Raven and Mary stepped into the elegant and colorful tower of the Grand Wizard, Lilia Wintermane. The warmth from the enchanted orbs hanging from above filled the room with a golden glow, casting soft shadows along the intricately patterned walls. The scent of herbs and parchment lingered in the air, mixing with the subtle fragrance of fresh flowers blooming in small pots scattered throughout the chamber.

  Lilia sat with an air of quiet authority, her emerald eyes appraising Raven with keen interest.

  "Welcome, Raven. I've heard quite a bit about you." Lilia's voice was smooth, composed—measured. She gestured to the seating area with a graceful motion. "Please, sit. Both of you."

  Raven and Mary settled onto the spacious couch, its plush cushions molding around them. Lilia, seated opposite them in an ornate bed-chair, crossed her legs and raised a delicate hand toward a counter. Raven's gaze followed, and what he saw made him sit up straighter.

  The ceramic teapot lifted from the metal table, gliding through the air with effortless grace, each movement mirroring the slow, deliberate gestures of Lilia’s fingers. It landed gracefully onto a wooden serving tray.

  Before Raven could ask anything, Lilia shifted her attention to a shelf where a glass container and metallic tea strainers resided. One by one, they lifted and drifted through the air, settling neatly onto the table. The strainers landed inside each of the cups, perfectly aligned.

  Raven watched in fascination as Lilia continued, scooping ground tea leaves into the strainers with a floating spoon. The room was soon filled with an earthy sweetness. A moment later, steaming water poured from the levitating teapot, filling the cups one by one before gliding back to the counter. With a final flick of her fingers, each item drifted back to its place, settling in perfect stillness—almost as if they had never moved at all.

  "That was... incredible." Raven leaned forward, eyes flicking between the teapot and her hands. "But I didn’t see any runeart on your gloves. How did you do that?"

  Lilia’s lips curled into an amused smile. "Oh? You didn't? Care to take a closer look?"

  She placed her hand on the table, allowing Raven to examine it. Up close, the black gloves that covered her hands were far more intricate than he had first assumed. Subtle, carefully etched markings ran along the fabric, blending seamlessly with the design. Unlike Mary’s runeart, which was a single circle inscribed with ancient symbols, Lilia’s was composed of multiple interconnected circles, forming a complex lattice of magical inscriptions. As if comparing a whistle to a flute.

  Raven’s eyes widened slightly as he noticed something else—runes, carefully etched onto her nails. They looked... familiar.

  "Are some of the runearts on your nails the same as the ones on Mary’s gloves?" he asked.

  Lilia arched a brow, intrigued. "Oh? You could tell?"

  Raven nodded. "They have similar patterns."

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  Lilia chuckled softly. "Fascinating. You might have a future in Runecrafting."

  "Runecrafting?"

  She extended her hand toward one of the suspended enchanted lights. It dimmed before gliding into her grasp. With practiced ease, she disassembled it, revealing a small, glowing crystal at its core.

  "Runecrafting is the art of creating magical tools like this." She held up the crystal. "People, even those not born with mana, can make such things and power them with gems like these."

  She turned her hand slightly, letting the crystal hover above her palm. "The curse of my nails is that if I’m not careful, I can set these off just by touching them."

  Effortlessly, she reassembled the light, sending it back to its place where it illuminated once more.

  Lilia took a sip of her tea before tilting her head slightly. "Come to think of it, I haven't had the chance to meet my third guest." She extended her hands, palms up. "May I hold Shadebinder for a moment?"

  Raven hesitated, fingers tightening around the hilt. But before doubt could settle in, Shadebinder’s voice echoed in his mind, calm and reassuring.

  Don’t worry. If she wanted to take me from you, she wouldn’t ask.

  With a slow nod, Raven handed Shadebinder to Lilia. As soon as she took hold of the weapon, her expression shifted into one of delight.

  Shadebinder’s voice echoed in all their minds, smooth and warm.

  Hello there, my lady. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.

  "Oh, what a lovely voice," she mused, giggling softly. "I haven’t spoken with a girl sword before."

  Raven furrowed his brows. "You’ve spoken with other Soul-Weapons?"

  Lilia placed Shadebinder on the table, her fingers trailing thoughtfully over the sheathed blade. "Actually, I’ve had the chance to converse with all the Soul-Weapons kept in Mornhollow."

  "And how many is that?" Raven asked.

  Lilia tapped her fingers against the table, mentally counting. "Five."

  Mary, now sipping her tea, chimed in with excitement. "Everfrost’s Soul-Weapon is Wolfking—Aira’s partner."

  Raven blinked. "You mean the sword Aira always carried?"

  Mary nodded. "Yeah, that’s the one."

  "And what can Wolfking do?"

  Lilia, sipping her tea, offered a knowing smile. "You should drink while your tea is warm. It’s good for you."

  Raven let out a small sigh before taking a cautious sip. The flavor was delicate—floral, with a light sweetness that was both soothing and refreshing.

  Lilia swirled her tea thoughtfully before speaking. "Wolfking’s ability..." She paused, as if debating something, then smiled. "Tell me, have you ever seen Aira riding a shadowy wolf?"

  Raven frowned slightly, trying to recall. "I... think so? I remember being surrounded by shadowy wolves, but I was freezing to death at the time, so I wasn’t sure if it was a fever dream."

  No, that did happen.

  Shadebinder’s voice chimed in.

  Mary grinned. "In short, Wolfking can summon a pack of Shadow Wolves."

  Lilia nodded. "It also enhances its wielder’s strength and changes their hair and eyes. Aira used to have such pretty silver hair and blue eyes."

  Raven leaned back slightly. "Wolfking seems very powerful."

  Shadebinder huffed in his mind.

  I’m powerful too! You just haven’t had the chance to master my power!

  Lilia chuckled at the sword’s defensiveness. "That reminds me... May I see Shadebinder’s ability?"

  Raven nodded, focusing his energy. A shadowy web formed between his hands, weaving and twisting like living threads of darkness.

  Lilia’s eyes flickered with curiosity. "Interesting."

  Raven hesitated. "Does this mean all Soul-Weapons have shadow powers?"

  Lilia’s expression grew thoughtful. "No... I’ve never heard of another shadow-type sorcery aside from Wolfking and Shadebinder."

  Raven frowned. "Are Sorcery and Soul-Weapons connected?"

  A heavy silence fell over the room. Lilia’s gaze drifted to her cup as she slowly drank the rest of her tea. Finally, she set it down with a quiet sigh.

  Lilia’s gaze darkened. She set her teacup down with deliberate care, fingers lingering on the porcelain. "That... is not an easy subject." A deep breath. Then, her voice lowered. "If you ask me, Soul-Weapons are Lumeria’s greatest—and cruelest—creation."