The door to the Chronos Vault slid open, and Caleb stared inside. It was a dark space, and as he stepped forward to get a closer look, Midnight gripped his arm. Looking back at his teacher, all he got was a stern stare and a shake of the head.
“It smells strange,” Chelsea said, waving a hand in front of her nose. “Not… bad, I don’t think, but… very strange.”
“It smells like a lot of things just woke up,” Addie said, staring intently at the darkened doorway. “Like everything was sleeping, but it’s now awake.”
“Weird description for a smell,” Chelsea said.
“But an apt one,” Midnight said. “A vault of Time itself… it’s kept them frozen, isolated, and only now that the door’s open can time resume.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at the doorway. “Come on out, then, royals. If you can.”
“Lancelot?” came a voice from within, a girl’s voice, tinged with fear.
“What have we…” another voice started, trailing off. It was the voice of a woman, drowsy and melodious.
“Let’s go,” said a man’s voice, one that made Midnight’s glare intensify.
Out from the Vault came four individuals, each of them strikingly familiar.
They all bear an uncanny resemblance to Prince Glen. So then this is the Crystal Family…
All of them had glittering golden hair and pale blue eyes that gleamed with light. They were all each dressed similarly to the prince, as well, with glistening blue clothes as if woven of sapphires, etched with silver designs. There were two adults who must be the King and Queen, and two children — a girl who looked near Fae’s age, and a boy who looked no older than ten.
The King had a stern disposition, his eyebrows fixed in a downward scowl, his eyes narrowed with displeasure, his mouth set in a grim line. The Queen was similar, not appearing so at a glance due to fair, beautiful features, but a moment’s longer look showed that she had the look of a classical, arrogant monarch — chin held high, gaze harsh and downcast.
The young prince looked so distant, his gaze on some far-off thing that no one but he could see. There was a haunted look in his eyes as he kept up that distant stare.
The princess was the one who stood out from her family. As soon as she left the Vault, she looked around at everyone curiously. When she saw Mineria, she raced to her and embraced her, and Mineria smiled her musical laugh as she hugged the princess back.
“Daughter, dearest, don’t toss aside your dignity,” the Queen said.
“They’re the ones who saved us, mother,” the princess said. “We owe them our deepest gratitude.”
“In truth, Lancelot and Caleb did all the work,” Mineria said.
“Caleb?” the Queen asked, looking from Midnight to Caleb. Her nose wrinkled. “A Human?”
“Ah, how I didn’t miss this,” Midnight said with a sigh. “He’s a Time Mage, my student, and the only one to ever solve the riddle of the Chronos Vault. All to save your ungrateful behinds.”
“Crass as always, Lancelot,” the Queen said, arching an eyebrow imperiously.
“Why do his eyes glow?” the King asked, staring intently at Caleb. “Blue, but not the royal blue…”
“It’s not for you to know,” Midnight said, cutting Caleb off before he could get out a single syllable. “Glen sent us to find you. How did you end up in the Vault anyway, and how did he know?”
“So Glen yet lives?” the Queen asked, for the first time displaying any sort of positive emotion. There was hope and joy in her voice, though it seemed warped somehow, as if these weren’t natural expressions to her. “And he knew we were here?”
“We know not how we arrived here,” the King said. “We fled the Radiant King’s assault on our home, but then we were surrounded by darkness. We fought back against it, but then… all went frozen, time standing still. And though we were stopped in time, we could still experience everything, we knew we were frozen, and though we couldn’t move, we could think and see and hear what little there was to sense. The constant, endless isolation… we’ve endured that for time unknown.” He glanced at Caleb. “Thank you for saving us.”
“You don’t have any details of what happened?” Mineria asked. “Nothing you remember, nothing that could serve as a clue to the one who imprisoned you here?”
“Nothing,” said the princess, shaking her head. “And no clues of how Glen escaped. He was with us when we escaped, with us when we reached the darkness. And then… he wasn’t. There wasn’t a voice, not a feeling, nothing. One moment we were escaping, the next we were in darkness, and before we knew it, frozen in time.” She looked up at Mineria, smiling. “It’s so good to see you again, Mineria. I was so worried for your safety during the attack.”
