The air in the hidden room remained heavy long after the truth had been revealed, the dark liquid in the crystal bowl still swirling faintly as if it carried a life of its own, a silent witness to something that should not exist.
Melissandre moved first.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As if even breathing too hard might disturb whatever cursed force had just been confirmed.
She turned toward Caleb, her expression no longer touched by amusement or curiosity, but sharpened into something serious… something almost grim.
“I will do everything in my power to undo this,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension still clinging to her. “But this is not simple magic, Prince Caleb… this is deep… invasive… layered.”
She stepped closer to the table again, her fingers hovering over the corrupted mixtu
