[hider=Flashback: Night Sola 23, 1739][center][h1][b][color=00F8FE]Callum[/color] & [color=DAF6C7]Riona[/color] Part 5[/b][/h1][/center]
[color=LightGray][hr][right]with [@princess][/right]
Meanwhile, Callum had stuck a second match, held it near the sword in the portrait as Riona pulled the lever, and then took off running. He darted near the concubine’s room, held his breath so nothing would drown out the telling mechanical click, and leaned his ear near the crack of the door.  However, the click did not come from the concubine’s room. It came from another room and such was clear.

As two maids strolled past, they stole curious glances at Callum. Neither dared to address him directly and opted instead to maintain their conversation.

[color=#7F00FF]"...Did you hear, Millicent? That watchdog's chamber has forever been reserved for the King and Queen's most loyal and stout defender... Yet, by Primitus himself, none forewarned us of its harboring the most handsome of them all. I merely yearn for his gaze to alight upon me."[/color]

Cal froze and stared at the pair, realizing it looked like he was wandering around at night trying to snoop in a woman’s bedroom. [color=00F8FE]“I’m looking for my trumpet. I forgot it at the tea party.”[/color] He announced, answering a question no one had asked. [color=00F8FE]“It’s shiny and …um… trumpet-shaped, if you happen to see it. Ya’know, maybe Wystan has it.”[/color] He pushed the door closed, tripped over his own feet in haste, and headed for Wystan’s room, pretending like he wasn’t up to anything. 

When he entered the room, his gaze may have been drawn to the center of the room where a grand, canopied bed commanded attention. On the left, a heavy wooden writing desk sat against the wall, and next to it a sturdy dresser. There was a wooden door on the right that was shut currently. Moonlight streamed through the window, cutting through the dimness, and illuminating a sword diagonally across on an empty part of the wall. It was mounted majestically across the wallpaper that had seen better days.

Cal ducked into the watchdog’s room and studied the surroundings. He noted the sword displayed on the wall, [color=00F8FE][i]where the sword of truth casts its light.[/i][/color] This had to be the right room. Didn’t it? 

[color=00F8FE][i]So where was Riona? Was he in the wrong room? Should he be in Alden’s room? Or had Riona been caught by Alden?[/i][/color] He decided he was already here, the sword on the wall had to match up with the clue from the portrait. He needed to keep going before Wystan returned, gods only knew when he’d have another chance to poke around here. His eyes fell to the door on the right, Cal decided he’d try there first, and gave the door a pull to see if it was locked. 

The door was unfortunately locked and as Callum searched the dresser, he found nothing unusual. He headed back to where the sword hung on the wall and removed it. He inspected the sword, turned it, and looked for any clues inscribed on the weapon itself. Then he used it to reflect the moonlight from the window around the room to see if that illuminated any clues. 

[color=DAF6C7]“Alden?”[/color] Riona surveyed the mess with a cautious eye. Had this been a simple theft gone wrong or a calculated attack on the Royal Advisor? The lack of life signs raised alarms. Her skin prickled with unease.

She called out again in a level voice. [color=DAF6C7]“Alden?”[/color] Her gaze landed on an overturned journal. Curiosity getting the better of her, she flipped through it.

[color=CE4A4E][i]The kingdom seems to be in distress, as the Alidasht doesn’t seem too fond of the current events that have been unfolding. That idiot Lorenzo is somewhat of a chaotic force in everything. Whether he intends to do his actions or not, he seems to be inciting a war all on his own. It is best to leave him on his own, I would not interfere as his antics seem to fall in line with my own desires. Then inside the own kingdom, things are definitely interesting. My dear Calbert is dealing with his own struggles now, with Violet now in her own state of rest. He will be dying to know what happened exactly, and is desperately looking for answers. He will be easy to influence.

Your majesty is still as dimwitted and unclever as ever, believing that he is a God in some way. His behavior alone will definitely incite some tensions amongst our guests. It's all about leading him in the right direction, and the rest shall unfold upon itself. His sons, on the other hand, will be a bit more difficult to play around. They do not seem too impressed of me, as I had been away for far too long. Perhaps I should play closer attention to them individually, and observe more of their intrusive thoughts. THEY will be necessary for the kingdoms downfall. But it needs to be in a way where they aren’t directly affected. I do have a soft spot for them after all. Them and Anastasia. They unfortunately will have to experience what is to come about, but they do not need to suffer. That will be reserved for “your majesty” solely.[/i][/color]

Riona’s brain did backflips as she devoured the words in the journal. The King’s trusted advisor actually planned to dethrone him! But the cryptic references to the others left more questions than answers. What happened to Lady Violet? And why were Cal and his siblings so important to the kingdom’s downfall? Nothing about the Queen though, which didn’t sit right with Riona. 