“I made it out just fine, as you can see,” Mineria said. “I’m glad to see you again as well, Princess Garnet.”
“Well, if you don’t have anything else of use to tell us,” Midnight said, already turning towards the stairs, “then let’s go. Glen’s waiting for you.”
“Impertinent as always,” the Queen said, first to follow him. “Think yourself so mighty that you can disrespect our status, Mister Midnight?”
“You talk too much,” Midnight said.
They started down the stairs, leaving behind the Vault, and the royalty fell into silence, save for Garnet, who chatted back and forth with Mineria. There was so much joy between the two of them, an easy friendship that came to them naturally even after so long apart.
“At least one of the royals is respectable,” Chelsea muttered, walking alongside Caleb. “The way the king and queen talked… ugh. I thought I’d heard ‘high and mighty’ from some of the enemies we’ve fought, but this is the worst I’ve seen anywhere.”
Caleb nodded, murmuring his agreement. And yet…
There’s something not quite right about Glen. I’m even more sure of that now that I’ve met the rest of his family.
But I can’t put my finger on it…
“By the way, Lancelot,” the Queen said, “where are you taking us? Where is my eldest son?”
“Reinheit Citadel,” Midnight said.
“Reinheit…!” the Queen started, cutting off suddenly. “What in blazes is he doing there?”
Midnight chuckled. “Frustrated you have to go somewhere you have no power?”
“Don’t antagonize my wife, Lancelot,” the King said, but he spoke with a disinterested drawl. “There, there, darling, all will soon be well.”
“You could stand to show some concern,” the Queen said. “As long as I don’t have to see the Matron, I suppose it will be acceptable.”
Another chuckle from Midnight. “As if you have a choice,” he said.
“Why you…” the Queen started, but stopped at a gentle hand on her shoulder from the King.
“Hey, hey,” Addie said, looking up at Chelsea. “Can I borrow your music player thing again?”
“You’re gonna tune things out?” Chelsea asked. Then she chuckled. “You know, I can get that. Here.”
“Thanks,” Addie said with a bright smile. Ingrid was walking with them as well, and they shared the earbuds, chatting quietly as they chose a song.
The whole mood had changed with the addition of the former captives. This should have been a triumph, and yet Caleb felt like he hadn’t done anything meaningful, anything worthwhile. He was still on a bit of an emotional high from his discoveries about Time and the Chronos Vault, all of that was still so exciting to him, but…
These guys had to come out of the Vault and kill the mood.
At least they aren’t all bad.
Mineria and Garnet kept up their friendly conversation even as they left behind the clock tower and started across the empty streets of Clockworks. “Couldn’t we call dear Glen to us?” the Queen asked, looking around the city with distaste.
“He insisted we meet him at the Citadel,” Midnight said. “Make of that what you will.”
“Insisted?” the Queen asked. “What in the blazes could he want to do there?”
“Perhaps…” the King started, trailing off.
“If you have useful information, share it,” Midnight said, casting a stern glare the King’s way.
“It’s just something he said once,” the King said. “ ‘Reinheit is where I’ll be.’ Just some joke, I thought at the time, one of his throwaway attempts at vague cleverness. But maybe he saw this all along.”
“You mean he knew we would be frozen in that horrific Vault?” the Queen asked. “If he knew, he would have prevented it from happening!”
“We can just ask him all about it when we see him,” Garnet said. “Lancelot, do you have a plan? We need an exit door to leave the city, don’t we?”
“I know just the place to find one,” Midnight said. It wasn’t much longer before he led them off down a familiar alley, leading to the tiny neighborhood where he’d lived as a child. Pausing at the door to his childhood home, he then stepped inside, and the rest followed.
The house was empty. There were no remnants of who had once lived there, or what life they’d lived. It was a small home, with only two rooms, and it was in the back of the second, larger room, where the clockwork door stood, ready for travelers. Midnight pulled a lever, and Caleb watched in excitement as gears turned, steam hissed, and the door slid open vertically from the center.
