When they arrived, the guards let them through without question. Few ever sought the Great Mage uninvited.
Lady Celeste he greeted, then his gaze fell on Isadora. "And the stranger out of time."
Isadora stiffened, clutching the page tighter. "You… know?"
"I've seen you in the stars." He gestured to the table. "Show me."
Isadora stepped forward, placing the brittle parchment before him. Theron's long fingers carefully spread the pieces out. His eyes narrowed as he read, lips moving silently. The candlelight seemed to flicker unnaturally as the room thickened with unseen weight.
When he finished, he exhaled, a heavy, resigned sound.
"It's worse than I feared," he muttered.
Isadora's stomach dropped. "What does it mean?"
He tapped the drawing of the grotesque creature. "Somewhere in Veridion — perhaps already inside its walls — this abomination stirs. It will feed. It will grow. And once it reaches its true form, not even the Crimson-Eyed Beast will be able to stop it."
