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The scrying pool lay deep in the heart of the old observatory, a basin of polished black stone filled with still, star-fed water that never reflected the room around it - only what lay beyond. Aria had come here a dozen times before, always with a knot of dread in her stomach, always checking for threats, for enemy movements, for signs that the door was failing. Today she walked through the arched doorway with her head high, her steps steady, no weapon at her hip but her own resolve.

Malphas stayed at the threshold, his shadow wrapping around the doorframe like a silent guard. “I will be right here...