63.

The morning came wrapped in the hush of heavy rain. Outside the mansion, droplets clung to the windowpanes like tiny oracles whispering of what lay ahead. The sky was a dull gray canvas, and yet, within the quiet, something stirred—purpose, urgency, the first echo of a journey yet to begin.

Alina blinked herself awake, the unfamiliar comfort of the guest room pulling her into momentary confusion. But when her eyes adjusted, she saw him—Caelan—standing at the window, his silhouette calm against the cold glass.

“Time is very precious,” he said without turning, the words slipping into the room like breath.

Alina pushed herself up from the bed, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “I know,” she murmured. “And I’m sure we’ll find every spirit. No matter how far they are.”

He turned slightly at that, the corner of his mouth lifting with a softness she wasn’t used to seeing. “Then we need a plan.”

After a quick fresh-up, the two of them sat across from one another in the study. The pendant around Alina’s neck shimmered faintly in the light as she spread an old map across the table. Caelan brought out a worn ledger—its pages brittle, ink smudged in places, but still legible.

One by one, they began listing the spirits: Memory, Prophecy, Poetry, Mythos, Knowledge, and Time. Each had once lived within the Kingdom of Books, working side by side to keep the truth of stories alive.

“We can't look for them randomly,” Alina said. “It would take years.”

“I agree,” Caelan replied. “But there’s something we have—each spirit left behind a book. Not just a normal book. A sacred one, containing a piece of their essence. If we can find those, they’ll lead us to them.”

“Where are they now?” she asked.

Caelan opened a locked drawer and pulled out a faded chart. “Most are scattered. But the Book of Prophecy… it’s still in the Kingdom of Books.”

Alina leaned closer. “But you said the kingdom was destroyed.”

“Abandoned,” he corrected. “Hidden. Burned in parts, but not destroyed. The outer rings were sealed with spells. Only one with a pendant—or spirit blood—can enter now.”

Her fingers touched the pendant instinctively.

“We’ll go there first,” she said with resolve. “If there’s even a chance that Prophecy’s book can tell us where the others are… we have to take it.”

A knock echoed at the door.

Hope stepped in with Will behind her. They were both already dressed, coats in hand. Rain slicked their shoulders.

“You’re really doing this,” Will said, his tone half-amused, half-resigned.

Hope moved closer and gave Alina a small smile. “Be careful in that place. The Kingdom doesn’t welcome visitors anymore.”

“We’ll be okay,” Alina replied.

Caelan gave Will a nod. “Keep the estate running. And check the east wing every three hours. If anything reacts to the pendant’s absence, I want to know.”

Will saluted half-heartedly. “You got it, boss.”

Hope hugged Alina briefly. “Find them. All of them.”

The rain hadn’t let up when they stepped outside. Caelan’s car was waiting, its sleek black frame gleaming even in the gloom. Alina took one last look at the mansion—the only place that had felt like home since everything had changed.

And then they drove off into the rain, heading toward the Kingdom of Books, where ash and secrets still whispered among stone walls.