Three years later.
The underworld was quiet, as it always was. The purple sky stretched endlessly above the castle, scattered with stars that pulsed with their own gentle light. The air was cool and still. The silence was absolute.
Except for the sound of tiny feet pattering across the stone floor.
Ken stood in the main hall, his hands on his hips, his eyes scanning the corridor. He was dressed casually—dark pants, a loose linen shirt, his silver wedding band glinting on his finger.
"Jesse," he called out. "Come back here. Right now."
No response. Just the echo of his own voice.
Ken sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and started walking.
The castle was vast, filled with hidden corners and secret passages. Jesse had a talent for finding them all. It was a skill he'd inherited from his father—the ability to disappear into shadows, to be where no one expected him to be.
Ken turned a corner and spotted a flash of black hair disappearing behind a tapestry.
