Author's Preface
Shani sat across from Jaziel. Tea and snacks rested on a small circular table between them. Light poured in from every direction, the room made almost entirely of crystal panes. Snow drifted gently outside. The whole world beyond the walls seemed pure. Perfect.
Shani hated that. She hated the snow. She turned her attention away from the windows and stared down at the teacup before her. The dark, honey-colored liquid was as still as a mirror. Also perfect. Irritation welled inside her. Before she could think better of it, she knocked the teacup over.
Her eyes widened in shock as the liquid slowly spilled across the table. For a heartbeat, it looked like blood. She quickly turned away and looked up at her uncle. He was staring at her silently, but something in his eyes made her feel anxious.
“I…I’m sorry…” Shani mumbled. Jaziel sighed and turned toward a maid.
“Please clean this up and bring the princess something else.” He ordered. The maid bowed and began to clean the table. Shani stood and backed away from the table. The dark purple ribbons caught her attention.
“Princess…” She heard Jaziel's voice. She looked up at him and he motioned for her to come closer. Shani obeyed.
“If you didn't like the tea, you could have said so…” Jaziel said as he took a sip of his own tea. His eyes never left Shani. Shani lowered her gaze.
“It wasn’t that…” She mumbled. Jaziel set down his tea with a sigh. He grabbed Shani’s face and forced her to look him in the eyes. She stiffened at the sudden pressure.
"When someone is speaking, you should look at them," he said, his voice stern. Shani began to bite her lip but thought better of it when his eyes darkened slightly. Instead she wrapped her hands in her dress.
“I will be better…” She said more clearly. Jaziel smiled and patted the young girl's pale curls.
“That’s my girl.” he said, gently cupping her cheek. After a moment, the maids reset Shani's place, replacing her tea with a mug of hot chocolate. Shani breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't look like a mirror. She took a small hesitant sip before placing it back down.
"I'm glad you're looking healthier," Jaziel said, his gaze settling on the wrist that had once been bandaged. Now it was nearly fully healed, only a restrictive scar lingered in the place her bracelet had once rested.
“Although… It was much faster than the doctor expected…” He mumbled. He took another sip of tea, his eyes lingered on her opposite wrist, no, her bracelet.
“Mama says it’s because I’m special…” Shani mumbled as she took another sip of her cocoa. It was sweet but for some reason it tasted different than she remembered.
“I suppose…” Jaziel muttered. “But either way… I’m just glad you're okay princess.” He smiled brightly. Shani simply nodded in response. The two sat in silence for a moment. Jaziel was working on some documents he had brought with him for their tea time.
Shani fumbled with her fingers for a moment and took a deep breath.
“Uncle…” She mumbled. Jaziel looked away from his papers and up towards the girl. Warmth touched his features.
“Yes princess?” He said softly, affectionately. Shani hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Since… Since I am doing better… could we go see mama now?” She asked carefully. She needed to see her. She wanted to see her. It had already been too long since the fire. What if her mother was also waiting for her? What if she was simply sleeping?
Jaziel studied her for a moment. Her eyes gleamed with determination he hadn’t seen in a while. His expression softened.
“I suppose we can work something out,” He said.
“I’ve been meaning to visit her anyway,” He continued. He was still smiling, but something sadder lingered behind his eyes. Shani’s eyes lit up.
“But...” Jaziel gently interrupted.
“I still have some work to do, and we need to dress for the temple.” He said and Shani’s face dropped.
“So… maybe we can head down in a couple hours?” He finished. Shani looked up at her uncle, her eyes eager. She nodded. Jaziel simply smiled.
“Have melody get you ready.” He said and Shani nodded before standing and beginning to walk towards the door.
“Shani…” Her uncle's voice rumbled behind her. She froze and turned to look at him. His fingers were tapping against the rim of the teacup. He was still smiling but something about it felt off.
“Remember your etiquette.” He said evenly. Shani took a deep breath and curtsied low, for once she didn’t feel shaky while doing it.
“May I be excused?” She asked. Her eyes lowered, but she watched her uncle from beneath her white lashes. Jaziel studied her for a moment.
“Very good… You are excused.”
Shani stood and walked out of the room to search for Melody.
Melody dressed Shani in a flowing white gown, the fabric light and layered like drifting mist. It hung loosely from her shoulders, pooling softly at her feet. A sheer veil was placed over her head—thin and pale, falling around her like a quiet shroud, softening her small figure into something almost ghostlike.
Shani stared at her reflection. She could see through it… but everything felt distant.
“Is... is this right?” she asked, her attention drifting toward Melody. Melody smiled in return.
“Yes, you look angelic milady.” Melody said as she pinned the last part of the veil in place. Shani frowned.
“Why the veil though?” She asked as she gently pulled on the thin fabric.
“Nobility… can’t show emotions in public.” Melody said quietly. “The veil helps with that.” She explained gently as she applied a few silver bracelets and arm cuffs. Taking extra care around her crystal bracelet.
The door opened. Shani's attention shifted to the towering figure standing in the doorway.
Jaziel stood there, dressed in white. His clothing was sharply tailored, every line precise and controlled. A pale cloak fell from his shoulders, lined faintly with purple. But no veil.
“Why don’t you have a veil?” she asked with a brow raised. Jaziel smiled at her gently.
“I won’t cry.” Jaziel replied evenly. Shani studied him for a moment. He extended a hand and Shani hesitantly took it.
He escorted her to the carriage. This time, the royal seal was displayed openly. A handful of knights rode behind it, their watchful gazes never straying far. Jaziel held out a hand to help her inside.
