Lukas had thoroughly enjoyed the celebrations so far, but the excitement of the Wraiths had begun to fade as they continued their journey through the Forum. The most extraordinary event that had transpired was a grand procession of wraiths moving from Tower to Tower, pausing at each of the echoes' towers. However, as they approached the enigmatic, shattered towers, the wraiths seemed to disregard them entirely.

  “What are your plans before Lady Sulli’s late-night Tea?” Marie inquired.

  Lukas looked away from the Wraiths, a hint of confusion in his eyes. “Tea? I’m not aware of any such event.”

  Marie turned to him, her expression stern. “It’s an invitation for Tavia, Cassia, and me. It’s a gathering for the ladies of the families and honored guests. If Marius hadn’t abandoned us, I would have had you stay with him, but you’re welcome to join Lord Sulli if you’d like or enjoy the city.”

  “How much longer do you think we have before we depart?” Tavia asked, turning to her sister.

  “Less than an hour, I would think,” Marie replied. “If you or Cassia have other plans, we could probably accommodate them on the way there.” Marie glanced at Cassia, but she was engrossed in a group of wraiths flying overhead.

  “It’s better to arrive early. I wouldn’t want the house of Reza to be perceived as rude,” Tavia said, grabbing Marie’s arm. “Cassia, would you agree?”

  Cassia snapped back to the conversation, her eyes narrowing. “What did you say, sister?”

  Tavia maintained a neutral expression, but Lukas could discern a faint hint of a frown on her face. “We’re going to Lady Sulli’s Tea. Come along.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’ve been waiting for this for days,” Cassia replied, rushing to catch up.

  Marie glanced over at Lukas. “Lukas, you’re welcome to join us on the way to the steps and find Lord Sulli.” She gave him a questioning look.

  Lukas hesitated before responding. Suddenly, Severin appeared before him and motioned for him to follow.

  “Go ahead. I’ll find my way back,” his words trailed off as he followed Severin, leaving the women to their party. If they called out to him, he remained oblivious to their calls. Lukas navigated through the crowd, amidst the lively music, dancing, laughter, and conversations.

  Severin never lost his vision but remained out of reach until he finally found the crowd's edge in the shadow of a shattered Tower. It was half the size of the others, with the top half having been destroyed in some distant past event, from which no historian could ever find a scrap of information about its destruction.

  As he navigated the Tower's side, Lukas could see Severin’s crimson glow turn a corner. Lukas glanced around but saw no one. Grew people came near the broken towers, and when someone realized they had strayed near, they started to move towards lighter areas of the Forum.

  “Where is he taking me?” Lukas whispered, but he followed Severin’s path. Severin kept Lukas's low glow in sight, the only light he had at that moment. It took some time to navigate around the Tower until he reached a depression in the wall, which turned out to be a small entrance. Severin didn’t stop but moved through into a dimly lit hallway.

  Lukas listened, but there was no sound beyond the distant laughs and music of the celebration. What in all the echoes was he doing? Lukas glanced one last time around before entering the shattered Tower.

  The cold air within the Forum was starkly different from the warm ambiance of the city. It felt like winter had arrived in Archon. Lukas could see his own breath misting in the dim light emanating from Severin.

  The hallway was short, and two black stone doors on either wall led to other hallways or rooms. Lukas didn’t bother to investigate which one.

  The hallway opened into a massive room, hundreds of feet wide, similar to the other Echoes towers. Lukas looked up to see the ceiling gone, revealing small glowing wraiths hundreds of feet up through the opening.

  Severin continued into the room, and Lukas navigated through the rubble-strewn floor. Broken black benches and scattered large blocks of stone littered the floor, forcing Lukas to carefully make his way through them before joining Severin at a dark pool in the center of the room.

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  This section of the Tower stood out as the only untouched part by time and destruction. The pool was clean, and though Lukas could only see a dark reflection of himself on its surface, he had no interest in determining its depth.

  Above, the scene took a darker turn. A large, dark brown wooden beam, the only piece of wood that seemed out of place, crossed over the pool, connecting to two large pillars twenty feet apart by black metal bands. At the center of the beam hung a length of rope, ending in a noose. Severin’s expression remained emotionless as he gazed at the noose. The noose and the beam had been there for centuries, as it was forbidden to enter the broken towers. Yet neither showed a single speck of dust or a hint of rot, despite being exposed to the elements all that time.

  “Why did you bring me here?” Lukas asked. He stared at the rope, which felt out of place with the rest of the scene, as if it had only recently been placed there.

