The silver footprints lead Eidenhoek between silent walls into a sunken gatehouse beneath Veyr’s eastern court. Moonlight fades behind them, replaced by cold blue wardlight.
A sealed arch blocks the far end. Its carved Aurelian crown is split at the tips, and beside it rests a second mark, unmistakably shaped like the relic’s lineage sign.
Eidenhoek
The second mark belongs to the inheritance, not to the crown alone.
As Eidenhoek studies the paired symbols, letters kindle across the arch. The inscription names an inherited duty carried by Seralyne and Mara, binding their bloodlines to the road’s preservation.
The closed book grows warm against Eidenhoek’s chest. Its dark wax remains unbroken, yet a faint pulse answers the arch in measured intervals, like a second heartbeat.
Far behind, Odran remains at Ashenford Archive with the records and the warning. No companion stands within the gatehouse; only the sealed arch waits beneath Veyr.
The final line brightens beneath the crown: the inherited duty may be fulfilled only by the reader who recognizes the living bearer. The arch stays closed.