In Guest Reception Annex, Room A-3, Jared sat cross-legged on the floorboards, breath thin and even. Lines of starlight logic from the afternoon still echoed behind his eyelids. He sifted through each point Rania had offered, fitting them into new openings in his larger plan.
A ripple brushed the edge of his mind. Footsteps, all light, all hurry, crossed the garden stones. The scent signature was unmistakable: Rania. Stranger presences usually trailed her. Tonight he felt only the single spark that was her own.
Jared opened one eye. This hour, courtyards should be silent. What drew her back? The approaching aura fluttered, bright with excitement, jagged with haste. She wasn’t merely visiting; she was almost running. He smoothed his robe, straightening the collar with measured fingers. The polite scholar’s smile slid back into place before she reached the latch.
“Mr. Chance!” Her voice burst in ahead of her body, full of breathless relief. Rania stood in the doorway, cheeks pink, stray curls clinging near her temples. In her fingers gleamed two new jade slips. “I… I found two more tricky passages,” she said, half laughing at her own impatience. “Couldn’t sleep until I asked you. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
The words insisted on study, yet her gaze clung to him, warm and shameless in its admiration. Jared stepped aside. “Please, Ms. Rania, come in… Discussion is never a bother…”
She crossed the threshold and slipped onto the chair by the low table as though the seat had always belonged to her. Jared filled a cup, letting steam curl between them, and set it within her reach.
“Mr. Chance, look at this…” she urged, unrolling the first slip across the table. She tapped two glowing segments. “And here… They feel linked to yesterday’s Sky Pivot pull, but I can’t see why.”
Jared lifted the slip. Characters floated into alignment beneath his gaze. After a pause he nodded, admiration genuine. “Your instinct is sharp… These passages hide the principle of threefold resonance.” He pointed, sketching lines of light above the wood. “Match them with the hour when certain constellations peak, and you can open a temporary Star-Force Corridor… Short hops, or a rapid body-tempering blast.”
The web of symbols blossomed into a full diagram, each strand answering a doubt she hadn’t voiced yet. What had felt like scattered fragments now rested inside a seamless, ancient engine, alive under his fingertips. Rania listened, breath caught somewhere between awe and delight. Every confident turn of his wrist added fresh color to her cheeks. Light arced through the room, reflecting in his eyes. She felt her pulse drumming as if it might match the constellation he traced.
“Ah… How could one man be this brilliant… And this disarmingly handsome…” Rania wondered, dazzled.
Without noticing, the two leaned closer, elbows almost touching, breaths mingling over the floating glyphs. A subtle floral note from her sleeve drifted across him. Her gaze lingered on the line of his jaw, then slid to the hollow of his throat. Jared marked the moment like a merchant counting coins. The lure was set. Yet he eased back a respectful handspan, letting the star map dissolve. He lifted his cup. “It’s late, Ms. Rania. Better to rest and let the text settle.”
Kindness in his tone warmed her further, even as the suggestion stung with reluctance. “Mr. Chance…” She hesitated, brushing courage across her tongue. Eyes bright, she asked, “Tomorrow… Could I take you to the Library Pavilion? It keeps works even Father never unraveled. Together we might uncover something extraordinary.”
Hope rang clear in every syllable. Rania‘s voice popped like a cork. The Library Pavilion… Jared heard the words roll through the room and felt the air tighten with possibility. The name struck him square in the chest. This was the gate he had been hunting since he set foot in the manor. He pushed the rush of heat down behind a calm face.
“The Library Pavilion?” he asked, letting a frown crease between his brows. “I’ve heard it is a restricted wing of the inner court… I apologize, Ms. Rania, I am only a guest; I fear I may overstep…”
“It’s fine!” Rania cut in before he could say more, bright and certain. “I’m the Manor Lord’s daughter,” she huffed, her chin tipping up. “What’s wrong with taking a friend to the Library Pavilion? Those guards won’t dare stop me! And with your learning, you might even help us correct a few dusty scrolls. Father will be pleased when he hears!”
She spoke as if rules and orders were smoke on the wind, nowhere in sight. In this moment her whole world narrowed to the thrill of showing him her favorite trove of wonders. Watching the open eagerness in her eyes, Jared noted how quickly affection was dulling the caution of an otherwise clever girl. Opportunity fell right into his palms, warm and weightless.
He lifted a grateful, gentle smile. “If that is the case, Ms. Rania, I will gladly impose upon your kindness.”
“It’s settled! I’ll come for you at first light,” she chirped. Rania hopped to her feet, light as a songbird. “Rest early, Mr. Chance. See you tomorrow!”
She headed out, glancing back once, twice, and a third time, before the courtyard gate closed and her footsteps skipped away. Jared shut the door. The pleasant mask slid off, leaving his eyes dark and remote. Everything was moving exactly where he had steered it.
