Chapter 460: The Call
With her frustration eased after the heart-to-heart with her mother, Serah returned to her office and set herself once more before the mountain of paperwork that awaited her. This time, though, her mind was clearer, her chest lighter, and the burden of endless parchment and ink no longer felt as suffocating. She pushed through it with practiced ease, each document signed and sealed more quickly than the last until the stack had finally dwindled away into neat completion.
Later that night, when all her duties had finally been seen to, Serah found herself reclining on the silken softness of her bed. She wore her favorite nightgown of pale silk, cool and smooth against her skin. Her red, wavy hair sprawled freely across the sheets like threads of flame under the pale glow of the moonlight streaming through the tall window. Eyes closed, her thoughts drifted.
Her mother’s voice lingered in her mind, each word replaying with a warmth that spread through her chest. The wisdom, the teasing, the love—it had reminded her just how much comfort lay within Queen Seralyne’s presence. A small smile tugged at Serah’s lips as she whispered into the still night, "I can’t believe I let myself go so long without talking to her about it."
The room was quiet, serene, bathed only in silver light. Slowly, her mind began to slip toward sleep. Her breathing softened, her body surrendering to rest—until a sudden blink of light stirred her from the edge of slumber.
Her comm-rune bracelet, resting on the small table beside her bed, pulsed faintly, its crystal core glowing with an insistent rhythm. Serah’s eyes opened, and she frowned, sitting up slightly as her gaze fixed on the blinking rune.
"Who could be calling at this hour?" she muttered. She thought to groan and dismiss it, but then—like a spark catching in her chest—a thought struck her. Her heart skipped a beat, then beat faster, thudding almost painfully as her eyes widened with sudden hope.
Marcus.
She sat up straighter, hesitating as she stared at the rune, torn between caution and longing. A part of her braced for disappointment—what if it wasn’t him? What if it was some tiresome report, or one of her father’s officials? But the longer she looked, the stronger the hope swelled.
Gathering herself, she reached for the bracelet with slow, deliberate hands. The contact rune shimmered before her, unfamiliar, and that only made her pulse quicken. Her breath caught as she finally answered.
"Hello," she said softly, her voice carrying more anticipation than she intended.
"Princess."
Marcus’s voice cut through the crystal with perfect clarity.
Serah exhaled a long, trembling sigh of relief, a tension she hadn’t realized she was holding leaving her all at once. She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the sound of him.
"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded, though her words betrayed her with their tenderness, sounding more worried than angry.
"Hm," Marcus chuckled, his tone dripping with amusement. "Sounds like someone missed me to the stars, huh?"
"Just shut up and tell me already," Serah murmured, her voice soft, the corners of her lips curving despite herself.
"Well—" Marcus began, but was quickly cut off by a rough series of coughs.
The sound made Serah’s heart lurch. Her smile vanished, replaced with instant alarm. "Hey! Are you okay?" she asked, her voice urgent.
There was a pause before Marcus cleared his throat. "Yeah. Nothing serious," he replied, though his tone didn’t convince her in the slightest.
Serah narrowed her eyes, suspicion flooding her features though he couldn’t see her. "You know I can tell when you’re lying, right?" she pressed firmly.
A silence followed, brief but telling. Then Marcus’s voice returned, quieter, calm. "Yeah, I do. And fine—I’ll tell you. Since it sounds like you’ve been worried sick about me."
"Of course I have," Serah whispered, though she quickly steadied her tone. "So what is it?"
"I can’t explain over a call," Marcus said. "It’s better if I show you in person."
Serah froze, caught off guard. "You... want us to meet?"
"Yeah," Marcus confirmed. "Besides, we did plan for you to learn more about Purebloods, didn’t we?"
Her crimson eyes softened, a flicker of anticipation sparking within them. "Yeah... yeah, we did." She paused, then nodded to herself. "So... waterfall in Caelmoor?"
"Same place," Marcus agreed. "Meet me there on the next full moon."
"That’s three days from now," Serah said.
"Exactly. Which gives you enough time to make your last preparations. You’re welcome, by the way—for my consideration." His voice carried that familiar smugness that made her want to roll her eyes and smile all at once.
"Whatever," Serah muttered, though a hint of a smile touched her lips. "Fine. Three nights from now. See you then... Marcus."
