blink, didn't even breathe too loudly as if the world itself had frozen with him.
His hand rested over the feather pendant Lireen had given him the night before she left.
No one told him why. No one looked him in the eyes. Not even the Archmage dared explain.
> "For her safety," they said.
But safety never felt like silence. Safety didn't tear hearts apart.
Kael had seen war. He had fought monsters and tasted fear. But nothing compared to the way his chest ached now as if the magic that kept his heart beating had cracked, splintered, and quietly leaked into the void.
He remembered the warmth of her smile. The way her fingers trembled when they held his. The tears she tried to hide behind pride.
She didn't want to go. He knew it.
And yet, this morning... the room where she stayed had turned to dust and silence. Her presence erased. Her laugh replaced by political tension that rotted the air around Arcanhelm.
---
Kael stood and walked to the edge of the balcony. From there, the capital city looked distant, almost like a memory fading too fast. Lightning flickered across the cloudy sky, followed by a rumble that vibrated beneath his boots.
His grip tightened around the pendant.
> "Lireen... are you safe? Are they treating you well?"
He closed his eyes. But all he saw was her back as she walked away, escorted by knights that didn't even look at him. Her hands bound not by chains, but by duty.
Suddenly, a knock.
Kael turned. The door creaked open. A messenger, soaked in rain, stepped inside.
"Sir Kael... this arrived for you. No name. No seal."
The letter was wet, but its content was protected by magic. Kael took it, nodding once.
As he opened it, a cold wind swept through the balcony.
His eyes scanned the words. Then again. And again. Each line struck like a blade.
> "They are planning to bind Lireen to Lord Elvran's house. The council does not wish for your presence to influence her choices. Beware. Eyes are on you, even now."
No signature. Just a symbol: a broken feather.
Kael's hands trembled.
He stepped back inside the room, closed the door, and leaned against it as if the entire world were pressing against his spine.
This wasn't just politics. This wasn't just a misunderstanding.
It was war. And they had already drawn the first blood through silence.
---
🔹Chapter Highlight Teaser (English Sub): Kael receives a mysterious letter revealing the dark intention behind Lireen's sudden disappearance. Rain falls as the truth begins to unfold—this is no longer a matter of love, but of power. And Kael is being watched...
Next: Part 2 - "The Chains of Bloodline"
---
📖 Teaser Recap:
> Kael receives a mysterious letter revealing the dark intention behind Lireen's sudden disappearance. Rain falls as the truth begins to unfold—this is no longer a matter of love, but of power. And Kael is being watched...
---