When Kaleon saw the box, he knew he was in a nightmare. The same five-act tragedy that's haunted him since he was a boy.

It was dark. It was always dark. Kaleon's only source of light is the ornate box in his hands. Its bland, cool surface sent chills through his fingers. The low light barely illuminated himself, let alone anything around him. While it seemed like an uneven trade for the persistent cold, Kaleon knew better than to let it go.

The air was heavy with smoke, each lungful burning in his chest as tears gathered in his eyes. Regardless of the pain, Kaleon waded his way through the darkness. Persisting forward.

Slowly, inevitably, the second act found its way to him. Restless phantoms stalked him through the smoke, speaking in some inhuman language that serrated Kaleon's ears. Kaleon tried to ignore a thunderous cacophony that scrambled the thoughts in his head. He tried to block it out and keep his hold on the box for as long as possible. There was no telling how long he held out, but eventually, Kaleon couldn't take it anymore—dropping the box as his hands covered his ears.

Act three began just as the box hit the cold, glistening blackness that was the ground. Its faint glow suddenly shone so bright it was blinding. At the same time, the box grew, expanding from the size of a bread box to a boulder in seconds. It didn't stop, growing until it slammed into Kaleon, almost knocking him over. With his eyes closed, Kaleon picked a random direction and ran. Blind and battered, it was all he could do as the screaming phantoms grew louder with each panicked step.

There was no telling how far he'd gone; one moment, he was putting one foot in front of the other, and the next, Kaleon felt himself smack into a wall. Kaleon tried to press forward, but the darkness hard erected an invisible border that marked the end of this nightmare realm.

Before he could think of where he could go next, the box crashed into Kaleon's back. The force knocked the wind out of him as his arms strained to keep himself from being crushed between the gleaming light and unforgiving darkness.

Kaleon's lungs were on fire, and his bones felt like they would shatter into dust. Stars swirled in the corner of his vision as fingers of smoke mixed in the strange blend of darkness and light. Kaleon felt his consciousness slowly begin to drift as the pain became unbearable.

The fourth act saved him—a sudden release of the pressures bearing down on him, allowing him to fall back. Only the ground didn't claim him. Kaleon groggily opened his eyes as he felt the wind rushing past him, howling like a pack of hungry wolves. He suddenly jolted awake as the blistering cold in his fingers returned. The box had reappeared in his hands. Kaleon twisted to look behind him and paled at the sight of clouds rising to meet him and waves, gnashing like teeth waiting to swallow him whole.

Act five started with a wave of heated and pressurized air rammed into Kaleon's back. He didn't even have to see it before the terror in his veins turned into a scream. An airship cased in an inferno fell behind him like a blazing meteor. Tongues of flame reached out and burned the skin where they touched—grabbing hold of Kaleon and trying to reel him into the blaze. There was a loud groan as wood strained, then broke. The ship suddenly opened a mouth with teeth of flaming metal and wood opening impossibly wide. It spewed a ragged, burning breath of air, the fires inside its maw burning so bright he couldn't even look directly at it. Just as Kaleon was sure the mouth would snap him in two, he hit the water.

Kaleon shot up in a cold sweat. Clouds that looked black in the darkness, although he knew them to be a cobalt blue, covered his face. He pushed it back over his head, running his hand through the rest of his hair. Delicate fingers traced a scar from his temple to his jawline, sending a chill across Kaleon's skin. "It's fine, it's fine, you're okay," He told himself, trying to overlook the lack of conviction in his voice.

The nightmares felt like they'd been getting worse lately, although it was hard for Kaleon to tell. After the thousandth time, it was all one horrifying blur. He absently reached out to a metallic rod hovering over a flared base on the nightstand and pressed it down. There was a click, and the warm golden light of the lamp illuminated the room.

In truth, it was more of a shoe box than a room. Kaleon's bedroom was a pantry converted into the bare minimum to call it a bedroom. The walls held racks of spices, leaving little room for a cot, a tiny nightstand, and a chest for his belongings. Well, most of them, anyway.

Wood creaked as Kaleon pulled himself up. He was on the heavier side, and the wooden cot never seemed to hold his weight easily. He swung his feet out of his bed, spilling his blanket on the floor.

