The sun had barely risen by the time we were summoned back to the throne room. I could feel the weight of yesterday’s events hanging over me as Aric and I walked in silence through the castle’s winding halls. We had nothing to show for our investigation of the wards.

Aric’s expression was unreadable, but I knew him well enough by now to sense the frustration simmering beneath the surface. He hated leaving things unresolved, and this whole situation was turning out to be one big mystery with no clear answers. The attack had shaken the kingdom, and now we were left grasping at straws.

We reached the grand doors of the throne room, and the guards stepped aside to let us in. The room was as imposing as ever—tall stone walls lined with banners, the king seated on his massive throne at the far end. But today, something felt different. The king’s expression was sharper, more tense, and the air in the room seemed to hum with a quiet urgency.

“Father,” Aric said, dropping to one knee. I followed his lead, though I couldn’t help but feel awkward kneeling in front of royalty.

The king’s gaze flicked between us, his fingers drumming impatiently on the arm of his throne. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries.

“Report.”

Aric rose to his feet, his tone steady. “We checked the wards along the city’s perimeter. They’re functioning as they should—there were no signs of tampering.”

The king’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re certain?”

“Yes, Father. The wards are intact..”

The king’s expression darkened. He opened his mouth to speak, but then hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the large double doors behind us. He seemed distracted, as if something else was weighing on him.

Aric glanced at me, then back at the king. “Father?”

The king’s eyes snapped back to us, and when he spoke again, there was a sharpness in his voice. “Forget the wards. We have a more pressing issue.”

Aric tensed. “What’s happened?”

The king leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowed. “Your sister. Elara.”

My chest tightened. Elara. She had teleported away yesterday, all smiles and playful banter, off to Silverport for what she’d called a ‘shopping trip.’ At the time, it had seemed harmless—Elara had the kind of magic that made most threats irrelevant to her. But the look on the king’s face now told a different story.

“She hasn’t returned,” the king said, his tone clipped. “She left for Silverport yesterday afternoon, and no word has come from her since.”

Aric’s face hardened. “That’s not like her.”

The king’s expression darkened. “No, it’s not. I’ve already sent scouts to search for her, but I need you to go to Silverport. Find her.”

Aric didn’t hesitate. “Of course, Father.”

The king dismissed us with a wave of his hand, his expression grim. “Go quickly. And be careful. If something has happened in Silverport, I want to know about it immediately.”

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We left the throne room without another word, and as soon as we were out of earshot, Aric’s pace quickened.

“Silverport’s at least a half day’s ride from here,” he muttered. “We don’t have time to waste.”

I nodded, my thoughts racing. Elara had seemed so confident and powerful, even if she was carefree. The idea that something could’ve happened to her felt... wrong. Who could take her down?

As we stepped outside, I took a deep breath. I had an idea. It wasn’t the most comforting idea, but it was something.

“What if I try to teleport us?” I asked, glancing at Aric.

He stopped mid-step, turning to face me. His eyes narrowed. “Teleport us?”

I nodded. “Elara opened a portal to Silverport when she left. I... think I remember what it looked like on the other side. Maybe I could get us there.”

Aric studied me for a moment, his jaw clenched. I could see the hesitation in his eyes. Teleportation was risky—especially for someone like me who was still barely getting the hang of magic—but the urgency of the situation seemed to outweigh his usual caution.

“Fine,” he said, his voice tight. “But if you can’t do it, we’re riding the rest of the way.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. I closed my eyes and focused, trying to remember the image of Silverport that I’d glimpsed through Elara’s portal. The marketplace, the cobbled streets, the tall spires of the buildings... I could still see it, just barely, lingering at the edge of my memory.

I raised my hand, feeling the magic hum beneath my skin. I focused on the image, willing the portal to open, and for a second, nothing happened. Then, with a sharp crack, the air in front of us shimmered, and a swirling portal began to form.

I blinked, my heart racing as I stared at the glowing vortex. “I... I did it.”

Aric didn’t waste any time. He stepped toward the portal, his face set in determination. “Let’s go.”

I nodded, following him through the swirling magic. The sensation of moving through the portal was disorienting, like being pulled through a narrow tunnel, but it passed in an instant. When we stepped out on the other side, the cold air of Silverport hit me like a slap to the face.

But something was wrong.

I blinked, taking in the scene around us. The marketplace, the streets—everything was in ruins. The cobblestones were cracked and scorched, blackened debris littering the ground. Several buildings had collapsed, their once-proud spires reduced to rubble. Smoke still hung in the air, faint but unmistakable.

The town was destroyed.

Aric’s expression hardened as he scanned the devastation. “What happened here?”

I swallowed, feeling a sinking dread in my gut. “Elara was here. She must’ve been...”

Before I could finish the thought, the sound of distant footsteps reached us—heavy, slow, dragging. We both turned toward the source, our bodies tensing instinctively.

Out of the shadows of the crumbling buildings, a figure emerged.

It was a soldier, but his armor was scorched and broken, his face pale and streaked with blood. He stumbled toward us, his eyes wide with fear.

“Silverport...” he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. “It’s gone. The fallen...”

He collapsed before he could finish, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Aric was already moving, kneeling beside the soldier, checking for signs of life. After a moment, he shook his head and rose to his feet, his expression grim.

“We’re too late,” he said quietly.

I stood frozen, staring at the wreckage around us. Elara was supposed to be here, somewhere. But if Silverport was in ruins...

The knot in my stomach tightened.

“We need to find her,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “If she’s still here, we need to find her.”

Aric’s gaze was hard, but he nodded. “We’ll search the area. But stay close. Whatever did this could still be nearby.”

Without another word, we started moving through the ruined streets, the silence of the fallen town pressing in around us like a suffocating weight.

Silverport had fallen. Now we had to find out if Elara had fallen with it.