The sand inside the hourglass in Atinas’s hand dripped quickly, like a solid stream. In slowed time, the man’s natural, idle movements seemed twitchy and erratic. Rane wiped the warm blood dripping from his nose. Grey mist pulsed from his body and assaulted the small hourglass in his palm.

Atinas consulted his own instrument. “Enough,” he called.

Rane set it onto the table and collapsed back. He grasped his head and fought off the impending headache. “How much?”

Atinas observed it closely, until the last grain of sand found the mound that had formed at the bottom. “Close to thirty two seconds.”

Rane winced and lay back. “All my nora, for half a minute?” What point was there to slowing himself down if it left him powerless and exhausted? He much preferred making time move faster. It was equally difficult, but at least he could deal with his opponents quickly and worry about the side effects afterwards.

“Your thinking is too limited.” Atinas picked up one hourglass and placed it in his hand. “If we could find a way to extend your control of time beyond yourself and what you’re touching, you could prove invaluable in battle. Even the mightiest foe would fall. Simply imagine… Each moment for them could be several for the rest of the world.”

“I can do that by speeding up as well.”

“The difference being you’d have to affect all your allies with your magic, instead of a single enemy.” Atinas shook his head. “And so far you can barely affect yourself.”

“Like I’m ever going to use it in battle,” Rane mumbled to himself. Atinas had been clear in his warning. If his magic was ever discovered, not even the archmage’s status could guarantee his safety.

The archmage watched the sand slowly drip. “Dark times are ahead of us.” He remained silent for a moment, mist gathering in his hands. The hourglass broke in his grip. “In the face of death, perhaps even the ancient laws will be broken. That is why I also wish to speak with the King.”

“The initial meeting was supposed to be four days ago.” Rane couldn’t hide the irritation in his voice. “Why is there such a delay?”

“Be patient. The King is a busy man,” Atinas said. “Not to mention I dropped a colossal problem on his doorstep.”

“You mean Caelus?”

Atinas nodded. “The palace is in an uproar and Caelus can’t move an inch without the Lawforge knowing.”

“As he should.” Rane smiled. The type of vindictive joy he felt almost made him pity the man. Almost. “I can bear waiting if it means Caelus gets what he deserves.”

“You won’t have to wait much longer. The final inquiry should be underway as we speak. All the members of the Nost family will be gathered in one place, so that gives us a window to move without worries.” Atinas draped the long cloak over his back and motioned for him to follow.

Rane got shivers, but stood nonetheless. The archmage being willfully obscure was never a good sign. They climbed the winding stairs of the cradle, and the soft sound of the drizzle outside reached Rane’s ears. “Where are we going?”

“There is still the matter of your reward for the Flames.” Atinas walked ahead in the dimly lit streets. The wet cloak stuck to his body, but it didn’t seem to bother him. Rane had noticed that Atinas would go about his business when it was raining or in the dark of night. Less people in the streets, he had said. Less distractions. “Asah, the archmage responsible for the Vault of echoes, is not in the capital so that process was delayed as well. It is unknown when she will return, so the King authorized it in her stead.”

“Really?” Rane put a spring in his step, catching up to the archmage. “I only know it contains magical items. Nobody has told me what to expect.” He had been meaning to inquire about the nature of his prize and that vault, but he didn’t want to seem too demanding. Reuniting with his family was always his focus, but he wouldn’t shy away from another treasure. His vision overlapped with the bird’s and the damp streets ahead filled his mind. If whatever he got had only a fraction of this power…

“Because nobody knows.” Atinas shielded him from the rain with part of his robe. His withered body and the little teeth on his chest creeped Rane out, but it felt wrong to refuse the man’s gesture. “The vault is a mysterious place. It was left behind by Ethan, humanity’s second king, and despite centuries of studying and research we cannot understand its inner workings. All that has been left behind is the process through which the vault is opened.”

Rane looked up at the man. He had pictured a simple treasury in his mind, not a historical site from thousands of years ago. “What will I have to do?” Atinas took a turn and Rane realised they were heading for the palace. It stood imposing, overshadowing every other building in the central district.

“It’s simple. You will have to be honest with yourself,” Atinas said. “Then perhaps the Vault will respond.”

Rane looked at him, perplexed. What did that even mean? “If it’s so simple half the city would be walking around with magical items,” he mumbled.

The drizzle turned into rain. Atinas laughed softly. “The treasures hidden in the vault, though plentiful, are not endless. In recent years, more and more mages who enter it return empty-handed, which is why the imperial family has put restrictions on its use.”

“So there’s a chance I gain nothing?”

“Yes,” Atinas replied, “but if you’re honest, you will have no regrets.”

Rane nodded, then stayed silent after that. As the two of them walked through the rain, he marvelled at the carvings in the stone. Water flowed down from the roofs of buildings, following the winding patterns carved onto the walls like a miniature river. Once on the streets, it joined in with a larger stream and flowed away. No matter how much he despised most members of the Nost family, he had to admit that they knew their craft well.

The palace was built in a similar fashion, but on a much grander scale. The torrents of water that drifted downstream from its many tall towers and buildings formed two miniature waterfalls, flowing down through carved dragon heads. Two men in plate –that gleamed even under no sunlight– stood under the statues, spears crossed in front of the palace’s entrance. They were unmoving despite the heavy rain.

“We come by the King’s order,” Atinas said, “to enter the Vault of Echoes.”

