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Blinking, I looked again, but she was gone.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I willed whatever madness had taken hold of me away. Instead, a humming filled my ears. What was that sound? Opening my eyes, I strained my memory, attempting to place it, but I couldn’t.

No. It could not be.

Watching as the rising sun began to lighten the world outside my window, I grasped my mind for Grandfather’s words.

It felt… as if my very soul were shifting, aligning with something I didn’t understand. When my time is ended, the new Keeper won’t need to search for a new chosen one. They will know and spread the word.

I stumbled back, the humming resonating in my chest, as if every heartbeat carried the weight of something far older than myself.

“Grandfather,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

He was gone.

The knowledge hit me like a physical blow, my knees buckling as the truth settled in. He’d died, and with his death, The Keeper’s burden had been passed to me.

The hum grew louder, filling every corner of my mind. It wasn’t just a sound; it was a presence. A legacy. A duty.

I was no longer a Keeper. I was nowTheKeeper.

I stayed there on the floor until the humming passed. It was replaced with trepidation, but not my own. Trepidation and something else… excitement. Hope. Desire.

I stood, remembering more of my grandfather’s words.

Your own abilities will heighten, and you will need to re-learn how to hone them. Along with them, the visionary abilities of our forefounder, the first to pass through the Gate, will begin to manifest. I cannot explain how since some, like myself, already had the Sight. For me, it was a strengthening. For others, this new skill will be another burden to carry.

My vision of Nerys on the water. It was a glimpse of the future I didn’t yet understand or know how to control so I couldn’t be certain of what it meant.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

I went to it, asking, “Nerys?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“I will be just a moment.”

Dressing as quickly as possible, I joined her outside my door.

“Apologies,” I said, realizing the emotions I’d felt were hers. It seemed I no longer needed to be close to someone to read them. Thankfully, it seemed my ability to block them out remained intact.

She was dressed casually, her tunic-style top a gentle seafoam green and cinched at the waist with a braided kelp cord. Deep-navy, form-fitting breeches and her hair tied loosely back completed a look that spoke of quiet elegance.

In short, she was strikingly beautiful, as always.

“I thought perhaps we might get away from the palace today.”

“Have you been given leave to do so?”

Nerys’s good humor seemed to be restored. “I haven’t yet spoken with the queen, but she did send me a message saying I was to continue as your escort. I’d expected more of a reprimand, which may be coming still.”

“When you are not escorting me, or another guest of the palace, what are your duties here?” I asked as we walked.

“Like my parents, my role is mainly as a diplomat, although they traveled more often beyond our borders. Endless council meetings, disagreements about trade agreements… that sort of thing. That said, the queen has increasingly, over the years, reduced our trade with other clans. I help train new recruits to the palace and am sometimes used when the palace healer becomes overwhelmed.”

He is gone.

As soon as the thought popped into my head, I forced it out. I could not grieve or dwell on the responsibilities that had been placed on me as the new Keeper. Questions as to why I was chosen or how my new abilities would manifest would have to wait.