"We met by accident," Edward answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"On accident?" Elarien repeated, her tone sharp with disbelief.

"Yeah. He drugged me with some tea and sent me to the Spirit Realm or something like that."

"Huh?!" Elarien came to a sudden halt, her eyes widening. "You entered the Spirit Realm... and survived?"

"Yeah?" Edward replied uncertainly. "It was only for a few moments before I returned, though."

The elf stared at him in silence, her lips parting slightly as if she couldn't decide whether to call him insane or blessed. "You're… odd," she finally said, shaking her head.

"Thanks?" Edward replied, unsure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult. He quickly changed the subject. "So, what are our next steps?"

"We leave in a week," Elarien said, recovering her composure. "By then, I'll have gathered the necessary supplies and personnel. The journey to Nightveil Mountains won't be simple."

Edward nodded. "One week. Not much time, is there?"

She gave him a side glance. "Do you have anything better to do?"

"No. I expected as much."

"Good. Then rest while you can." She adjusted the strap of her cloak and added, "If anything changes, I'll find you. Otherwise, we depart in seven days."

Edward inclined his head. "Understood."

With that, Elarien turned and disappeared into the crowd. Edward watched her go for a moment, her figure weaving between tall elves and vendors in the bustling capital. When she finally vanished from sight, he let out a quiet breath.

"I wonder where the prince is," he muttered to himself. He hadn't seen Arthur since before the audience with the king. He wasn't in their shared chambers, and he hadn't appeared in the throne room.

His thoughts were interrupted by a low murmur from the direction of the royal palace. Curious, Edward turned. A procession was moving down the marble steps, and at its head was a familiar elderly elf.

Thyrion.

Every passerby who spotted him bowed with reverence. Guards straightened, vendors paused, and even the wind seemed to hush. The respect for him was palpable, bordering on devotion.

"I guess he really is royalty," Edward muttered under his breath. He had previously seen the elderly elf as a bit of a lunatic. He dragged him and almost killed him, but seeing him now was a vast contrast to that image of the elf.

Thyrion's golden eyes found him in the crowd, and the old elf smiled warmly, raising a hand in greeting. Edward blinked, awkwardly returning the wave. The gesture earned him a few puzzled looks from nearby elves—after all, no human waved so casually at Thyrion, the Father of the King.

Yet Thyrion didn't seem to mind. He approached with that same unhurried gait, his robes swaying softly in the breeze.

"What's with the sudden visit?" Edward asked once the elf was within earshot.

"Our conversation got me thinking," Thyrion said with a gentle smile. "And I think it's about time someone put a stop to whatever Vael is planning."

Edward nodded, but another question tugged at him, heavier than the last. "Are you familiar with Pact Marks?"

Thyrion's brows lifted. "Barely. Why do you ask?"

Edward hesitated. "What happens if someone refuses to follow their contract? Say, they stop feeding the spirit or resist its will?"

The old elf sighed, his expression sobering. "Then the spirit begins to consume the host. Slowly at first—eating away at their soul, their will, their sanity. In the end, both perish. Though… most give in long before that, desperate to survive."

Edward's hands clenched at his sides. It was what he feared.

"Is there a way to break it?" he asked quietly.

Thyrion chuckled under his breath, though the sound was without humour. "Break a Pact Mark? That's not something easily done, boy." But then, seeing Edward's determined expression, his smile faded, replaced by thought. "There might be a way… though not a safe one."

"I'm listening."

"If you enter the Spirit Realm with them," Thyrion said slowly, "you could see their spirit—perhaps even confront the pact itself. But to break it? You would need more than courage. You cannot touch the bond from our side of reality. Only spirits can truly affect other spirits. You would need a miracle to pull something like that off."

Edward frowned, his mind racing. "So it's impossible?"

"Human entering the spirit realm is also considered impossible," Thyrion answered softly.

They walked in silence for a while through the elven capital. The faint hum of magic in the air mingled with the chatter of market stalls and distant songs of the city's fountains.

"Someone you know?" Thyrion finally asked.

"Yes."

The old elf regarded him for a long moment. "Then perhaps he would know."

"He?" Edward asked, glancing at him.

"Vael," Thyrion said simply.

The name cut through the noise around them like a blade. Edward froze. Vael… The murderer of Elandir. The traitor. The elf who had bound himself to two spirits.

If there were anyone alive who understood how to sever a pact, it would be him.

"I see," Edward murmured.

His thoughts spiralled. They were already going to capture or perhaps kill him. Could he use that moment to get an answer? Could Seraphine even wait this long?

Thyrion stopped suddenly, turning toward him. "I must take my leave here. There are other matters I must attend to."

Edward nodded. "Take care, Thyrion."

"And you, boy. Be wary of Nightveil Mountains... and of Vael."

With that, the elder elf departed, his figure vanishing into the white-bricked corridors of Valendell.

Edward lingered for a moment before making his way back toward his chambers. The city around him glowed under the early afternoon sun, its ivory towers casting long shadows across the streets.

He moved quietly, lost in thought. By the time he reached his residence, the weight of the morning had settled deep in his bones.

Pushing the door open, he froze for a moment.

Two figures sat in the living room—Aeris and Seraphine. They occupied separate sofas, a quiet tension between them, yet both looked oddly calm. Steam rose from two cups of some fragrant beverage, filling the air with a faint floral scent.

Aeris looked up first. "You're back," she said, surprised to see him back so early.

"I am," Edward replied, closing the door behind him.

There was something peaceful in seeing the two of them together—a glimpse of how things once were. For a fleeting moment, it almost felt normal again. But deep down, he knew that calm wouldn't last long.

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