“Arda, could you step out of the room for a moment?” Father asked in a controlled tone.

  “Actually…” I shifted awkwardly on my feet, making no move to leave.

  He held up a hand, cutting me off. “That wasn’t a question.”

  I scowled internally. Then why did you phrase it like one? Biting back my frustration, I dragged myself towards the door and stepped out. I stomped across the hallway, and leaned against the wall.

  My gaze was glaring daggers at the closed door so intently that I wouldn’t be surprised if I actually bore a hole through it. My attention was suddenly caught by the tinkling of porcelain, coming from a teapot that had just appeared in my vision.

  “Fancy a tea to blow off some steam?” Offered Boras, chuckling lightly as he extended the tray he held in his hands.

  “Yes, please.”

  The porcelain cup was hot, but not unbearably so; I sipped the tea slowly, in the hopes it would help calm my nerves and the raging storm that was in my head. By the time I reached the bottom of the cup, my stomach was churning a little less.

  “Feeling better now, aren’t you, young master?” Boras asked as I set the empty cup back onto the tray.

  “You know, sometimes your foresight is so good it’s borderline unfair, Boras,” I sighed.

  Boras chuckled. “I’m delighted to know that House Velya holds my abilities in such high regard—”

  His eyes followed me curiously as I sneaked closer to the door. “What are you doing?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Raising a finger up to my lips, I silently mouthed him to keep it quiet.

  Something my dear father will surely appreciate, I thought with a smirk. With total contempt for elegance, I pressed my ear against the door.

  Already, I could hear the scolding voices of both my parents ringing in my head.

  Oh, come on, can you two shut up? I thought irritably. I’m trying to eavesdrop here…

  “Oh dear,” Boras chuckled. With a shake of his head, he turned away and left, but not before shooting me a wink. With his silent approval, I focused on listening.

  Father was the first to speak. “Are we sure there were no issues with the ritual? Or worse, some kind of external interference?”

  From the sound of his pacing footsteps, it was clear that he was more on edge than the two priests. “You seem nervous, Noble Gerok,” he said. “But please, speak freely.”

  Gerok scoffed. “I’m not sure if I truly understand the implication behind your words, Lord Velya, but I’ll pretend I heard nothing.”

  He cleared his throat before continuing. “In situations like these, it’s best to be direct, so do forgive me if I sound a little blunt. Your son has awakened two emblems. There’s no doubt about it.”

  The footsteps stopped. Even through the door, I could already imagine the expression my father was giving the priest.

  A cold silence filled the room. “And I ask you again, Noble Gerok, are you certain that your results are accurate?” Father’s voice rang low.

  Even out of the room, I shuddered at the ice in his voice. The air around me suddenly became heavy. My knees buckled slightly, and I was struggling to keep my balance.

  I swallowed nervously, barely resisting the urge to gasp for breath. It felt as if an invisible rope had tightened around my neck.

  “Lord Velya, please suppress your aura,” Astel’s voice cut in. Despite the unnatural pressure she must have been experiencing inside, her tone remained calm. “Intimidating us will not help you change reality.”

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  Gradually, the suffocating atmosphere faded and I was able to suck in a deep breath in relief.

  “Are you certain that the result is accurate?” He asked again.

  “We are completely certain. It’s a divine revelation, thus it’s infallible,” replied the old priest, almost offended by being asked the same question three times.

  His next words, however, came out with undisguised sharpness. “Your son is a Binary. Deal with it, Lord Velya.”

  “I will not allow you to speak to me like this in my home,” my father growled.

  “What my colleague meant to say,” Astel cut in, “is that rituals are always performed in couples precisely to eliminate any possible ambiguities.”

  Father, clearly frustrated, resumed pacing, as if walking might help him release his pent-up tension. The two priests remained silent, waiting for him to speak.

  “Arda, I know you’re out there listening. You might as well come inside,” he said in a beat.

  Oh. Oh shit.

  The two priests attempted to protest, but he shut them down without hesitation.

  This was probably my cue to run straight to my room and hide under the bed, but before I could even react, the door swung open. Like a complete idiot, I toppled forward into the room.

  Father sighed in resignation. “We will discuss this behavior of yours later. Get up and listen.”

  “Yes, Father,” I hurriedly replied as I scrambled to my feet.

  “Lord Velya, are you sure of what you are doing?” Gerok finally spoke up, his voice laced with concern. “You understand that once we proceed, there will be no turning back.”

  My father raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I have made my decision. While this situation is undeniably… unusual, House Velya accepts your verdict. No matter what happens, we will support Arda in whatever path he chooses.”

  He paused before adding, “Unless, of course, you’re planning on insulting me a second time.”

  Gerok visibly gulped. “A-Absolutely not! That was never my intention. L-let us move on to the revelation!”

  “I expected as much,” my father muttered, smugly stroking his mustache.

  Astel, who had managed to steady herself, reached into a bag hidden beneath her robes and retrieved a blank parchment scroll, unrolling it before us.

  “Proceed, Astel,” said Gerok.

  “By the will of the Supreme High Prelate, I hereby issue the revelation, as granted to us through divine intercession, by the powers of our Lady,” she declared.

  A soft silver light surrounded the parchment, making Astel even paler than she already was.

  As she continued, her voice rang solemnly in the air. “By the year 219 after the First Revelation, the Absolute gazed into the soul of this boy and sang of his fate.

  “The Crest of the Dragon and the Two Moons. This is what She has found. May the blessing of the Absolute forever guide his choices, whatever they may be.”

  A low hum filled the room as the parchment glowed brightly, radiating an azure light.

  Well now… I thought, squinting at the sudden brilliance.

  Now this is what I call a divine revelation, Astel.

  * * *

  The scroll in Astel’s hands glowed, and elegant blue writing appeared across the parchment.

  Before she could pass it to my father, I managed to glance at its contents; aside from a long text, I noticed two rough illustrations now figured on the priestess’ parchment.

  As soon as the scroll touched my father’s hands, it vanished into thin air. Father ignored my accusatory look and turned to escort the two priests to the front door. I strayed beside him, and we both gave them a slight bow in salute.

  “Thank you for your service,” I told them. My voice came out a little awkward, somewhere between gratitude and apology, as if I wasn’t entirely sure which one I was trying to express.

  Gerok still looked somewhat shaken. What surprised me the most was how at ease Astel looked now. “You’re welcome, young master. It is our duty, after all. We will be following your progress with great interest. We expect to hear many great things about you,” she responded calmly.

  Just before leaving, Gerok reminded my father about making an offering to the Order; the stammering way he asked for it did absolutely nothing to improve my opinion of him.

  Thinking about money at a time like this… really? I scoffed.

  Father, seemingly indifferent to the request, dismissed him with a wave of his hand, offering him some polite words in return. As the two priests walked away, however, he imperceptibly shook his head, almost in disgust.

  Gerok had surely made quite the impression, I chuckled. Astel wasn’t that bad, though.

  Just as they had arrived earlier, one with a stiff, rigid gait, the other with graceful confidence, the two priests disappeared down the pathway.

  What a strange pair… I wonder how they even ended up together.

  “Come, Arda,” my father finally said, turning to the door.

  “We have a few things to discuss.”