Glancing at the ransacked room, Riona knew she couldn’t leave the journal behind. Its contents were too valuable, and if Alden meant to overthrow the Crown, this could be used as evidence of treason. Journal tucked safely away, Riona made one last look around, eyes sharp for any other damning evidence.

At the window, she hesitated, half-dreading the sight of Alden’s broken form crumpled on the ground below.

But there was no sight of Alden. Riona expelled a breath, the knot in her chest loosening a fraction. No bodies littering the ground, at least—always a plus. She scanned the area, hunting for any traces of blood she might have missed, but saw nothing on the exterior of the castle.

Riona slipped out and crossed to Wystan’s quarters. [color=DAF6C7]“Any luck?”[/color] she asked Cal.

As Cal tried to use the sword to reflect moonlight around the room the sudden sound of footsteps followed by a question made him jump. A thud echoed through the room as he dropped the sword, just as he had with every sword he’d ever picked up. [color=00F8FE]“I found a sword?”[/color] He wasn’t sure that counted as luck, finding a sword in the watchdog’s room. [color=00F8FE]”And that door is locked.”[/color] He gestured to the door he’d tried as he picked the sword back up and to keep from dropping it again. [color=00F8FE]“You don’t happen to have any lockpicking skills, do you?”[/color] He asked, and he’d honestly be surprised if Riona didn’t have some lockpicking skills. She looked like she was about to answer when something else caught her attention.

If Callum had been paying attention to the sword itself, he would have noticed the light dance across the metal, revealing an inscription that had remained unseen in the dimness. As the light traced the contours of the inscription, the characters seemed to pulse faintly, like whispers from the past urging to be heard.

[i]Bare the deepest shadows of your soul, thus the veiled way unfolds.[/i]

However, a curious phenomenon began in that moment: a thin wall, started to descend slowly from the top of the original wall. The movement was gradual, almost like the slow, deliberate lowering of a curtain in a theater, and the sounds of gears turning dimly filled the room. It slid into place with a click and obscured the once-visible mounting spot of the sword.

Riona blinked once, twice. Then again, for posterity’s sake. Seconds ticked by, each one more disappointing than the last as the realization settled over her. This couldn’t be it. There had to be more.

She rushed to the false wall, running her hands over every centimeter, probing, prodding, searching desperately for some missed clue or trigger. A latch, a lever, anything to reveal the greater mysteries she was certain lay hidden. But the wall remained infuriatingly unchanged. Immovable and inscrutable as ever.

Riona’s heart plummeted down, down, down, fell right out of her chest to splatter on the floor. She had been so sure, so convinced, that the cryptic puzzle would lead to so much more than a mere sword secreted away. Some chamber filled with old secrets and forgotten lore—a grand revelation. She squeezed her eyes shut. This is what you get for daring to hope too much, she chided herself bitterly.

With a weary sigh, she rested her forehead against the wall and focused on taking slow, even breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In, out. In, out. The same calming ritual she did after a particularly hard day and especially after enduring one of Lady Morrigan’s brutal disciplines. Somehow, the solid press of the castle wall against her skin brought a strange sense of comfort. Grounding her. Soothing her. The castle crooning its lullaby of cool stone.
Madness, of course. Castles didn’t sing. But what did it matter if it helped?

[color=DAF6C7]“The sword,”[/color] Riona said, not lifting her head from the wall, [color=DAF6C7]“does it have any inscriptions? Any markings at all?”[/color]

[color=00F8FE]“Bare the deepest shadows of your soul, thus the veiled way unfolds.”[/color] Callum read the inscription out loud. He held the hilt in one hand and used the other to steady the blade as he lifted the sword, perpendicular to his mouth. His best guess on what to do next was to offer up a closely guarded secret to the sword of truth, and hope that held the key to move beyond the veiled way, or the newly formed wall.

[color=00F8FE]“I think I’ll fail in the end, at doing something worthwhile, something good. I don’t think anything good can come from bad people.”[/color] He paused, closed his eyes and reached for something deeper, whispering to the sword. [color=00F8FE]“And I am easily drawn into anything dark…harmful… addictive. I want the kind of power that will bring devastation to my enemies. I want to ruin everything, and everyone, I hate, and let those ruins topple down upon me as well.”[/color] He offered up his shadow to the sword and waited, expecting something to happen. They were too close for this to lead to nothing. 