"You too, princess."
The call faded, the rune’s glow dimming until the room was once again quiet, bathed only in moonlight. Serah let herself fall back against the bed with a deep breath, a wide smile spreading across her face as relief washed over her. Finally, she had spoken to him. Finally, the insufferable idiot who somehow managed to be her everything had returned to her thoughts with more than just silence.
But even as her heart lightened, her mind circled back to the harsh sound of his coughing. Her smile faltered slightly, replaced by worry once more.
"I wonder if he’s really okay," she whispered into the night, her voice soft as the moonlight that brushed across her skin.
***
With the three days that followed, Serah threw herself into preparations for her journey to Caelmoor. Leaving wasn’t as simple as packing her things and vanishing into the night—she was a princess of Solara, after all. Her every move was watched, and her father, King Tharion, was never one to let his children wander off without cause. But Serah knew her father, and she knew how to handle him.
She went to him directly, her voice calm and words deliberate. She told him she had been struggling for some time—struggling to truly find herself again after everything she had endured. Missions, battles, losses, responsibilities, the endless burden of command—layer upon layer had been stacked upon her shoulders over the past year, and though she bore it all, she had grown weary. She told him she needed space. Distance. A moment away from everything where she could think clearly and restore herself.
King Tharion listened in silence. He had seen the toll her duties had taken on her, the weight of what she had faced, and though he rarely allowed emotion to cloud his decisions, he was not blind to the suffering of his daughter. This wasn’t the first time Serah had expressed the need to withdraw for a while, to step away from the world and rediscover herself. And he knew she was telling the truth. So, without subjecting her to interrogation or suspicion, Tharion granted her request. He told her she could leave, and she could return when she pleased. He would not bind her when what she sought was healing.
Serah was relieved beyond measure. She had half-expected her father to pry, to press her with endless questions until she was cornered. Instead, he had trusted her, perhaps because he understood that Serah collapsing mentally would spell disaster not just for herself, but for Solara and the Magna family as a whole. She was the pride of both, their beacon, and he knew she needed this reprieve.
With that weight lifted, Serah turned her attention to her other preparations. She visited Brenna, the eccentric but dependable rune-crafter, and requested an untraceable comm-rune. Brenna had raised a brow at her, immediately assuming Serah had brought another bottle or two as payment. And she was right—Serah had indeed carried fine bottles of wine. But this time, she insisted they weren’t for barter, but as a gift of thanks. Brenna never pressed her on the reason—why should she, when wine was wine? She accepted the offering without question, her grin wide with satisfaction as she set to work.
Once the comm-rune was complete and tucked safely away, Serah packed everything she believed she might need for the journey. Her blades, of course. Clothing light enough for travel but sturdy enough for combat. She left nothing to chance.
Before her departure, she visited her mother once more. Queen Seralyne greeted her with warmth, and Serah told her of her decision to be away for some time. She couldn’t promise exactly how long she would be gone, though she reassured her mother it wouldn’t be too long. Seralyne, wise and loving as ever, offered no resistance. She simply smiled softly and gave her blessings, placing her trust in Serah’s strength and judgment. That alone filled Serah with renewed confidence.
Her final goodbyes were to her brothers. Galen, as expected, was insufferable. He smirked knowingly, throwing little barbs of "brotherly love" her way, clearly aware of what was driving her to leave. He didn’t press, but he didn’t let her off easy either. Tharionson, on the other hand—her youngest brother at only seven—clung to her. He looked more and more like their father with each passing year, his features sharpening with the same regal intensity. He didn’t fully understand why she had to go, but he hugged her tightly, and she hugged him back, her heart aching.
With all farewells made, the third day finally dawned. Serah rose early, her crimson eyes sharp with resolve as she walked through the palace halls. She left Solara’s royal palace behind, its pristine walls fading into the distance. She left Ilis behind, the great capital humming with life as she passed through its bustling gates. She left Zone 15 behind entirely, her path carrying her farther and farther away from her family, her city, and her duties.
Her destination lay to the south, across the rivers and forests of the outer lands—Caelmoor, in Zone 17. The place where Marcus had told her to meet him. And as she journeyed forth, her heart carried a mix of anticipation, hope, and unease, for whatever awaited her beneath the silver glow of the next full moon.