The Vault behind them sealed with a sound like distant thunder.
Aelira emerged first, the crown of glass and starlight now fused into a fine circlet on her brow. It glowed faintly, pulsing with life — not power for destruction, but for balance.
The others followed, steps cautious.
Riven glanced skyward. "They'll know. The Circle will feel that the Vault's closed — and that someone took its core."
Ashar's voice was grim. "They'll come for her now."
Kaelen stepped beside Aelira, blade ready. "Then let them."
The Gathering Storm
By sunset, messengers arrived.
Not with swords, but with summons — parchment sealed in fireglass, bearing the insignia of the Circle of Arcanists.
"Lady Aelira of Myrien," the letter read,"You are hereby summoned to the Court of Stars to answer for the binding of the Final Vault and the claiming of Crown Authority without sanction. Failure to appear will be considered treason against the Balance."
Riven snorted. "Treason? Against what, exactly?"
Ashar folded the letter. "They fear what she's become. You've done something no mage has — taken the crown and not fallen."
Aelira's voice was steady. "Then we give them no reason to fear. We go peacefully."
The Court of Stars
The Court stood high in the marble peaks — a floating citadel of light, ancient laws, and cold ambition.
They arrived by sky-carriage, escorted by silent mages. Even the air felt heavy with judgment.
Inside, thirteen Arcanists sat in a crescent, robes shimmering with runes. At the center sat High Arcanist Velion, a man of silver eyes and steel mouth.
"You bring with you a relic that predates our laws," he said. "You were once Seraiya, breaker of balance. How are we to trust that this life will be any different?"
Aelira stood tall. "Because this time, I didn't take the crown to rule. I took it to heal."
Velion's eyes narrowed. "Yet even healing can become conquest when left unchecked."
Trial by Memory
Rather than execution or exile, the Circle invoked an ancient rite: the Unbinding of Memory.
"You will show us who you are," Velion said, "by letting us walk your mind."
The ritual began at moonrise.
Aelira stood in the center of the chamber as the Arcanists surrounded her in a ring of light. Her memories — all of them — opened like petals.
They saw Seraiya's first war.
Her betrayal of Talen.
Her love for the Mirror King… and the moment she shattered him.
Then they saw Aelira: alone in the forest, reborn, learning kindness again. They saw her laughter with Kaelen. Her choice to save, not rule. Her pain, her humility.
When it ended, the Circle was silent.
The Verdict
Velion rose.
"You are Seraiya no longer. You have been tempered by time, reborn by truth."
"Then… I am free?" Aelira asked.
Velion nodded once. "You are no longer a danger to the Balance. But you are also no longer a citizen of this Realm."
Confusion rippled.
"You must go," he said. "Not as exile. As emissary. The realms beyond are broken. You have power, and heart. You must go… and guide them."
A New Path
As the sun rose behind the towers of the Court, Aelira stepped out with her companions.
Kaelen reached for her hand.
"So… we're not fugitives anymore?"
She smiled. "No. We're explorers now."
Ashar raised a brow. "Do I get a fancy hat?"
"You get to write history."
The Mirror King looked to the eastern sky, where silver clouds gathered.
"The world is wide," he said softly. "And somewhere out there, the final mirror still waits."
Aelira nodded.
"Then let's find it."