The room was thick with tension. Eliane's mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of information. Arden's words echoed in her ears, but it was the woman who had spoken next—the one who claimed the tome was hers—that caught her attention. She couldn't understand why, but she felt a strange, unsettling pull toward her. Something about the woman's presence made Eliane's pulse quicken.
The room had fallen into an unnatural silence, save for the occasional rustle of fabric or the soft scrape of shoes on marble. Lord Gavriel, still standing at the center of it all, looked between Arden and the woman, his brow furrowing.
"Who are you?" Gavriel demanded, his voice firm but tinged with uncertainty. The sudden intrusion had thrown him off, his control over the evening slipping away.
The woman stepped forward, her gaze piercing and cold, as though she could see through every façade. Her dark gown swirled with the movement, a hypnotic pattern that mirrored her sharp elegance. "My name is Seraphine Caelus," she said smoothly, her voice low and velvety. "And I am here to claim what is rightfully mine."
Eliane felt a shiver crawl down her spine. She had heard that name—Caelus—whispered in ancient circles. The Caelus family was rumored to be one of the most powerful bloodlines in the world, their wealth and influence spanning centuries. But they had long since vanished from the public eye, their name fading into myth.
But there was something different about Seraphine. Something in her eyes—like she knew far more than she was letting on. Eliane's fingers tightened around the edge of the pedestal, her mind racing with questions.
"You claim ownership of the Seventh Tome?" Sebastian's voice sliced through the silence, and Eliane noticed his stance had shifted, his usual calm now replaced by a tense alertness. The tome had become more than just an object of study—it was now a bargaining chip in a game much larger than any of them.
Seraphine gave a slight nod. "I do. And you," she said, turning to Arden, "should know better than to meddle with things you don't understand."
Arden's lips curled into a smirk, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I understand more than you think, Seraphine," he said, his voice dripping with quiet menace. "And I'm not the one who summoned the power of the tome. You have no idea what you're playing with."
Eliane's head swirled with the weight of their conversation. What were they all talking about? Her gaze flickered between the two of them, and then to Milo, who was still standing near the back of the room, silently watching the exchange. His expression was unreadable, but Eliane could feel his presence like a quiet storm gathering.
But before she could gather her thoughts, Gavriel finally spoke again, his voice strained with the weight of his decision. "I have had enough of this game. The Seventh Tome is meant to be studied, understood, not fought over like a trinket."
"You misunderstand, Gavriel," Arden interjected, his voice cutting through the tension. "This is not a game. The tome cannot be controlled. And the more you fight for it, the more dangerous it becomes."
Eliane couldn't help but feel that Arden was right—she felt the unease growing in the pit of her stomach, a sense that something darker was at play than anyone had anticipated. She glanced down at the tome again. The pages shimmered softly, but there was something more to it now—something almost alive.
Seraphine's voice drew her attention back. "The Council was a fool to believe they could tame such power. They didn't know how to wield it. But I do. I've studied the ancient texts, uncovered the hidden truths behind the Tome's origins."
"And what exactly are these truths?" Sebastian asked, a skeptical edge to his tone. Eliane could hear the challenge beneath his words, the subtle threat in his voice that hinted at his readiness for whatever came next.
Seraphine smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "The Seventh Tome is a key—a key to unlocking the realms beyond this one. There is magic in it, yes, but there are also doors—doors to worlds that should remain closed. Doors to the past, to the future... and to places where the very fabric of time and reality is thin."
A ripple of shock passed through the room. Eliane's breath hitched. Realms beyond? She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Was this truly possible? Were they talking about traveling through time, dimensions, or something else entirely?
Arden stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Seraphine. "You're playing with forces you don't understand. The tome has already begun to alter the balance. If it isn't sealed, if it isn't contained, it will open a rift too large for any of us to control. The fabric of reality itself will tear apart."
Seraphine laughed softly, a cold, knowing laugh. "You think you can stop it, Arden? You're too late. The wheel is already in motion. We cannot stop what has already begun."
Eliane took a slow, deliberate step forward. She had heard enough. "What are you asking us to do, then?" Her voice cut through the tense air, firm and commanding. "You want the tome. But for what purpose? To unlock what exactly? Why is this so important to you?"
Seraphine's eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped. "I want power, Eliane. Power beyond your wildest dreams. But more than that, I want to bring back what was lost. The Caelus family was erased from history by the Council. They took everything from us, and now... now, I'll take it back."
---
Milo watched the exchange with growing unease. Seraphine's words had carried a weight he hadn't anticipated. There was a personal vendetta in her voice, something that hinted at decades of loss. Her ambition was fueled by revenge, and that made her dangerous.
He turned his gaze toward Eliane, wondering what was going through her mind. She was always so composed, but he could see the uncertainty flickering in her eyes. She had no more answers than the rest of them, and yet she was standing at the forefront of this chaos. He couldn't help but admire her strength. But he also knew that this fight was far from over.
And something told him that none of them would be leaving this place without being changed forever.
---
Lord Gavriel spoke once more, his voice weary. "We have a decision to make, then. If what Seraphine says is true, and the Tome holds the power she claims... we must act swiftly."
"But how?" Sebastian asked, his voice cold, yet sharp as a blade. "We don't know how to control it. None of us do."
"Then we learn," Eliane said, her voice steady. "And we make sure the Tome doesn't fall into the wrong hands."
The room fell silent. The stakes had never been higher.
And the battle for the Seventh Tome had only just begun.
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End of Chapter 3
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