Aetherium Archives was a mastercla

with a dangerous economy of motion. He walked two steps behind Lyra, close enough for his iron-and-duty scent to be a constant, oppressive presen

ow the frantic, failing amber glow of the Sunstone Crystal. The air grew colder with

brary; it was a mausoleu

s here, Luna Lyra," Jareth rumbled,

ers for your research. They contain the original rec

of ancient beasts, locked behind thick, electrified bronze grates. The power humming off the war

e main archway, his arms crossed over his armored chest, his eyes the deep, unforgiving brown of old mahogany, fixed on her every movement.This was the first true test of the Shadow Pact-Kaelen's assignment to gather

ith only her intellect and her acting

pened it carefully, spreading its brittle pages across the table. The script was arch

una, is absolute. Its truth is found not in

a line of dense, flowing script w

arked Light activate the Crystal through sheer force, or through resonance? My destiny

ilence broken only by the rustle of parchment and Jareth's occasional, heavy shift in weight. She filtered

Pack had clearly removed any mention of rot or struggle to maintain the veneer of eternal strength.She glanced a

iately recognized the pattern.It wasn't a binding method. It was a cipher.Lyra shifted slightly, blocking Jareth's view with the large tome. She reached into the sleeve of her gown, retrieving a thin, flexible pin she had fashioned from a corset stay before

audible click, a thin, folded sheet of parchment detached from the inside of the back cover, fluttering onto the table like a trapped moth. It was made of different, coarser m

slowly leaned forward, pretending to examine the

d image of the fortress spire, but it showed three things layered beneath the Sunstone's base:A Chamber marked

Third Eye watches the Path degrade.Seek Seven Truths in

cognized the term Glimmer as the Pack's derogatory

lpha's Keep.This meant the actual key, or the final location of the Hidden Vault, was not in the Archives at

as merely the map to t

ense focus, sharp as a sudden frost. "You

spered, her voice husky. "It is closer than we realize. I feel the sickness of the Sunstone through these texts. My Purification Proximity with the Alph

shift in his iron gaze. He was a simple, loyal soldier

ion, Luna. Your co

vulnerable fear she felt to show in her eyes just

undation for my next phase of meditation. I require the Alpha's ca

efinitive thud, tucking the folded

d back through the cold fortress levels, Lyra's mind raced. Kaelen had been right. Veridian had manipulated the prophecy, but the original p

ssive, unmarked doo

pha's light shield you, Luna," he murmured.Lyra stepped i

enfold. She was no longer just sharing a suite with Kaelen; she was now trapped in a literal treasure h

professional raps-the signal for Immediate, Urgent Briefing.Kaelen opened the door inst

" he asked, his v

e map and the cryptic text across his desk. "The Archives were a misdirect. The final key is not a ritual, but an inventory. T