The spearheads slid on each other with a sharp sound, revealing the way. “Abide by the Arbiter’s law and you shall prosper,” said one of the guards.

“Come.” Atinas took Rane by the hand, dragging him forward. The spears fell back in place behind them, spearheads finding each other with practiced precision.

Rane looked around the glorious gardens and sculptures made of leaves and branches. Constructs that resembled Seoltrin tended to them, leaf by leaf. Atinas pushed against the twin stone doors with strength, and they ground open slowly.

Rane looked around the dark, barren corridor. “Where are all the people?”

“The palace is meant solely for the royal family to live in, and even they are absent currently. The rest of the nobility and dukes live in other parts of the central district.” Atinas conjured faint flames to dry his robe before walking inward. “Only the guardian shadows should be lingering now.”

Rane shuffled closer to Atinas, glancing at a corner where no light could reach. “You haven’t told me about those.”

“As I have said before, the palace is a magical place.” Atinas held a reverent tone. His fingers peeked out beneath the rope, as he touched the frame of a painting hanging on the wall. It looked like the portrait of a woman, but its colors had faded and the details lost to time. “Such an ancient building hides a lot of residual magic. Coupled with the strong egos and characters of those who died here, that energy gave birth to the shadows.”

Rane felt a shiver. Ever since he stepped foot in the gardens, he had been feeling a faint hostility. “Spirits?”

Atinas nodded. “Souls of previous kings, princes and queens. Their minds and bodies may be long gone, but their baser instincts to protect their ancestral home remain.”

“Souls…” Rane’s mind snapped back to Leylin, to the storm of mangled souls that had tried to pull him back. He bit his lip. Why couldn’t those damn memories fade? Why did the man’s voice keep ringing in his head? “They sound terrifying,” he said, trying to drown old horrors with the promise of new ones.

“They are,” Atinas replied, “but unless you plan to harm the king or the royal family, you will never have to face them.” Atinas stopped abruptly. “Here should be good.”

“Here?” Rane observed the space, a spacious yet barren room. The stone below felt smooth, and he’d guess it once was a hall used for dance for celebration. Now the only guest it housed was dust. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going to the vault.”

“This is the vault,” Atinas said as he pulled back his hood. “Stand in the center.”

Rane cautiously approached the dark area formed in the middle of the room, where the torchlight couldn’t reach. He sat in silence for a few moments. “What do I do?”

“Desire.” Atinas looked up at the dark ceiling and Rane followed his gaze. “State your most desperate wish without pretense or lies. This is your chance to make it true, so surrender to your true emotion. Let your feelings become magic.”

The vault was quiet, but Rane could feel the magic hidden from his eyes. The same consuming, inebriating feeling of Primordial magic that he had felt in the Cradle. The twisted satisfaction that came from swearing Linde’s Oath. Law, Truth, and then Desire. This was truly a chance to make his wish come true. Dozens of needs and cravings flashed through his mind. “I–” He hesitated. Why had he hesitated? The choice was simple. He wanted his family. He wanted them to be safe, to see them again. Tears welled in his eyes and he clasped his hands together to stop them from trembling. He knew, deep inside, the real reason he had struggled to survive. There was something only he could do, and he hated himself for knowing.

“Peace,” he called out to the darkness. “I want peace.” For a few moments, there was silence. Had he failed?

A sizzling sound came from above, and faint light illuminated the room. Small sparks of magic –like flower petals of different colored flames– formed in the air and floated down into his waiting hands. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of tiny pieces and in myriad of colors coalesced, turning from mist to matter. They felt warm against his hands, their weight only growing. The colors gradually faded, and Rane looked down at the journal in his hands, black leather cover scribed with a single golden name. ‘Ravenlock?’

He turned to the first page with trembling hands, as if his mere touch would damage the item. The owner’s handwriting was curved, but the words were clear. ‘Findings on Empathy’

“Congratulations,” Atinas clapped softly. “I am proud of you, both for succeeding, and your desire. Truly commendable.”

“You told me to be honest, so I was honest.” Rane walked back to Atinas’ side, still looking down at the journal. There seemed to be spells and research layed out, but the terms used were so alien and exotic that it was hard to form meaning from each sentence. “What does this mean?” he asked, pointing to the first section.

Atinas turned to the journal, brows slightly knit. “It’s blank.”

“You can’t see it?”

“There are books in the Cradle that can only be read by their owners. The magic itself isn’t rare, but this is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing being granted by the Vault.”

“I see…” Rane ran his finger under the golden letters. The pages were soft, their paper white and showing no signs of age. He began to mumble under his breath as he read. “To the one who holds this journal–”

“Stop.” Atinas held up a hand. “There’s a reason the writer chose to bind this book to whoever found it. Keep it to yourself. You will have plenty of time to make sense of it.” He turned around and motioned for Rane to follow.

Rane walked up hesitantly, taking in the feeling of ambient magic and the warmth of the torches alight on the walls. There was something soothing about being in this room, something that made the rain outside even more unwelcoming. “Are we leaving already?”

“We got what we came for. I don’t like to linger without purpose.” Atinas placed a hand on Rane’s shoulder and patted him. “Besides, I think you’re going to enjoy our next destination very much.”

“Why? Where are we going?”

“To the Lawforge,” Atinas said with a slight grin. “It’s the day of judgement.”