The Empress sat alone in her observatory, above the palace's highest spire, where the stars whispered secrets only the bold dared interpret.
Below, the Empire stirred with unrest. But up here, silence reigned.
On the polished obsidian table before her, carved figurines stood in frozen formation a miniature of the Empire. Castles, armies, cities… and at the very center, a small, unassuming piece carved in the likeness of a girl. The stone beneath it glowed faintly.
The Empress touched the piece with one gloved finger. "Elara."
The name slipped from her tongue like an incantation.
"She is no longer invisible," she murmured. "No longer harmless."
Behind her, an advisor cleared his throat but did not speak until she gave permission. She waved him on.
"The stone was breached, Your Majesty. There was… resistance. But nothing was taken."
"Except certainty," the Empress said coldly. "Which is far more dangerous."
The advisor bowed his head. "Shall we detain her?"
"No." The word cut sharper than any blade.
"She was chosen by the stone.
The moment we chain her, we lose the favor of the people and the old powers."
She stood, her gown whispering across the floor like the hush before a storm. Her fingers rested on the window, watching the mist slowly lift from the gardens below. Somewhere beneath that veil, Elara was moving, learning, growing.
Becoming.
"We'll not cage the girl," she said.
"We'll crown her with attention. Smother her with care. Drown her in our love. Until she cannot breathe without wondering if it's real."
The advisor blinked. "You mean to pamper her?"
"No," the Empress said.
"I mean to own her. Let the nobles fight for her favor. Let the court adore her. Let the city whisper her name with awe."
She turned back to the table and moved the Elara piece forward.
"Let her be everyone's darling," she said, her smile sharp. "Until she forgets she was ever alone."
She paused.
"Have M. followed. Quietly. And double the guard on the lower vaults. If Elara's already hearing the whispers of the old ones, it's only a matter of time before the stars answer back."
The figurine on the board seemed to glow brighter.
The Empress raised her gaze to the heavens, where the stars pulsed like watching eyes.
"Let the girl play her part," she whispered. "Let her gather her little sparks."
Because when the fire came, she'd be ready to control the burn.