The sound of something heavy lifting filled the air, but it was occurring behind the wall that had covered the previous spot. Callum had been correct in his assumption, but a step was missing. 

[i][color=00F8FE]“I want… power.”[/color][/i] [i][color=4E0E04]The power.[/color][/i]
[i][color=00F8FE]“… bring devastation…[/color][/i] [i][color=4E0E04]To destroy.[/color][/i]
[i][color=00F8FE]“I want to ruin everything…everyone…[/color][/i] [i][color=4E0E04]All of it.[/color][/i]
[i][color=00F8FE]“I hate…[/color][/i] [i][color=4E0E04]The hate. Hate. Hatehatehate!... Give it to us.[/color][/i]
[i][color=00F8FE]“… me as well.”[/color][/i] [i][color=4E0E04]All of it. And—[/color][/i]

Riona’s brow furrowed as she felt the wall shudder ever so slightly against her skin. She stepped away, pulse quickening. [color=DAF6C7]“That... did something.”[/color] Could it be?

[color=DAF6C7]“Do it again,”[/color] she instructed Cal, already backing towards the door, [color=DAF6C7]“this time I’ll pull the lever outside.”[/color] And left the room to do just that.

Callum waited for a moment until Riona was out of earshot. [color=00F8FE]“You want a real secret?”[/color] He addressed the sword again while rotating the heavy weapon as his arm grew tired from holding it aloft. [color=00F8FE]“I should probably be kept away from magic, I want to push its limits, make it my weapon. They’re afraid of it, more than blades and guns, and using something they fear to destroy them…I can’t think of anything more appealing, even if it drives me mad.”[/color] He stopped turning the sword and ran his fingers over the inscription. [color=00F8FE]“How’s that for a shadow? Now, unfold that veil.”[/color] 

Once the lever was pulled, the wall began to lift once more, revealing a hallway this time. A dark void seemingly stood before Callum.

Riona rushed back into the room. [color=DAF6C7]“Did tha—”[/color] she began, then her eyes caught the hallway that had materialized and her half-formed question dissolved on her tongue. She turned to Cal, a wide grin splitting her cheeks. 

[color=00F8FE]“Open up a creepy, unlit, secret passage? Yup.”[/color] Cal answered, returning the grin. He set the sword down and looked around until he found a candle he could use to light the dark passageway. He checked for any markings within the newly formed hallway that might indicate a boobytrap before continuing forward. 

As the two went down the dark corridor, they finally came to a room at the end that was hidden behind a heavy door. As Riona and Callum pushed the door open, a musty air, heavy with the scent of aged parchment, greeted them. The faint glow of their candle cast eerie shadows on the stone walls.

The chamber itself was a trove of enchanted artifacts and colored scrolls, forgotten by time. There were no windows and it was obvious to the observer that the room had not been frequented in a long time. Dust-covered shelves lined the walls, each one holding a variety of items. Among the treasures, a gleaming sword with a green gem on its hilt lay across a polished wooden stand. 

On another shelf sat a compass, its needle spinning erratically, guided not by magnetic forces but by some arcane power. 

A collection of scrolls, each tied with a ribbon of a different color, occupied a gilded rack. One scroll, tied with a crimson ribbon, seemed to pulse with a faint, ominous glow. Another, wrapped in a sapphire ribbon, shimmered with a cool purple light. The third was tied with a green ribbon and seemed to have no unusual effect.

In the center of the room stood an ornate floor mirror. A dark handprint, burnt into the glass, marred its surface, as if someone had pressed their palm against it.

An old, weathered chest sat in one corner. It was half-open, revealing an assortment of trinkets and amulets. Nearby, a small vial of shimmering liquid caught the candlelight.

A pair of worn, leather gloves lay on a pedestal. Next to them, a simple wooden music box. Against the back wall, an object can be seen resting on a velvet cushion atop a solitary pedestal. It's a crown crafted from what appears to be intertwining branches of gold and silver. Delicate, thorn-like spikes jut outward, gleaming with a menacing sharpness. Set within the metalwork are stones that shimmer with an inner light, casting eerie, pulsating glows against the stone wall.

Whispers seemed to echo in their mind, ethereal voices calling out [i]"Rionaaa... Callummm..."[/i] as if the room itself was aware of their presence and beckoning them.[/color][/hider]

[hider=TLDR]A treasonous secret is discovered in Alden’s room with no sign of the man himself. Riona and Callum unlock a secret passageway in Wystan’s room and discover a collection of mysterious artifacts.[/hider]