  However, the destruction of the ninth Tower and the disappearance of its enigmatic echo were a myth from the dawn of Archon and the creation of the Wardens. Lukas couldn’t recall how long this place had been in this state. The reactions of the people outside indicated that few were eager to enter, even if they could.

  Severin slowly approached the pool, his feet barely touching the water, yet causing no disturbance on the surface. He came within inches of the hanging noose, just a few feet above the water’s edge. He felt the rope before bringing his hands to his throat and the scar across his neck.

  Lukas understood the significance of this place to Severin. His death here within the ninth Tower, the circumstances of his demise, and the time of his passing remained a mystery. Such a brutal yet powerful death had occurred within one of the city’s most sacred places. Perhaps only the other towers and the haunted Manor held greater reverence. Who had Severin been, and what had he done to warrant such a sentence?

  The Wraith hovered and finally settled on the beam, the deck appearing in his grasp. Before he could take any action, however, sounds emanated from a nearby location. Lukas instinctively darted behind one of the pillars and concealed himself behind a substantial pile of stone, concealing his presence from view.

  The noise grew louder, and Severin shifted from his perch, moving deeper into the hall away from the commotion. He glanced at Lukas once but then vanished from sight.

  Two figures entered the opening. The first was instantly recognizable: Tannic, walking in with a lantern held before him, dressed in elegant noble attire of red and blue. The other man, Lukas, was unfamiliar. Lukas could not see him properly in the dim light until he finally came close to Tannic.

  “Damnit, Tannic, why did you choose this place of all places to meet? There are approximately a hundred thousand people standing outside.” The man was dressed in what appeared to be a dark black coat, but when the light finally illuminated the fabric, it was a deep, dark blue. His face was gaunt, adorned with a wide-brimmed hat featuring a single black feather tied into it. The jacket sleeves were rolled back to reveal an intricate tattoo almost carved into his forearm—a crescent moon with a raven.

  “I had to be here. People expect to see me tonight with the nobles, and Kejek invited me to their dinner,” Tannic said. “Now, what do you want?”

  “Why is this farce continuing? Salinas is growing impatient. Your assassins should have handled the champion already,” the man said.

  Lukas listened. The man explicitly stated that Tannic had been involved in the assassinations. This wasn’t surprising, as Lukas had learned that most of the nobles had little concern about such tactics. However, there was something else at work here; Lukas could sense it.

  “They failed. We knew it was a possibility. I see little choice other than fighting Marius,” Tannic shrugged. “He’s skilled, I’ll give you that, but not like Marcellus. He has one trick, and that’s all. I’ll kill him as I’ve done before and would have done to that bitch of his,” Tannic sneered.

  Lukas had to clamp his mouth closed and force himself not to run. The fear began to build in his chest again, and the need to run grew. But Lukas forced himself to stay hidden, forced himself to listen.

  “No mistakes. We cannot allow another Warden to join the fight. You gave your word on this, Tannic. Do not fail us. Salinas will not forget,” the man said.

  “Salinas. Please, tell me how she is doing at the fortress with no Warden to defend it. She and her knights have more to worry about than my men and me,” he said with venom. “I was the one to find them. I was the one to make this plan, and she has yet to succeed in doing her one easy objective. Do not push me, Stern. I will do my part; I will kill Marius. Make sure she is ready to do hers.”

  Unwavering, Stern bowed. “As you say, and I will bring your words to Salinas. Take this as it may well help you in your endeavors. May the shadows ever whisper,” he said.

  He handed over something wrapped in black cloth so Lukas could not see what it was.

  “May you ever walk in the light,” Tannic said, taking it and placing it under his jacket.

  Stern remained silent but radiated an ominous black glow. Before Lukas’s eyes, Stern underwent a remarkable transformation, morphing into a colossal raven devoid of any Wraith insight. The raven soared through the open ceiling, leaving Tannic alone with Lukas. The man stood at the pool, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a dark coin. He dropped it into the water.

  Tannic uttered a whisper that Lukas couldn’t comprehend. Turning around, he bid farewell to the shattered Tower and departed. Lukas froze in a crouch, his gaze fixed on the frozen water. Time seemed to stand still, yet only a few minutes had passed. Finally, Severin appeared and grasped Lukas’s shoulder. Although Lukas couldn’t feel the touch, Severin’s radiant glow offered him a sense of comfort.

  “He killed Marcellus,” Lukas whispered. Severin stood silently beside him, his deck floating beside him. “And he’s determined to kill Marius.”

  Lukas had made it his mission to ensure that Severin’s evil plans would not come to fruition.