Darkness of the Night
Summer had settled over Thyr Vael. The streets were warmer than before, and the gardens were full of blooming flowers. Everything felt different now, calmer somehow.
Since the Cranium's presence in the Sanctum, there had been no threats. No attacks. No word from Balshak. The Bound had grown uneasy because of it. Silence like this never meant safety. It meant something was waiting.
I moved slowly through the corridor, my thoughts drifting as they often did.
To Doya.
Most nights, when the Temple grew quiet, I slipped beyond the Sanctum grounds to meet him in Harrowfen District. It was dangerous. But I went still. Only Kumbuye knew about it. It was one thing I looked forward to whenever the day grew dark.
Meanwhile, my own power was growing. I could feel the Cranium humming inside me, and I spent hours practicing, trying to gain more control.
I was turning a corner when I heard quick footsteps approaching.
A young attendant hurried toward me, slightly out of breath. When she saw me, she slowed and bowed quickly.
"Dana," she said, extending something toward me.
It was a folded piece of parchment.
"For me?" I asked.
She nodded. "It was left at the lower gate this morning. The guard said it was meant for you."
I took it from her.
"Did the person who left it say anything?" I asked.
"No," she replied. "They left immediately."
"Very well," I said.
She bowed again and continued down the corridor, leaving me alone.
For a moment, I simply stared at the parchment in my hand.
There was no seal. No name written on it.
Just a plain fold.
Slowly, I opened it.
Only a few words were written inside:
"The Cranium will not remain where it is. Watch closely. The darkness of the night brings change. Trust no one."
My heart skipped. I looked around, suspicion stirring within me.
I read the words again, slower this time.
A warning.
Or a threat.
My fingers tightened slightly around the parchment as a chill crept down my spine, despite the warm summer air filling the corridor.
Who would send this to me?
I folded the parchment and tucked it into my sleeve, already turning toward the chamber where the Cranium was kept. I needed to see it for myself.
Guards were stationed at different points along the corridor leading to the chamber. Their armour gleamed faintly beneath the light of the sunset spilling through the high windows. Nothing appeared out of place.
At the main door, two armed guards stood watch. They bowed at my approach.
I gave them a subtle nod and whispered the unlocking spell. The door responded at once and swung inward with a low groan.
At the far end of the chamber stood the altar, carved from pale stone and raised upon a circular platform. Above it, the Cranium floated, humming softly.
The moment I stepped inside, the hum deepened.
Power surged through me in response, rippling through my veins. The familiar connection awakened instantly, the Cranium recognising me as it always did.
Everything felt the same.
Nothing was disturbed.
No sign of intrusion. No flicker of instability.
If the parchment spoke truth, whatever was coming had not yet begun.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax.
I turned and left the chamber.
The guards straightened as I stepped past them, and the door sealed shut once more behind me.
Back in my chambers, I removed the parchment from my sleeve and placed it carefully inside one of my drawers.
Evening was settling in, and the Ascend and High Bound were tied up in a meeting — one I wasn't needed for.
I decided to visit Kumbuye's chambers. The corridor was quiet, the only sound was the soft scrape of my boots against the stone floor as I made my way to his door.
When I reached, I knocked twice and it clicked open.
"Kumbuye," I muttered.
He gestured me in. "Is something the matter?"
"I received a note," I said, stepping inside. "It… it holds a threat."
"A threat?" he echoed.
I faced him. "I'm not entirely sure. Warning, maybe… but it concerns the Cranium."
He raised an eyebrow expecting more.
"It says it will go missing," I explained. "But…"
"But what?"
"I checked the chamber. Everything seems normal. The guards are alert. I just… I don't know." I sighed.
"Have you informed the Ascend?" he asked.
"Not yet," I admitted. "I just got the note. And the Ascend are occupied in a meeting. I will not see Doya tonight though, I'll stay here in the Sanctum."
Kumbuye nodded slowly. "Do you think Doya knows anything about this threat? After all, he's the one spying on the temple's traitors."
"All he's shared so far matches what's in the note," I replied. "They're after the Cranium, but their exact plan… we still don't know."
