Caedmon sighed, looking completely exhausted already. "Putting everything else aside," he said, rubbing his temple, "why did you call me?"
Miralen stopped smiling. "Oh, right." Her expression immediately shifted into something more serious. "Actually, I wanted to ask something." She folded her arms. "How am I supposed to free Verbena? What exactly do I need to do? What's the process?"
Caedmon blinked once. "You already forgot?"
Miralen scratched the back of her neck and smiled awkwardly.
"Well... yes?" She avoided eye contact.
Caedmon raised an eyebrow. "Well, yes?" He repeated her words slowly. "If you forget things this quickly, what are you going to do later? You're far too young to have memory problems." And just like that, the lecture began.
Miralen let out a dramatic sigh. "Can you stop sounding like a disappointed mother and answer my question?"
"What?" Caedmon frowned. "I was only—"
"Okay, okay." Miralen immediately cut him off. "I won't forget again. Just answer the question. Please."
For a moment, Caedmon remained silent. Then he finally relented. "Fine." He folded his arms. "To free a soul, you need to find three things deeply connected to it. Objects that the soul held close to its heart."
Miralen listened carefully.
"It could be anything," Caedmon continued. "A pendant. A diary. A hairpin. Anything important enough to leave an imprint behind."
Miralen nodded slowly. "Okay... but how do I find them?"
"That," said Caedmon, "is your problem." Miralen immediately frowned. "Why? Can't you give me at least one useful hint?"
Caedmon thought for a moment. Then he nodded. "Actually, I can."
Miralen's eyes instantly lit up. "Really?"
"Yes. Listen carefully." His expression grew more serious. "You need to understand Verbena's past with her sister."
Miralen blinked.
"If you discover why Verbena is so attached to Delayna... you'll find the answers and those three important things you're looking for."
Miralen folded her arms tighter. "So you're saying everything revolves around Delayna?"
Caedmon shrugged. "Maybe."
Miralen stared at him. "That's not a appropriate hint."
"I know."
She groaned. "You're impossible."
A faint smile appeared on Caedmon's face. "Maybe." Then he stepped backward toward the portal. "Anyway, it's time for me to leave."
Miralen's eyes widened. "Wait—you're leaving already?" She instinctively stepped forward or tried to. Her feet refused to move. Miralen looked down in shock. The enormous golden clock beneath her feet had locked her in place. "What?"
She tried moving again, nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Caedmon simply waved. "Good luck." And disappeared through the portal.
Silence returned.
Then the floating book began to glow. Words slowly appeared across its pages, like someone writing on it. Miralen stared at them. Her eyes widened. "...What?"
She leaned closer. The first line read: Caedmon: What's with that expression? Miralen blinked twice "It's recording our conversation?" More lines appeared. Every word, every argument, every insult, even the donkey– monkey hybrid one.
Miralen covered her face. "Oh no." The book was keeping receipts. Slowly, the floating book descended toward her hands.
Instinctively, she held her palms apart like an open book. The glowing tome settled between them. Carefully, she closed her hands. The book closed with her.
The golden clock beneath her feet illuminated once more.
Its hands spun backward rapidly. Then stopped exactly at twelve. The light vanished, the void dissolved and Delayna's room returned.
Miralen found herself sitting on the edge of the bed once again. Silence. She stared up at the ceiling. Then slowly fell backward onto the mattress. "So many questions..."
Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "Everything just keeps getting more complicated." She closed her eyes. For several moments, she simply listened to her own breathing. Then she exhaled slowly. "Calm down, Miralen." Her voice was quiet but firm.
"Panicking won't solve anything, think rationally." She opened her eyes. "You can do this."
Outside, night had already settled over the city. Moonlight slipped through the half– drawn curtains, spilling silver across the wooden floor. A gentle breeze drifted through the open window. The curtains swayed softly.
Miralen pushed herself upright. She crossed the room and approached the wardrobe. er reflection moved faintly across the polished wood. Opening it, she found rows of neatly folded dresses arranged with perfect care.
After a moment, she selected a simple white nightgown. As she closed the wardrobe, her gaze drifted toward the window. The palace stood tall illuminated beneath the moonlight. Its flag moved lazily in the wind.
Miralen lingered there for a moment.
Something about that palace felt different. Many secrets hidden inside it. And somehow, Miralen was sure those secrets were connected to Verbena, connected to Delayna nd connected to the mission that had nearly cost Delayna her life.
(The end of chapter 20)