He trusted Xilos, and he trusted Byron.
At least for now, Byron had no reason to act against them.
Inside the Side Hall.
Xilos stepped into the hall and stopped short at what she saw.
The hall was empty of furnishings. Only a warm, gentle light hovered silently at its center.
The light was pure and soft, as though it were the source of all warmth and life in the world. Even from a distance, it made the Flame of Continued Combustion within her grow a little more docile.
It was the very light she had sensed calling to her last night.
Byron stood quietly before it. When Xilos entered, she gave her a slight nod.
"You're here."
Xilos suppressed her shock and bowed. "Hall Master Byron."
"No need for formalities," Byron said. "I asked you here today, but I'm not the one who wants to see you."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the light.
"She does."
Xilos followed her gaze. The light slowly swirled, as if studying her or confirming something. After a long while, a voice emerged from it, faint yet perfectly clear, as though it had searched through the ages and finally found the person it sought.
"Your bloodline is purer than I imagined."
Xilos's heart skipped a beat. "Senior, you are..."
"My name is Enrosis," the voice said.
"You may never have heard that name. But the power within you comes from the same source as mine."
Xilos froze.
The power within her came from the same source as this pure light?
She looked down at her hands without thinking.
Her power was fire. It was the Flame of Continued Combustion Shen Yi had shared with her, the path of fire she had cultivated step by step.
How could it share a source with