Chapter 255: "Just Tonight"
[High Mage Arkhazunn’s Residence — Zahryssar — Late Night]
The night was quiet, too quiet. Moonlight poured through the tall windows of the High Mage’s study, illuminating countless scrolls, ancient records, and maps scattered across a massive cedarwood table.
The room smelled of ink, old parchment, and unanswered questions. High Mage Arkhazunn stood before the table, both hands resting against its edge, his eyes remaining fixed upon the palace maps spread before him.
Beside him stood Captain Varesh; the knight’s brows remained furrowed as he studied the diagrams. Minutes passed.
Then finally—
"There is nothing." Varesh broke the silence; his finger traced another section of the palace blueprint. "Not a single indication."
Another map, another examination, and another disappointment. "There is no mention of the hidden Inner Sanctum anywhere."
Arkhazunn nodded slowly, his expression darkened. "That is precisely what troubles me."
Silence.
The high mage picked up another parchment, older. Far older than the others, yellowed with age, and fragile.
"The palace has stood for centuries. We possess records from three generations ago. Some are even older." His gaze narrowed as the parchment crinkled slightly beneath his fingers. "And yet...not one map mentions a hidden sanctum."
The room fell silent; the more they searched...the stranger everything became.
Varesh folded his arms. "Exactly what is happening inside Silthara Palace? An assassin appears from nowhere. A hidden chamber nobody knew existed is discovered, and now the Malik refuses to allow even you inside."
The knight’s expression darkened.
"None of it makes sense."
Arkhazunn slowly exhaled. "It would make sense...if someone had been hiding something there for a very long time."
The words lingered heavily between them, and then suddenly Varesh froze; a memory surfaced. Prince Sarash.
The corridor, the urgency in his voice, the order to stop the war immediately. The strange look in his eyes, the desperation.
Varesh narrowed his eyes. "Do you think..."
Arkhazunn looked up. "What?"
The captain hesitated and then finally spoke. "Do you think Prince Sarash knows something?"
Silence.
The High Mage stared at him thoughtfully, and before he could answer—
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
Both men turned. An attendant stood beyond the doorway, bowing deeply.
"High Mage."
"What is it?"
"Lord Sharukh has arrived."
Arkhazunn immediately straightened. "Send him in."
The attendant bowed, and moments later Lord Sharukh Varoth entered the study, his dark robes carrying traces of dust from travel. Immediately he bowed.
"Greetings, High Mage."
Arkhazunn nodded. "Did you bring the temple archives?"
Sharukh stepped forward. "I did."
Without delay he placed several ancient maps across the table. The parchment looked far older than anything already present; the three men immediately leaned forward, studying, comparing, and searching.
Minutes passed.
Silence dominated the room.
Then suddenly Sharukh pointed toward one particular map. "This one."
Arkhazunn’s eyes narrowed. "What about it?"
Sharukh traced his finger across the blueprint. "This palace layout is different."
Varesh leaned closer. Arkhazunn immediately recognized it; his eyes widened slightly. "This is before Malik Zeramet’s reign."
Sharukh nodded as his finger moved across several documents. "Exactly. After that...the palace underwent three major structural changes."
Arkhazunn nodded slowly. "The Black Serpent attacks."
"Yes," Sharukh continued. "Then the Malika’s assassination, then the construction of additional escape routes and secret passages."
The High Mage folded his arms, thinking and calculating. Yet one question remained, the same question that haunted all of them.
"Then why?" Arkhazunn asked quietly. "Why does Slyvarakh refuse to let anyone enter?"
Silence. Nobody answered, and then Varesh suddenly spoke, his voice lower than before, more certain.
"There is only one person who can answer that question."
The room turned toward him. "Who?"
Varesh’s eyes hardened. "Prince Sarash."
Silence.
Lord Sharukh immediately frowned. "Impossible. Prince Sarash has remained loyal to Slyvarakh since the beginning."
Varesh immediately shook his head as his voice was dangerously firm. "No. I believe the opposite. I think Prince Sarash is only pretending."
Silence.
The idea lingered, dangerous, uncomfortable, and possible. Arkhazunn’s expression became unreadable, and then he slowly shook his head.
"No." Both men looked toward him; the high mage sighed heavily. "We cannot act on assumptions, not yet. We continue investigating."
His gaze shifted toward the palace maps. "And we find the truth ourselves. We also find Malik Zeramet and Malika Levin."
The room fell silent. Arkhazunn’s voice became firm. "We cannot challenge the current Malik without our rightful rulers."
Silence.
Then unexpectedly Lord Sharukh lowered his gaze, almost guiltily. The movement immediately caught Arkhazunn’s attention.
"Lord Sharukh?"
Sharukh Varoth hesitated once and twice. Then finally, "They have returned."
The room froze. Varesh blinked. Arkhazunn frowned. "What?"
Sharukh swallowed, then quietly said, "Malika Levin and Malik Zeramet reached Thalryn this afternoon."
Silence...an absolute silence. Varesh’s eyes widened for a moment...the hardened captain forgot how to breathe. Then relief exploded through him, pure relief. His Malik was alive; his Malika was alive, safe, and together.
Meanwhile, Arkhazunn simply stared, trying to process the information. "Malik Zeramet...is alive?"
Sharukh nodded. "Yes, that is all I know; he is alive and currently residing within House Veyrhold."
The room remained silent, then suddenly Arkhazunn narrowed his eyes, dangerously. "How do you know this information?"