“But where does it lead?” the Queen asked, recoiling at the door. “Hold on, Lancelot, this isn’t some trick of yours, is it? Rescue us just to get revenge?”
“I didn’t rescue you,” Midnight said, nodding to Caleb. “And I’m not interested in wasting energy on harming you. Put aside your attitude and come on.” He stepped through the door, vanishing from sight.
“Mother, you really shouldn’t antagonize him so,” Garnet said, shaking her head. “He’s a good man, with perfectly understandable reasons for hating you and father.”
“How dare you!” the Queen said, glaring at her daughter.
“Leave it,” the King said, a hand on her shoulder. “He will not harm us. Trust that much and carry on to our son.”
“Yes, of course,” the Queen said, a dreamy tone in her voice. “Dearest Glen, we’ll see you again soon.” She led the youngest prince by the shoulders, walking through the door with him. Mineria and Garnet followed, then the King, then Addie and Ingrid.
“I don’t like it,” Chelsea said, pausing at the door.
“Which part of it?” Caleb asked.
“All of it,” Chelsea said. “But that little bit about Glen… that’s what bothers me the most.”
Caleb nodded. “That wasn’t some throwaway line or joke. Somehow… he knew what was going to happen. He’s been prepared for this for a long time. Who knows how long he was waiting at Reinheit Citadel?”
“Waiting for you.” Chelsea fixed Caleb with a serious stare. “Everyone keeps looking at you, noticing something different, special about you and your Time Magic. I don’t know how they all know, but Glen… he wants to use your power for his own desires. I don’t think he did all of this just to save his family.”
Caleb lowered his gaze. “I wish I could disagree. But… yeah. I’m feeling the same thing.” He sighed. “Let’s just be on our guard.”
“Nice to hear that from you,” Chelsea said, a small smirk playing at her lips. “But don’t worry about that. I’m always on guard, especially when you’re around.”
“You can’t trust me?” Caleb asked, and Chelsea laughed at his innocent expression.
“You’re too carefree,” she said, taking his hand. “Don’t worry, it’s charming. Besides, what’s the point of being a team if you can do everything right?”
Caleb grinned, squeezing Chelsea’s hand. “We’ll be all right.” With a nod from Chelsea, he led the way through the door.
They emerged in Gold Heart Arcade, all hustle and bustle as usual, and yet still so calming, so relaxing. They traveled together, Caleb’s group along with the Crystal Family, up to the high penthouse where they waited for their ride on the Celestial Starway. Caleb was able to leave behind his worries for a time at the marvelous sights of the Starway from inside the gondola, dazzled by the kaleidoscopic swirl of color and light.
But he also knew where they were going: the stark, silent world of Reinheit Citadel. Such a contrast from the dazzle and wonder of the Celestial Starway.
Sooner than he liked, they were there. Walking in silence up the long climb to the Citadel itself, Glen was there waiting for them at the entrance, flanked by two Rein Knights.
“Glen!” the Queen cried, racing forward and wrapping her son in an embrace. He didn’t hug her back. “Oh, my dear boy. I’m so glad you’re safe!”
Caleb couldn’t help but notice how the prince had held up a hand to halt the Knights from approaching when the Queen raced to him.
“Thank you, mother,” Glen said, smiling that smile that never touched his eyes. “But surely you know the rules of the Citadel. Please, let me lead this conversation. We won’t be here long.”
“Then I don’t need to see that Matron?” the Queen asked venomously, directing a glare toward the high tower of the Citadel.
“No, no,” Glen said with a chuckle. He looked to his family, one by one. “Father. Sister. Brother. I’m so grateful for your safety.” His strange, unreadable gaze turned on Caleb. “And you, Caleb Greyson. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me. Now it is time for me to reciprocate.” He looked to the King. “Father, we need to go to the Seat of the Seven. Caleb and his group have earned the right to enter.”
“The Seat of the Seven?” the King asked. “But what could they want there?”
“It’s important,” Glen said. “To us all. Please, father.”
