Dhara stepped into Veer's prison chamber, the heavy door clanging shut behind her with a sound that reverberated through the very stones. The guards remained outside, leaving her alone with the man who had once been a familiar, if distant, figure in her youth, and was now a formidable, banished prisoner. The flickering lamplight cast dancing shadows that seemed to lengthen and deepen around Veer, as if drawn to him, despite the suppressive magic of his chains.

He hadn't moved since she entered, his gaze still fixed on her. There was an unnerving steadiness in those dark eyes, a depth that made her feel as if he could see through her silken robes, past her carefully composed royal demeanor, and straight into the unruly heart of her own hidden magic. She clutched the small satchel at her side, containing the instruments her parents had provided for her "examination," as if its presence could ground her.