In the royal archives, dust-covered records whispered of House Albrecht's golden age.
Massive leather-bound volumes lined the shelves from floor to ceiling, their spines cracked with age, their pages yellowed by time.
The air smelled of parchment and wood polish, the scent of preserved history.
Caelan moved carefully between the towering shelves, leaning on his cane more from habit than necessity.
His body had recovered surprisingly well from the Black Halo's poison, thanks to Lady Elara's antidote and his growing Nullcraft abilities.
Still, he maintained his facade of weakness, especially here in the palace where Fenn's spies might be watching.
"The genealogy section is through here, Lord Albrecht," the royal archivist said, leading him deeper into the labyrinth of knowledge.
Master Thaddeus is an old man, with wispy white hair and spectacles that constantly slipped down his nose.
"Though I confess I'm surprised by your interest. Few nobles concern themselves with history these days."
"My illness has left me with more questions than answers," Caelan replied, his voice deliberately soft.
"I hope to understand why House Albrecht's shadow magic faded over generations. Perhaps there's a clue to my condition."
It wasn't entirely a lie.
Since the encounter with the Black Halo assassins three days earlier, Caelan had been troubled by their insistence that he had somehow "awakened" shadow magic.
If the Eclipsed Order was watching for such signs, he needed to understand exactly what they were looking for.
Master Thaddeus nodded sympathetically.
"Knowledge is its own medicine, my lord. The Albrecht records are in the eastern alcove. I've pulled the volumes you requested."
The alcove was small but comfortable, with a reading table positioned beneath a high window that cast natural light onto the workspace. Several massive books were already stacked there, waiting for Caelan's examination.
"Will you require assistance in your research?" the archivist asked.
"No, thank you," Caelan replied.
"I prefer to work alone. My concentration wanders easily these days."
Once Master Thaddeus shuffled away, Caelan dropped his frail demeanour and began his work earnestly.
He started with the most recent records, tracing House Albrecht's decline over the past fifty years.
The official accounts were dry and factual—land transfers, political appointments, births and deaths recorded with clinical precision.
His father's entry confirmed what everyone knew: Lord Magnus Albrecht, arrested for treason, died in royal custody awaiting trial.
The alleged crime was conspiracy against the crown, though specific evidence was never publicly presented.
His lands and titles had been partially forfeit, with the remainder held in trust for his sole heir—Caelan.
More interesting was what wasn't there.
His mother, Lady Eveline, was mentioned only briefly as "departed" during the same period, with no details of how or why.
Her family lineage, typically documented extensively for noble marriages, was conspicuously abbreviated.
Caelan frowned, turning back to earlier records.
In the marriage registry from twenty years prior, he found the official announcement of his parents' union.
Lord Magnus Albrecht to Lady Eveline Morath of the Eastern Territories.
The entry was standard in format but had been modified—the parchment showed signs of scraping where text had been removed and rewritten.
His suspicion growing, Caelan pulled the registry of noble houses from the eastern territories. House Morath appeared, but with minimal information.
Again, there were signs of alteration—entire sections carefully removed or obscured.
Someone had deliberately modified the records of his mother's family.
Caelan closed the last book, his mind calculating possibilities.
Historical revisionism was common in politics, but this was personal.
His mother's identity had been systematically obscured in official records.
Why?
And more importantly, what were they hiding?
He needed to speak with someone who remembered the truth.
Returning to the main desk, Caelan found Master Thaddeus cataloging a stack of newly arrived documents.
"Master Archivist," he began, resuming his weak noble persona.
"I wonder if I might trouble you for some personal recollections. The records seem incomplete regarding my mother's family."
The old man stiffened slightly, his hands pausing in their work.
"The archives contain only what the Crown approves, my lord. If information is missing, it was deemed... unnecessary for public record."
"I understand," Caelan said gently.
"But surely you, having served here for so many years, might remember details not captured in these books? I have so few memories of my mother. She died when I was very young."
Thaddeus glanced around nervously, then adjusted his spectacles.
"I should not speak of such things, my lord. Especially not here."
"Then perhaps somewhere more private?" Caelan pressed.