The Seat of the Seven…
“I… don’t see why it has to be done so immediately,” the King said, eyeing Glen strangely.
“Oh, give the boy what he wants,” the Queen said, and Glen held up his hand again as the Knights moved to stop her. “After all he did to save us, after living when I feared the worst, he deserves everything.”
The King sighed, looking at Glen. “Please, father,” the prince repeated.
“Fine,” the King said. He held up his hand, a ring encrusted with glittering blue stones shining. “Everyone, stay close. We’ll be there in a moment.”
Glen’s smile widened just as blue light flared up, consuming everything.
When the light faded, Caleb was standing on a rocky plain that swiftly rose up in a sheer cliff face, dozens and dozens of stories into the sky. Before them, built into the cliff, was a door, three times taller than Caleb, and wide enough for the entire Crystal Family to pass through side-by-side. It stood shut, grey and stern, its stone face carved with an image of seven thrones arranged in a pyramid.
Seven chairs… just like…
“Thank you, father,” Glen said, striding forward. “Open the doors as well, if you please.”
“Care to explain anything?” Chelsea asked. “Why are we here? Why is this our ‘reward’ for saving your family?”
“All will be revealed within,” Glen said simply, continuing forward. “Come, father.”
“What’s so important beyond this door for Caleb?” Midnight asked. “Answer us that, at least.”
“You’ll see soon enough,” Glen said, still maintaining that smile that didn’t touch his eyes.
In a blur, Midnight grabbed Glen by the throat and slammed him against the rocky wall. Glaring daggers at the boy, Midnight leaned in close. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused at a hand on his shoulder.
“Kindly take your hands off my son, Lancelot,” said the King. His voice was as detached as ever, and yet there was a clear threat in his eyes.
“Kindly ensure he doesn’t harm my student,” Midnight said, his voice low and harsh. He slowly put Glen back on the ground and removed his hand. “If your scheme, whatever it is, brings harm to my student or anyone else in our group, don’t think your father will stop me from ending your wasteful existence.”
“Don’t start, father,” Glen said, holding up a hand to interrupt the King. He smiled at Midnight. “I don’t know what you mean by a ‘scheme.’ Don’t worry, Mister Midnight. This is something you all need to see.”
“It’s okay,” Caleb said. He pulled Midnight aside so he could say the next part without being overheard. “It’s just like the invitation. I’m supposed to be here.”
“Or it’s a trap,” Midnight said. “But of course you hadn’t thought of that.”
“Or I have, and I don’t mind springing the trap,” Caleb said. “I think we all want answers, don’t we? We all have questions. If Glen’s planning some scheme, then let’s find out what it is. If there’s danger in the Seat of the Seven, let’s find out what it is. Let’s face the evil and the danger head-on instead of hiding from it or trying to maneuver around it.”
Midnight stared seriously at Caleb. “Don’t you dare take this lightly,” he said.
“I won’t,” Caleb said, staring just as seriously back at him.
Midnight stepped back. “All right.” He looked at Glen, nodding. “Fine, then. We’ll go in. All of us.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare try to leave anyone out,” Glen said.
“All you see within must remain a secret,” the King said, standing before the doors. “Nothing within leaves the Seat of the Seven, no matter what.”
“Yes, yes, we all understand your desire for secrets,” Midnight said.
“Father, continue,” Glen said.
The King let out a long, resigned sigh. After another pause, he placed his jeweled ring against the doors. With a soft rumbling, they opened at an invisible seam down the center, swinging inward to reveal grey stone paths towards a circular stage. Everyone entered, and the doors swung shut behind them.
Caleb stood staring, stunned for a moment into silence. Next to him, Midnight was the same.
“It’s just like the Court of Time,” Midnight said softly.
Seven chairs arranged before the stage, with a small dais in the center — there was no mistaking it. This was what the Court of Time would look like… if it was abandoned, left to ruin and disrepair.
“And…” Caleb started, caught in disbelief, “I saw this place. In my visions, during my trial. Just like the tower at Clockworks. I’m… supposed to be here.”