---
By the time I returned back to my chambers, the last traces of sunset had faded, and the warm glow of candlelight cast long shadows across the room.
I paced restlessly, the parchment's words echoing in my mind. There hadn't been any real threat in months, not since the Cranium had arrived. But now… it felt too real. Danger was coming, I could feel it.
I moved to the window and looked out over the Sanctum. Everything was quiet, calm, almost deceptively so. Yet beneath the stillness, a tight knot of unease coiled in my stomach.
I planned to inform the Ascend by morning. Sliding onto my bed, I tried to calm myself.
"Everything is fine," I murmured, letting the words settle. Slowly, I felt myself drifting toward sleep.
Suddenly, a knot pulled me awake, my heart racing and my stomach tightening. It was midnight. My thoughts darted straight to the Cranium. I grabbed my silk cloak and slipped quietly from the bed.
As I moved through the corridors toward the Cranium's chamber, my heart pounded harder.
At the first guard station, I froze. The stone floor was cold beneath my foot.
Two guards lay on the floor. Their spears were still propped against the wall, as if they had simply stepped aside to let someone pass. Nothing looked disturbed — except for the dark, spreading pool of blood around them.
I knelt, my breath catching in my throat. The blood was still warm. There were no wounds, no signs they had fought back. But the blood had been drawn from their eyes, their eyeballs plucked out, leaving them empty and lifeless.
I flinched, falling back at the sight of it.
They had been killed silently, by someone they never even saw coming.
My chest tightened. I moved faster. The next guard station held the same scene as the first. I didn't stop until I reached the door. The two guards stationed there were also lifeless, and the door stood wide open.
"No," I whispered, trembling.
I bolted toward Ascend Kaelric's quarters, not caring about the hour. The guards outside looked at me with alarm.
"I have to speak with Ascend Kaelric," I said, my voice shaking.
"Apologies, he is asleep," one of them replied.
"Grant me access now, or your heads will pay the price," I snapped.
"I'm sor—"
Before he could finish, I snapped my fingers. Both guards slumped to the floor, deep in unnatural sleep. I forced open the door and rushed inside.
"The Cranium has gone missing!" I shouted, panic rising as Kaelric's eyes shot open, wide with disbelief.
He scrambled upright in his bed. "What? How—when?" His hands flew to the bedside table, searching for his robe as he stood.
"I don't know exactly," I said, breathless, "but every guard I passed… they've been killed. Their blood… it's been drawn out from their eyes. The chamber is empty."
The moment we stepped out of his room, Kaelric didn't even glance at the guards I'd forced asleep. We hurried to the tower bell. He called to the worker there and ordered him to ring it.
The sound echoed through the Temple. Every Bound stirred awake. Kaelric immediately sent them to alert the night watch to lock down the front gates. No one would leave Thyr Vael tonight.
All the Ascend gathered in a chamber. Ascend Elyndra's sharp voice broke the tense silence.
"What is going on at this hour?"
"The Cranium has gone missing," Kaelric replied, his voice steady but edged with tension. "The Bound will begin a thorough search of the Temple immediately."
"And how did this happen?" she asked.
"We have no information. All we know is that whoever took it used powerful magic. Blood has been spilled on the Sanctum grounds," Kaelric said.
"The balance has been broken," Ascend Veylan murmured.
"Yes," Kaelric responded sharply. "Veylan, you will perform a cleansing ritual immediately. Darveth will ensure the Cranium does not leave these grounds. We must assume it is still within the Temple. Corvath will gather all records from the front gate and assign Bound to track who has entered and left."
"Whoever stole the Cranium must have known the unlocking spell. Only Dana and we know it," Ascend Seraphine added.
Suddenly, the familiar weight I felt from the Cranium vanished. My heart jumped.
"Something is wrong," I said, my voice quick.
"What is it?" Kaelric asked.
"The Cranium… I cannot feel it anymore," I admitted, panic creeping in. "It feels like its bond has been masked by something."
"They probably do not want you to sense its location," Ascend Serathiel said grimly.
"We will hold a general meeting by dawn," Kaelric said. "These traitors will answer for this."