"I seek only to understand my heritage. Surely that's not against crown policy?"
The archivist hesitated, then nodded slightly.
"The manuscript room is empty this time of day. We might speak there briefly."
The manuscript room was smaller and windowless, lit only by oil lamps that cast dancing shadows on the walls.
Master Thaddeus closed the door carefully before turning to face Caelan.
"What exactly do you wish to know, Lord Albrecht?"
"The truth about my mother," Caelan said directly.
"Who was she? Why has her history been erased?"
The old man sighed deeply, seeming to age another decade before Caelan's eyes.
"I remember your mother's arrival at court. It caused quite a stir. Lady Eveline was beautiful, yes, but it was her mind that set her apart. Brilliant, educated beyond what was considered proper for women. And she possessed... unusual talents."
"What kind of talents?"
Thaddeus lowered his voice further.
"She could see through illusions. Detect magical deceptions that fooled everyone else. Some whispered she was a witch, but that wasn't accurate. She didn't cast spells—she unmade them."
Nullcraft.
Caelan's pulse quickened.
"Go on."
"Your father was immediately in love with her. Their marriage surprised many who expected him to choose from the traditional noble families.
But Lord Magnus was progressive in his thinking. He recognised the value of her abilities, especially given House Albrecht's... complicated history with magic."
"The shadow magic," Caelan supplied.
"Yes." Thaddeus removed his spectacles, polishing them nervously on his sleeve.
"House Albrecht's traditional magic had been fading for generations. Some said it was a blessing, given its origins. Your mother seemed to agree. She dedicated herself to studying what she called 'the counterbalance'—techniques to control and contain magical energies rather than wield them."
"House Morath," Caelan prompted.
"What do you know of them?"
The archivist replaced his spectacles, blinking owlishly.
"There lies the heart of the matter. House Morath wasn't truly noble, not in the traditional sense.
They were a line of scholars and mage-hunters from the Eastern Borderlands.
For centuries, they specialised in containing magical threats too dangerous to destroy outright."
"Nullcraft masters," Caelan said softly.
Thaddeus's eyes widened.
"You know the term?
Yes, although they never used it publicly. Such knowledge was considered dangerous, especially by the Mage Guilds, who held significant influence in court."
"What happened to her? The records say only that she 'departed' during my father's imprisonment."
Pain flashed across the old man's face.
"The official story claims she fled when your father was arrested. The truth is more complicated. When Lord Magnus was accused of treason, your mother argued forcefully for his innocence. She claimed she could prove the evidence against him was magically fabricated."
"By House Fenn," Caelan guessed.
"She never named names publicly," Thaddeus said carefully.
"But she requested an audience with the king to demonstrate how magical deception had been used against your father. The audience was scheduled, then cancelled.
The next day, Lady Eveline disappeared from the palace. Three days later, the crown announced she had abandoned her husband and fled the kingdom in disgrace."
"But you don't believe that," Caelan pressed.
The archivist's voice dropped to a bare whisper.
"I saw her the night before she vanished. She was in the archives, copying certain texts about magical detection. She told me she had discovered who had framed her husband and how they had done it. She was not a woman preparing to flee, Lord Albrecht. She was a woman preparing to fight."
"And then she was gone," Caelan finished.
"Convenient for whoever framed my father."
"Indeed."
Thaddeus glanced nervously at the door.
"Shortly afterwards, I received orders to 'standardise' certain historical records. References to House Morath's specialised knowledge were removed. Your mother's academic achievements were stricken. Even her physical description was modified in the marriage registry."
"Why her description?"
"Lady Eveline had a distinctive feature—a pattern of faint black lines visible beneath the skin of her hands and face when she performed her Nullcraft techniques. Like ink flowing through her veins, some said. The official records were changed to remove any mention of this trait."
Caelan fought to maintain his neutral expression, though his heart raced. The black lines beneath his skin—just like his mother's.
Not a side effect of his Nullcraft practice, but an inherited trait.
"Master Thaddeus," he said carefully, "do you know if my mother had any private workspaces?
Places where she might have kept her research?"
