The doors creaked open — thud — heavy with expectation.
Zack stepped inside first, his grin stretched across his face like a mask. But his eyes betrayed unease. His shoulders were stiff, his hands twitching at his sides as if he wanted to laugh the tension away but couldn't.
Keal followed, stride measured, calm. Crimson and violet eyes steady, unreadable. At fourteen, he looked almost too composed, his silence pressing against the chamber like a shadow.
At the far end of the long table sat Zackline, armored in black and gold, posture rigid. Her Eye of Gold shimmered faintly, casting a glow that made the air feel heavy. Beside her, Baron Yert leaned forward, fists clenched, face flushed with fury and streaked with tears. Against the wall lounged Zehron, arms crossed, smirk curling like a blade waiting to strike.
The Baron's voice thundered the moment Zack crossed the threshold. "Two corpses in my palace! A girl and her mother — dead without wound or poison! And the whispers point to you! Explain yourselves!"
Zack's grin faltered. He rubbed his palms together nervously, forcing a laugh that rang hollow. "Baron, you know me… I scare people by accident. That's all this is."
Zehron chuckled darkly, eyes gleaming. "Accidents don't leave corpses, brother. Nor whispers that spread like fire."
The Baron slammed the table — boom! — the sound echoing like a war drum. His voice cracked, grief spilling through rage. "I have lost one daughter… only Renn remains. Do not toy with me!"
Zackline's golden eyes turned toward Keal. The shimmer deepened, probing. But when it met his calm stare, it faltered. She leaned back, voice cold and final. "I cannot read him. The Eye of Gold has stood unbroken for centuries in Mystra. Yet before this boy… it fails."
The words fell heavy, echoing through the chamber.
A grim silence followed. Shock rippled through them — not just because a skill had failed, but because the skill that had kept the Zeheir Clan in prosperity for decades had shattered against Keal's unreadable calm.
The torchlight dimmed. Every face was grim, not because Keal had spoken, but because he had not. His silence was heavier than words, his unreadable nature more damning than any confession.
The Baron's attendants stepped forward, carrying a scroll bound in black silk. They unrolled it upon the table — parchment shimmering faintly, inscribed with glowing runes. Beside it lay a dagger, its hilt carved with sigils, ruinously expensive, a one‑time relic infused with countless spells. A silver‑level treasure.
The Baron's voice cracked, grief spilling through rage. "This contract… it will bind truth itself. For ten minutes, if you lie, the spell will consume you. I have lost Elira. I will not lose Renn. Sign it!"
The parchment burned words into the air: "By blood and spell, let it be bound: Zack and Keal."
Zack's shoulders slumped, breath ragged. He rubbed his palms together nervously, muttering under his breath. A shaky sighhh escaped him, betraying fear.
Zehron's smirk returned, cruel and eager. Renn clutched her dress tightly, knuckles white, gaze darting between Keal and Zack. The resemblance to her dead twin made the moment unbearable.
Keal stood still, unreadable. His crimson and violet eyes glowed faintly, expression calm. Inside, however, his chest tightened. Why did she have to die the very next day? Not yesterday, not next week. The timing is too perfect. They want to frame us. Indirectly… we killed her.
Fear gnawed at him, but his mask held. He exhaled slowly — sighhh — so controlled it seemed deliberate. His fingers brushed the dagger, slow, deliberate, testing its weight.
The Baron's sobbing deepened, tears dripping onto the parchment, sizzling as mana absorbed them. Zackline's voice cut through the silence, sharp as steel. "Sign it. With blood. If you are innocent, the spell will hold. If not… it will consume you."
The parchment pulsed, runes flaring. The chamber held its breath.
Keal pressed the dagger to his palm. Shhhkk. A thin line of blood welled up, dripping onto the glowing runes. The chamber shivered as the contract bound itself to him.
Keal tilted his head slightly, voice calm, almost curious. "How does it work? I do not know how a contract of lies functions."
Baron Yert wiped his tears, voice hoarse but firm. "It detects when you are lying. If you speak falsehood, the spell will consume you."
Keal nodded once. "Ok."
The Baron leaned forward, sweat beading on his brow. "Do you know who killed my daughter?"
Keal's crimson and violet eyes glowed faintly. His voice was steady. "No."
The parchment remained still, runes unbroken.
The Baron's voice cracked. "Do you have any involvement in her death?"
Keal's reply came without hesitation. "Not according to what I know."
The chamber froze. Zehron's smirk vanished. Renn gasped, hand flying to her mouth. Even the Baron's grief twisted into shock. Sweat rolled down his temple, dripping onto the table.
The questions came one after another. Each answer calm, unshaken. The parchment glowed faintly but never flared, never consumed him.
By the end, the Baron was drenched in sweat. His hands trembled, not from anger now, but from the weight of the relic's cost. A ruinously expensive contract, wasted.
Zackline's gaze hardened, golden eyes burning. "Now you have seen. They were not the ones. You must face the punishment of questioning a prince. But since you just lost your wife and daughter, I will pardon you."
Even Zack's jaw dropped. He had not expected his aunt to defend him so fiercely.
The Baron's face fell, grief and humiliation mixing. Guards escorted him out. Zehron muttered about "business to attend to" and slipped away. Renn followed her father, her eyes lingering on Keal with confusion and fear.
The chamber was still heavy with the fading glow of the contract. Only Zack, Keal, and Zackline remained.
Zackline's voice was sharp. "Zack. For your behavior, you are grounded. Leave."
Zack's grin flickered back, bitter. His voice rose. "Grounded? For what? I didn't kill anyone! You saw the contract — I'm innocent!"
Zackline's golden eyes narrowed, tone calm but unyielding. "Innocent of the crime, yes. Guilty of recklessness. Your behavior caused whispers, panic, and shame. You chased a girl through the palace like a child. That is why you are punished."
Zack's fists clenched, grin twisting into frustration. "So I'm guilty of being myself? Of scaring people? That's what I do! And now you treat me like a criminal?"
Zackline leaned forward, aura pressing down like a storm. "You are a prince. Your actions ripple through the realm. You cannot hide behind excuses. You will learn discipline, or you will break under the weight of your own chaos."
Zack's grin faltered completely. His jaw tightened. His eyes darted to Keal, searching for support. But Keal remained calm, silent, unreadable.
Zackline's voice softened, but her words cut deeper. "You are not punished because you are guilty. You are punished because you are careless. Leave."
Zack's shoulders slumped. He muttered under his breath, frustration dripping. "Fine. But one day, you'll see — I'm more than your rules."
He stormed out, footsteps echoing — thud, thud, thud.
The chamber grew quiet. Only Keal remained, standing calm, unreadable. Zackline's gaze softened slightly. "Thanks."
The word surprised him. His crimson and violet eyes flickered, but his face remained still.
At that moment, the doors opened again. Zellene walked in, her presence shifting the air, her eyes scanning the room as if she had felt the tension from afar