Sharukh froze instantly. Varesh noticed. Arkhazunn noticed the hesitation, the nervousness, and the avoidance.
Sharukh coughed lightly. "I...simply know."
Silence.
Nobody believed him, not for a moment, but neither pressed further for now. Arkhazunn finally sighed long and slow and thoughtfully. Then his gaze shifted toward the distant silhouette of Silthara Palace visible beyond the window.
Moonlight reflected in his eyes. "Then we move quickly. I must find a way to reach Malik Zeramet before this empire tears itself apart."
Silence.
Then the High Mage’s gaze hardened, returning toward the palace maps, toward the hidden chamber, and toward the mystery poisoning Zahryssar from within.
His voice became cold and determined.
"And no matter what lies beneath that palace..." The candles flickered, the room grew still and Arkhazunn finished quietly—
"...I will uncover the secret of the Inner Sanctum."
Outside...far beyond the palace walls...the winds howled across Zahryssar and somewhere deep beneath Silthara Palace...a secret continued waiting in the darkness. For someone brave enough...to uncover it.
***
[Later — High Mage Arkhazunn’s Residence]
The night had grown deeper. Most of Zahryssar slept beneath the moonlit sky, but inside the high mage’s residence...the candles still burned. Ancient maps remained scattered across the table, scrolls lay open, questions remained unanswered, and exhaustion was finally beginning to win.
Arkhazunn released a long sigh, then leaned back into his chair. One hand rubbed his forehead; the faint beginnings of a headache pulsed behind his eyes.
Across the room...Varesh carefully gathered the old maps, rolling them one by one. Organizing the scattered documents, for several moments, neither spoke.
Then the captain glanced toward him, his brows furrowed slightly. "Are you unwell, High Mage?"
Arkhazunn didn’t open his eyes. "I’m just tired and perhaps have a headache."
The words had barely left his mouth when footsteps approached, quiet and measured. Then suddenly a cool hand touched his forehead.
Arkhazunn froze, his eyes opened instantly, and before he could think, his hand moved, grabbing Varesh’s wrist.
Silence.
The room became very quiet very quickly as Varesh blinked. The captain clearly hadn’t expected such a reaction.
"What are you doing?" Arkhazunn asked, not harshly...just surprised.
Varesh immediately looked away, almost guiltily as his voice lowered. "I...I was only trying to help."
Silence.
Then he carefully withdrew his hand, stepping back, creating distance...too much distance as his gaze remained lowered. "I apologize. I should not have touched you without permission."
The room grew quiet again. Arkhazunn simply stared at him. At the lowered eyes. At the furrowed brows. At the obvious guilt written across the captain’s face.
And suddenly...a strange feeling settled in his chest, one he couldn’t explain and one he didn’t understand. Ever since that ridiculous night and ever since that embarrassing naked incident.
Something had changed, not much, just enough to become impossible to ignore. The High Mage frowned slightly, not at Varesh but at himself because he couldn’t understand why he kept noticing things.
Why his attention lingered. Why his gaze refused to move away.
Then, without realizing it, his hand lifted, and Varesh froze. Arkhazunn’s fingers gently brushed against the captain’s furrowed brow, smoothing it.
The movement surprised both of them, and then there was complete silence.
"High Mage..." Varesh whispered.
Arkhazunn ignored the question hidden within those words. Instead, he spoke quietly. "The captain does not look good when he is burdened by guilt."
Varesh blinked as their eyes met. Neither moved and neither looked away. The candles flickered softly around them, and the rest of the world seemed very far away.
For a moment...there were no hidden sanctums, no palace conspiracies, and no missing rulers. Only two tired men are standing far too close to one another.
Then Varesh finally found his voice. "It was still improper."
A faint smile appeared on Arkhazunn’s lips. "Helping someone with a headache? You truly are a difficult man, Captain."
For the first time that evening...Varesh smiled softly, rare and honest and somehow... Arkhazunn found himself smiling in return.
Then silence settled once more, comfortable this time. Warmer and less awkward. The kind of silence that slowly grows between people who enjoy each other’s company.
Neither seemed willing to break it until suddenly.
"Will you stay tonight?" The words escaped Arkhazunn before he fully thought about them.
Varesh froze immediately, his eyes widened slightly. "Pardon?"
For the first time in years...the High Mage felt strangely self-conscious. So he looked away, toward the maps, toward the scrolls. Anywhere except Varesh, then he cleared his throat.
"A drink. It has been a long day, and I would rather not spend the evening arguing with maps."
Varesh stared at him longer than necessary. The captain’s heart betrayed him first because despite his attempt to remain calm...something warm had settled inside his chest, something unfamiliar and something dangerous.
"My Malik may require me."
The objection sounded weak, even to him. Arkhazunn noticed, and unexpectedly, he smiled. Not the smile of a High Mage, not the smile of a noble...just Arkhazunn.
"Just tonight."
Silence.
The candles flickered, the night deepened, and neither man seemed capable of looking away. Then finally Varesh nodded.
"Just tonight."
Something softened in Arkhazunn’s expression, something softened in Varesh’s as well. Neither understood it. Neither named it. Neither dared acknowledge it.
Yet it remained there, growing quietly like a flame hidden from the wind. Outside...the moon watched over Zahryssar.
Inside...two men sat together beside maps, wine, and unanswered mysteries. Completely unaware...that something far more dangerous than politics had begun to grow between them.
Something neither sword nor magic could easily defeat.