The archivist hesitated again, weighing his words.
"Lady Eveline maintained a small workshop in the palace's old east wing.
After her disappearance, it was sealed by royal order.
I believe it remains untouched to this day, though that section of the palace is rarely used now."
"Could you direct me there?"
"That would be... unwise, my lord. The east wing is officially closed due to structural concerns. Those who enter without authorisation face serious consequences."
Caelan nodded, understanding the archivist's caution.
"Of course. I wouldn't want to place you in a difficult position."
Thaddeus studied him for a long moment, then reached a decision.
From within his robes, he withdrew a small key and pressed it into Caelan's hand.
"This opens the manuscript storage room on the third floor of the east wing. It adjoins what was once your mother's workshop. I cannot give you the key to that room, as it was confiscated years ago. But perhaps a determined person might find another way in."
He paused.
"I never gave you this key, my lord. Our conversation never happened."
"What conversation?"
Caelan replied with a faint smile.
"Thank you, Master Archivist. You've been most helpful."
As the old man turned to leave, Caelan asked one final question.
"Master Thaddeus, did my mother leave any message?
For me or my father?"
The archivist paused at the door.
"Not directly. But the last time I saw her, she was copying an old text about Nullcraft applications. In the margin, she wrote something I've never forgotten: 'The raven's true strength was never its shadow, but its ability to see in darkness.'"
After Thaddeus departed, Caelan returned to the alcove to continue his research with renewed purpose.
He carefully examined every reference to House Albrecht's history, this time looking specifically for mentions of Nullcraft or House Morath.
In a volume documenting noble house marriages over three centuries, he found a faint annotation in the margin beside his parents' entry.
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing but a decorative border—an abstract pattern of interconnected lines. But when Caelan traced it with his finger, he recognised it as a map.
A map to somewhere within the palace, marked with a symbol he recognised from the Nullcraft texts—the sign indicating a protected workspace.
His mother's secret workshop.
The discovery filled him with a strange mixture of emotions.
Pride in his mother's courage and intelligence.
Anger at how she had been erased from history.
Determination to recover what she had fought to preserve.
But most powerfully, he felt a connection.
The black lines beneath his skin weren't just a manifestation of his Nullcraft practice—they were his inheritance, a physical link to the mother he barely remembered.
His natural affinity for the techniques wasn't coincidental, but genetic.
The Nullcraft ability, it seemed, had been waiting in his blood all along.
Perhaps that explained why the Eclipsed Order believed he had "awakened" something.
Not the shadow magic they hoped for, but its counterbalance—the very power his ancestors had developed to contain the Black Seraph.
As Caelan carefully copied the map onto a small piece of parchment, he considered the implications.
If his mother had discovered who had framed his father and how they had done it, that evidence might still exist in her workshop.
After all these years, he might finally have proof of House Fenn's crimes against his family.
More importantly, her Nullcraft research might contain techniques far beyond the basic applications he had mastered—knowledge that could help him understand and control the growing power within himself.
He would need to move carefully.
The east wing might be officially closed, but that didn't mean it was unguarded.
And if someone had gone to such lengths to erase his mother's legacy, they might still be watching for anyone showing interest in her work.
Nevertheless, the risk was worth taking.
This wasn't just about revenge anymore, or even survival.
It was about reclaiming his family's true legacy—not the shadow magic that had brought them power and danger, but the Nullcraft discipline that had been developed to control it.
We inherit more than names from our ancestors, Caelan thought as he slipped the copied map into his vest.
Sometimes we inherit their battles, their knowledge, and their strength.
The sickly Lord Albrecht would make a respectful exit from the archives, thanking Master Thaddeus for his assistance.
And tonight, while the court slept, the Raven's Ghost would explore the abandoned east wing, seeking a mother's lost legacy and the answers that had died with her.
His path was clearer now, his purpose stronger.
The Eclipsed Order sought to free the Black Seraph.
House Fenn had destroyed his father to gain power.
Both would face the last Albrecht—not as a shadow mage they could manipulate, but as a Nullcraft master who understood precisely what they feared.
His mother's son, awakened at last.