Chapter: Phoenix Spire
The Message That Flew Ahead
Long before the capital's towers caught the horizon, a bird was already racing toward it.
A falcon of ash-gray feathers burst from the stables of Silverlake, a thin crystal tube bound to its leg. Runes flared briefly as it cut through the sky, wings slicing clouds with unnatural speed.
Upon its message were etched only a few lines—yet those lines were enough to shake a kingdom.
> By royal authority.
The King has taken a wife.
The hidden son is confirmed.
Prepare the capital.
The falcon vanished into the distance, carrying truth faster than any carriage.
---
The Capital Appears
Daniel saw Helioscrest for the first time at dawn.
The land rose gradually, then suddenly—the world changed.
Walls of pale gold stone encircled the capital like a crown laid upon the earth. Towers spiraled upward, not straight but curved, as if grown rather than built. Entire districts floated on wide, rune-etched platforms suspended by invisible forces, drifting slowly in measured orbits.
At the heart of it all stood Phoenix Spire.
A colossal tower of solar crystal and white adamantine, its surface alive with slow-moving veins of light. Energy radiated from it in pulses—soft, steady, omnipresent—powering the city like a beating heart.
Daniel's breath caught.
Daniel: "So this is Helioscrest…"
Sensei's voice carried a different tone than before—sharper, alert.
Sensei: "Capital of Valoria. Magical infrastructure density: extreme. Threat probability: high."
They passed through the outer gates.
Elite soldiers patrolled the streets—the Phoenix Guard—their armor polished to a mirror sheen, crests burning faintly with fire-aspected mana. Their presence was constant, eyes trained not just on threats, but on people.
Daniel noticed it immediately.
Citizens with mana cores walked freely, robes marked with sigils of academies and guilds.
Those without magic—mud flesh, as the capital cruelly named them—kept to the edges. Lower streets. Bent backs. Lower voices.
Daniel's jaw tightened.
Daniel (quietly): "Education in magic is mandatory… but only if you're born with the right blood."
Sensei: "Correct. Non-magical citizens perform labor. Magical citizens govern."
Leslie—now Queen Leslie Evercrest—watched silently from the carriage window, hands folded in her lap. Her posture was composed, but Daniel could feel her tension.
Sensei: "Emotional state: restrained fear. Primary concern: you."
Daniel: Of course.
---
Architecture of Power
They crossed bridges made of light-solid crystal, hovering above gardens suspended in midair. Solar crystals embedded in walls hummed softly, converting sunlight into raw mana that flowed through the city like veins.
Daniel: "This place isn't just a capital."
Sensei: "It is a weapon."
Daniel nodded.
Daniel: "A city that never sleeps… never weakens."
Sensei: "And never forgives weakness."
As they approached the inner districts, the palace came into view—vast, blinding, impossibly white. Terraced spires layered upward, banners of Valoria snapping in the wind.
And waiting at the gates—
Faces that already knew.
---
The Palace That Was Prepared
When the carriage halted, there was no surprise.
No confusion.
Only measured reactions.
The falcon had done its job.
Inside the palace halls, whispers died the moment King Orean stepped down. His presence alone silenced dissent. Leslie followed at his side, her simple elegance standing in stark contrast to the opulence around her.
Daniel walked just behind them.
Crimson hair.
Unmistakable.
Unavoidable.
Murmurs rippled outward, then vanished.
Fear replaced curiosity.
Orean raised his voice.
Orean: "Let it be known."
The sound carried through enchanted acoustics, reaching every corner of the hall.
Orean: "Leslie Evercrest is my lawful wife."
A shockwave passed through the court.
Orean: "Daniel Evercrest is my son."
Silence.
Not a single noble dared speak.
Orean: "You may think what you wish."
His gaze hardened.
Orean: "But you will speak nothing."
No one challenged him.
Not today.
---
The Wives Who Smiled
Queen Althea stood nearest the throne.
Regal. Perfect. Smiling.
Her eyes flicked once—just once—toward Leslie.
Cold.
Calculating.
Second Queen Isolde inclined her head politely, fingers tightening against her sleeve.
Behind them, Princess Elizabeth—daughter of the late Queen Rhea—watched with wide, uncertain eyes.
They all smiled.
And Daniel felt it.
Sensei: "Detected: jealousy, resentment, fear, hostility—suppressed."
Daniel: So this is palace kindness.
Leslie felt it too—but she did not flinch.
She had raised a son alone.
This… she could endure.
---
Children of the Crown
The royal children gathered at the edge of the hall.
Prince Cedric—firstborn—stood tall, eyes sharp with interest.
Princess Lyra watched silently, curiosity outweighing judgment.
Princess Elara's lips pressed into a thin line.
The twins, Corin and Finn, whispered to each other.
They remembered him.
The quiet boy at Aurelia's birthday.
The one who didn't belong.
Cedric stepped forward.
Cedric: "So… it's you."
Daniel met his gaze calmly.
Daniel: "Prince Cedric."
Cedric smirked.
Cedric: "You look different."
Daniel: "So do you."
A flicker of surprise crossed Cedric's face.
Then amusement.
Cedric: "This will be interesting."
Sensei: "Hostility probability: moderate. Threat potential: rising."
Daniel: We're going to be hunted.
---
The Line Drawn
Orean turned back to the court.
Orean: "They will remain in the capital for a short time."
A pause.
Orean: "Not in the palace."
Whispers erupted—but died quickly.
Orean: "A residence is being prepared."
He looked at Daniel.
Orean: "As you requested."
Daniel bowed his head once.
Not submissive.
Acknowledging.
---
A City That Watches
Later, from the balcony of a temporary guest wing, Daniel stared out at Helioscrest.
Floating platforms drifted.
Phoenix Guard formations shifted.
The city watched itself.
Daniel: "Sensei… we're targets now."
Sensei: "Confirmed. Multiple vectors."
Daniel: "Nobles. Wives. Siblings."
Sensei: "And entities beyond the palace."
Daniel exhaled slowly.
Daniel: "This place doesn't feel like home."
Sensei: "No."
Daniel clenched his fist.
Daniel: "Then we'll survive it."
Below, the solar crystals pulsed brighter as the sun climbed higher.
Helioscrest had welcomed them.
But not with open arms.
With sharpened teeth.
And Daniel knew—deep in his bones—that the capital was not waiting to embrace a prince.
It was waiting to test him.