The fog hadn't lifted yet when Lita pushed herself off the stone bench, breathing hard. Her arms ached. Good. That meant yesterday's training had actually meant something. She rolled her shoulders, gripped the enchanted hilt, and started again.
She liked mornings. Quiet. Nobody watching.
She was mid-swing when the voice came from behind her.
"Lita Valliere."
Barely a whisper. But it stopped her cold.
She turned slow. Her hand stayed on the hilt.
A woman stood a few feet away, face hidden behind a black veil. Dark silhouette. Still as stone. The fog curled around her like it was afraid to touch her.
"Lita," the woman said again. "It's me."
Lita stood up straighter. "Who are you?"
The woman's soft laugh cut through the morning air. She stepped closer. "I'm someone who's been watching you for a long time." Her head tilted. "What are you doing here, training so early in the morning, all alone?"
"Just preparing for Ardent Peak," Lita said. "I like to get a head start before everyone else wakes up."
The woman went quiet for a moment. Just watching. "You are dedicated, as expected of a Valliere." A pause. "But there is something more to you, isn't there? Power… potential."
Lita's easy smile slipped. "I'm just trying to get stronger."
The woman's voice dropped, almost like she was sharing a secret. "And you will. But strength comes from more than just training. You've felt it, haven't you? That pull… that desire for something more than what you've been told?"
Lita's chest tightened. "What do you mean?"
Closer now. The veil didn't move in the wind. Nothing about this woman moved unless she wanted it to. "There is more to your destiny than simply attending Ardent Peak, Lita. The power within you is far greater than they've told you. And soon, you'll understand it for yourself."
Her heart was hammering. "Who are you really?"
Then — sound from the mansion. A door. Movement inside.
The veiled woman smiled. Lita couldn't see it but somehow knew. "Don't worry. We'll meet again soon." A slight wave. And then she was gone, swallowed by the fog without a single footstep sound.
The mansion door creaked open. Flare stepped out, blinking, hair still sleep-rumpled. "Lita? You're up early again."
"Yeah… just training."
"Good. Let's get some breakfast before we start the day."
Lita followed her inside. Kept her face neutral. Her mind was still standing in that fog, staring at the place the woman had been.
She'd keep this to herself. For now.
Except she didn't. Couldn't. The curiosity gnawed through breakfast until she was looking across the table at her mother and saying, casually, too casually — "There was a veiled lady."
The air changed immediately. It was like something invisible dropped out of the ceiling.
Her mother's teacup stopped halfway to her lips. Her eyes moved to Lita — sharp, direct. Across the table, Flare's spine went rigid. Her hand found the table's edge.
"A veiled lady?" her mother asked. Voice calm. Too calm.
"Yes, she was outside in the garden this morning. We talked a bit."
Flare looked at her mother—one glance. A whole conversation passed between them in under a second. Flare gave a small nod. Whatever her role had been before, it had just gotten heavier.
Lita felt it — the weight of the room — without quite understanding its shape.