Chapter 5: Memories
A ripple of ethereal light circled Zephyr's unconscious body, marking the activation of one of the highest forms of memory extraction—a rite usually reserved for identifying possessions or deep spiritual anomalies. The Crownkin stood in front of Zephyr and his mother, Ladarius just behind him, his sweaty palms raised up as he prepared to project the memory of the boy unto his surrounding.
The royal family watched with narrow eyes and tightly shut lips. Queen Avaria, resplendent in her snow-white dress etched with gold and blue Aether runes, stood at the forefront, expression unreadable. Her youngest daughter, Princess Seralyn, stood shielded by her elder siblings, her face pale.
"Begin," the Queen ordered.
The pressure in the air thickened. Zephyr's body, though unconscious, jerked slightly as the spell pressed inward. A single stream of memory pushed through the tether—
A bathhouse. Warm, quiet. A girl's unconscious body draped in a ceremonial robe. A dagger in Zephyr's trembling hands. Tears on his face. Shaking. Whispering apologies. The dagger never falls. His hand never moves. He just collapses beside her, head bowed.
Then—
Nothing.
The memory severed abruptly.
The Crownkin furrowed their brows, muttering among themselves.
"Only that?" one of them said. "The moment before the alleged act. No confirmation of guilt, but... no absolution either."
"Why stop there?" asked another.