Chapter 72 Elena Heart- POV
I nodded slowly, taking a sip of the lukewarm tea to steady my trembling hands. If he knew they were there, that was a start, but it wasn't enough. Not this time.
"Then let me help him narrow it down," I said, the words spilling out with a desperate urgency.
I took a deep breath, casting one more look toward the door before turning back to him. "Start with Leo. He acts as the King’s shadow, his trusted right hand, but he is already connected to the rebellion. If he hasn't been bought yet, he will be soon—Grace, my pretend 'cousin,' has already targeted him. She knows his price. She knows he’s tired of being the man behind the throne when he thinks he’s the one who should be sitting on it."
I saw a flicker of something in Xavier's eyes, a flash of cold, calculating fury that lasted only a millisecond before he smoothed it over.
"Leo," he repeated, the name sounding like a death sentence in his low, gravelly voice. "A bold claim for a girl who just arrived in the capital."
"I don't need time to recognize a snake, Dark," I whispered. "I've been raised by them." The tea in my cup turned cold as a sudden, sharp chill swept through the small cafe. I stared at him, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
“And be aware of the house of Valerio.”
“Valerio? I don't know anyone, um are you sure about—”
"Really? I’m sure, very sure," I insisted, my voice dropping to a desperate whisper. "It was Duke Valerio who wanted you, I mean, the King, gone. He was the one holding all the pieces. He wanted the throne more than anything. He bought noble houses with millions in gold and mana cores. He even funded the rebellion just to use them as his front-line distraction."
Xavier’s frown deepened, his brow furrowing behind those spectacles. The scholarly disguise couldn't mask the sudden, sharp tension in his frame.
"Elena," he said, his voice low and cautious, "I know the high houses of this land like I know the back of my own hand. I know the treacherous and the loyal alike. But there is no 'House Valerio' in the records of Drakmor. Not in the capital, not in the reaches."
I felt the blood drain from my face. I gasped, nearly knocking over my tea. "That’s impossible. He’s the one who stands on the dais when the city falls. He’s the one who triggers the Rebel under the Spire!"
My mind raced. How could he not exist? I had seen his banners, the black serpent coiled around a silver sun. I had seen his face. Then, a horrifying realization struck me.
In the first timeline, Valerio didn't reveal himself until the very end. He had stayed in the shadows, a ghost pulling the strings of everyone else, including Grace. If Xavier didn't know the name, it meant Valerio was hiding even better than I had realized. Or worse... it meant that in this timeline, the "storm" was moving even faster, and the players were still wearing masks I hadn't seen through.
“His banners, the black serpent coiled around a silver sun,” I shook my head, “Familiar?”
"No. He must be using a pseudonym," I whispered, leaning in closer until I could smell the sandalwood on his skin. "Or perhaps he hasn't 'ascended' to the title yet. But listen to me, Dark. Look for the black serpent. Look for the man who is quietly buying up the mana core debts of the minor houses. He is the one who will hand Leo the dagger."
Xavier reached across the table, his hand catching mine and squeezing it, not with affection this time, but with the grounding force of a commander.
"If what you say is true," he murmured, his blue eyes burning with a cold, royal fire, "then I have been blind to a shadow standing right in front of me. You’ve given me names I can verify—Leo, Halloway, the Reach. But this 'Valerio'..."
He trailed off, his gaze drifting to the window of the empty cafe. For a moment, the mask of the simple guard slipped entirely, and I saw the King contemplating a war he hadn't known he was fighting.
"I will find him, Elena," he promised, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "If he exists, I will drag him into the light. But you... you are in more danger than you realize. If Grace finds out you've shared this with me, she won't just 'scold' you. She will erase you."
He stood up, the chair scraping against the wooden floor. He looked down at me, and for a fleeting second, the glasses and the fake mustache seemed to vanish.
"Go back to the inn. Act the part of the dutiful spy. But keep your eyes open. If the storm is truly only three days away, I need you to be ready to move when I send for you."
"But Xavier..." I started, but he held up a hand.
"Don't use that name here," he cautioned, though a ghost of a smile touched his lips, a smile that recognized the love I was trying so hard to hide. "Stay safe, little bird. The King’s shadow is watching over you."
I watched him walk out the door, his scholarly disguise blending perfectly into the street. I was left alone in the quiet cafe, the taste of bitter tea and cookies on my tongue, and the weight of a name, Valerio, hanging in the air like a death sentence.
I had changed the game. I had given the King the pieces of the puzzle. Now, I just had to pray that he could solve it before the first titan stepped through the sky.