The council chamber was cloaked in silence.
Only the quiet crackle of fire filled the air.
Emperor Arin, Empress Katherine, Prince Alaric, Princess Daphne, and her teacher sat gathered, five figures bound by one impossible problem.
The air itself seemed to listen.
Arin broke the silence first. "You asked for this audience, Master. Speak."
The teacher, a man whose usual mischief and wit were tempered by solemnity inclined his head slightly. "Your Imperial Majesty, I've made progress… though it comes with a warning."
Alaric's voice was clipped. "Start with that."
The man smiled faintly. "Still as direct as ever, Your Imperial Highness. Very well."
He reached into his satchel, drawing out a small vial of glass no larger than a thumb.
A faint gray mist swirled within it, thick and alive.
"This," he said carefully, "is what remains of the plague's essence. I've confirmed something none of us suspected, the infection does not spread through water or food."