---
The tension in the Sanctum was thick. Morning light spilled through the high windows, but I hadn't told anyone about the warning I'd received the day before. Not now. Not while everyone was already on edge.
We gathered in the great hall. All the reports Ascend Kaelric had requested had been presented, but still, we had nothing to pinpoint who had taken the Cranium or where it might be. The cleansing ritual had been performed overnight, led by Ascend Veylan to restore the balance that had been broken.
"Sacuum Rael Bound of this Sanctum," Ascend Darveth called.
"Sacuum Nolar," they replied in unison.
"I presume everyone is aware of the reason for this gathering." His eyes swept the hall. "The Cranium is missing." A tense ripple passed through the assembly. "If anyone has information that could help identify these perpetrators, step forward."
High Bound Paciver moved to the front. His voice carried across the hall. "The only man with both motive and knowledge of the Cranium's power is the one recently stripped of rank."
The hall erupted into whispers and gasps. My heart skipped a beat. Did he mean Doya?
"Silence!" Ascend Seraphine's shout cut through the clamor.
"No, he would never do that," I blurted before I could stop myself, my voice trembling.
"When a person rises to power and is then stripped of it, they will go to any length to reclaim it," Paciver pressed.
"No! Why would you accuse him when you are—" I began, but Ascend Darveth cut me off, his voice sharp.
"This is not the time for reckless accusations. We will investigate thoroughly."
Murmurs rose around the hall. I could feel it — everyone's eyes turning toward Doya's absence, suspicion quietly rooting itself in their minds.
"I suggest Doya be arrested for questioning," another High Bound proposed.
"No!" I shouted, panic lacing my words. "He is not guilty!"
"Order in the hall," Darveth commanded. "As stated, investigations will continue. Doya cannot be taken until there is clear evidence of his involvement."
---
The meeting ended on a tense note. The entire Sanctum now suspected Doya.
I found myself walking toward the chamber where the Ascend met in private. Two guards stood outside the door. With a flick of my fingers, I sealed their lips shut and pushed the door open.
Kaelric's eyes snapped up at my sudden entrance.
"Dana, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry for intruding," I said stiffly, "but High Bound Paciver needs to be arrested."
"We have no evidence against him," Kaelric replied calmly. "Only suspicions. We cannot detain him for that."
"We can," I insisted. "You can make it happen. We already know their meetings are held in his district. What's stopping us from bringing him in? We question him, and maybe he gives us what we need."
Frustration rushed through me as the words spilled out.
"It's time we acted," I continued. "They've defied the Sanctum and still walk freely. He needs to be brought in."
"She's right," Ascend Elyndra agreed. "I say we bring him in and question him."
"I support that," Corvath added.
Kaelric looked between them before nodding. "Very well. We'll move on it immediately."
I left the room feeling a small sense of relief. But my thoughts quickly drifted back to Doya. I needed to see him.
I hurried to Kumbuye's quarters and asked him to come with me.
When we arrived at Harrowfen District, the streets were unusually quiet. Word of the Cranium's disappearance had clearly spread. People stood in small clusters, whispering among themselves, their eyes following us as we passed.
We approached Doya's cottage, but before I could knock, the door swung open.
Doya stood there, his expression hardening the moment he saw us. "Dana? Kumbuye? What's going on?"
"You haven't heard?" Kumbuye asked carefully.
Doya frowned. "Heard what?"
"The Cranium," I said quietly. "It's gone."
For a moment, Doya didn't move. His eyes narrowed slightly as the words settled.
"Gone?" he repeated.
"It was stolen during the night," I continued. "Some guards were killed."
Doya stepped aside, letting us into the room. "How did this happen?"
"We don't know." I sighed and sat down on a chair in his room.
"They're starting to suspect you," Kumbuye said bluntly.
Doya let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Of course they are."
My chest tightened. "High Bound Paciver accused you during the assembly."
At the mention of Paciver's name, something dark flickered across Doya's face.
"I see," he murmured.
As we spoke, a sudden knock sounded at Doya's door. My heart skipped.
We exchanged uneasy glances, each of us thinking the same thing.
Who could it be?
Doya stepped forward cautiously and opened the door.
And there she stood — Giselle.