The carriage followed the same road toward town. Shani's chest tightened. She didn't speak, didn't look outside. She simply waited. This time felt so much more stifling than before. Jaziel quietly reviewed documents while Shani stared at her hands. Something tight rose in her throat. Something uncomfortable.
Before reaching the town, they turned down a road she hadn’t noticed before. She let out a slow breath. She watched the town slowly grow further and further away. She wasn’t sad to see it finally disappear.
Not long after, they arrived at the shrine. The temple stood in quiet dominance, its pale stone columns rising in a perfect circle beneath a domed roof etched with constellations. Gold and deep violet accents traced its edges, catching what little light the sky allowed.
Just looking at it from the carriage stole the air from her lungs. A familiar dread washed over her. She didn't want to go inside.
Jaziel set aside his documents and stepped out of the carriage. He held out a hand and waited patiently... expectantly. Shani couldn't bring herself to tell him she wanted to go home. Not after all the work he put in to get them there.
She took his hand and together, they entered the temple of Noxis.
The air inside was cool and hushed, thick with the scent of incense. Light filtered from above, faint and scattered, like distant stars rather than the sun. Soft murmurs and whispered prayers echoed through the chamber, never rising above a respectful hush.
At the center stood a circular altar, surrounded by candles that never seemed to flicker. Beyond it, set into the far wall, were tall doors of black stone veined faintly with silver. Guards stood motionless at either side. No one approached these doors. In fact, most people didn't so much as look at them.
Jaziel walked straight toward them. His strides were long. His face, unreadable. Shani hurried after him, struggling to keep up. Once she caught up, the guards bowed to Jaziel before opening the doors.
The cold beyond the doors hit her first. The air inside the room felt stale, suffocating. The knights shut the doors behind them, causing Shani to jump. She looked anxiously back at the doors, then around the rest of the chamber. Her heart began to thunder in her chest.
A warm hand found its way to the top of her head. Shani stared up to see her uncle watching her carefully.
“This place is for royal eyes only,” he said, his voice soft and kind. Shani nodded her understanding. Jaziel smiled and took her hand as he began to guide her towards the far end of the tomb.
Rows of raised sarcophagi lined the chamber, each carved from dark marble and marked with pale inscriptions that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light. No flame burned here… only a soft, ambient glow with no clear source. The air itself seemed to carry weight. Even her careful footsteps rang against the stone. Her breathing also sounded much too loud, almost unnaturally loud.
Everything about this place urged her to leave.
A moment later her mother’s sarcophagus came into view. Jamila’s resting place stood apart. Polished violet stone, veined like the night sky. Her name, carved cleanly into its surface. A copper effigy rested atop it. Shani couldn’t see it too well from where she stood, but every instinct told her to leave. To run away.
She froze mid step and watched as her uncle got closer and closer to the tomb. He must have noticed she'd stopped, because he halted a moment later. He turned to look back at the young frozen girl. A sigh escaped his lips but compassion lingered in his lavender eyes.
“Jamila is waiting…” He said sadly. A smile crossed his features but it was unconvincing. He held out a hand for Shani once more. Shani clutched her dress for a moment before reluctantly taking his hand once more.
Shani stepped closer, her heart pounding with every step. Slowly, she pressed her palm against the polished stone. It was freezing, the cold biting into her skin far more sharply than she expected.
It was wrong. Her mother wouldn’t like being left in the cold. Her mother loved summer heat, warm drinks, sweets, and hugs. Her mother was never cold, her mother was energetic, warm, and alive. This couldn’t be her mother.
She pulled her hand away and hugged herself instead. Chills ran through her body and tears threatened to fall. Jaziel approached and slid open the effigy. He stared at something for a moment. His eyes darkened.
“She’s still presentable…” He mumbled. He then turned to look down at Shani, a comforting smile on his face.
“Would you like to see her?” Jaziel asked. Shani shook her veiled head quite vigorously. Jaziel's smile faltered.
“Everything will be okay… She’s waiting for you to say goodbye.” He lifted Shani into his arms. She turned her face away at first, but something pulled at her. Like gravity itself, it slowly drew her gaze back toward her mother's resting place.
Below the effigy was a crystal mirror that showed Jamila’s full body. She was wearing a dark purple gown. Her skin was covered in burns and much paler than Shani remembered. Her hair had lost its shine. It looked like her mother… yet at the same time didn’t.
“Mama… Mama’s not sleeping, is she?”
Jaziel's expression softened as he lowered his gaze. Something inside Shani cracked. No tears came. Her whole body trembled the longer she looked at the woman who was supposed to be her mother. Dead. This was death. This was what everyone had meant. For the first time, she understood what the word meant, and she hated it.
His gaze lingered inside for a long moment, something unreadable passing over his face.
“She is still so beautiful…” He murmured mostly to himself. Shani finally turned her attention back to her uncle.She looked back at the body. Her trembling intensified.
“U…Uncle…” She gripped the cloth on Jaziel's shoulder. Jaziel looked towards her.
“I… I said goodbye… Can we go now…” Shani asked. Begged. For the first time since entering the tomb, tears slipped silently beneath her veil.
“Of course princess…” Jaziel gently put Shani on the ground. He turned to close the effigy once more, stopping only long enough to look at his sister one last time. His sun was gone. The ache never seemed to lessen. He shut the tomb and took Shani’s hand.
Looking down at the shivering, crying girl, a thought came to him. Perhaps… he could help create a new sun.