Kaleon stood up, ducking under Gumbo, sleeping in his hammock, and knelt before the chest. He pushed it under his cot and removed a carved-out section of the tile floor, setting it aside. A box sat in the space underneath. It wasn't the exact one from his nightmare, this being more rectangular and made of a metallic midnight blue stone. Kaleon pressed his hand against the polished surface. A glowing Banda appeared under his palm when he drew his hand back. The image of the whale-like creature moved in a circle, then disappeared. A panel on the box clicked open.

Sitting snugly inside was a lantern. A gold and silver ring attached on either end of a frame stylized to look like the sun and a crescent moon. Inside sat a black candle with veins of gold and silver.

Kaleon pulled it out of the box and examined it, making sure not to touch the lantern. He wondered, not for the first time if he'd let this piece of his history go too. Make it a clean cut and bring nothing to remind him of his time here and the times before. He could even sell the Treasure, not like he dared use it himself, and the Education Guild would love to get their hands on it. At least that way, he could earn a small fortune as he figured out his next steps.

There was a loud bang as someone slammed their fist against the door, "Kal! Kal! Gods dammit boy, you in here?!".

Kaleon nearly jumped out of his skin, accidentally tossing the box from his hands. "Yes! Yes, I'm in here!" Weariness and panic filled his voice as he reflexively stepped away from the door, his foot falling into the small space. The lantern slipped from Kaleon's hands as he quickly tried to regain his balance. "Just a second!" He got his foot out, only to step and slip on his blanket. The box’s lid snapped shut and did a wide arc in the air, knocking Gumbo out of his sleeping harness as all three crashed onto the floor.

All three sat on the crowded floor in a tangle of arms, blanket, metal, and a still-sleeping Sudograde. The lamp had fallen to the floor, its light still illuminating the room but just barely. Kaleon's' breath held in his chest when he heard the doorknob turn, the door swinging open. "You're taking too long. I just needed to-." The words trailed off when his eyes adjusted to the room, looking at the floor at Kaleon.

Kaleon lay on the floor, half his face covered by the blankets and the other by the dimly lit room. Gumbo snored on Kaleon's chest. Luckily, the box had found its way under the covers, but it was pressing into his side. Forcing Kaleon into an awkward and cumbrous position.

Kaleon tried giving his best smile. "Uh…good morning, Chef."

Cybil rubbed his face and gave Kaleon a withering look, "I take it you haven't seen Miss Odulfo then."

"No?" Kaleon said, tilting his head. "Should I have…?"

"No. You shouldn't." Cybil said firmly, shaking his head with a sigh. "I don't get paid nearly enough to deal with this mess. Pick yourself up and start breakfast; Lord Bottomless Pit is stress eating because of the Harvetal."

"He hates it when people call him that," Kaleon said softly.

Cybil gave him a flat look, "And I hate working for a family that eats like a plague of locusts. Now listen here, boy, the only thing worse than a stressed Lord Reinard is hungry and stressed Lord Reinard. Get me?" Kaleon nodded, prompting Cybil to walk away. He only stopped after a few steps to look at Kaleon over his shoulder. "Oh, and Kal?"

"Yes?"

"Just…try to keep your head down these last few days, yeah? Lord Reinard is already on edge enough as it is. Don't need you making it worse for the rest of us."

Cybil couldn't see Kaleon's face thanks to the room's shadows, or else, he would've seen the forlorn look on his face. Keeping his emotions out of his voice, he said, "Right, of course, I'll do my best…and get started on breakfast right away, too." Cybil looked his way for a solid two count, sighed, and left Kaleon to sit amidst his thoughts.

Kaleon sat there for another half minute, stewing in the morning's energy. Kaleon couldn't place his fingers on it, but he knew today would be a long one, "Okay, Kal, that's enough of that. Let's go get this bread," Picking Gumbo off of him and putting him on the cot, Kaleon placed the box back underneath the floorboards and returned the chest to its place.

Kaleon left his room to wash up in the bathroom and entered the kitchen. The process took a little over ten minutes, considering it was all within five feet of each other. He yawned as his hands flipped the switch on the wall. Dozens of radantum rods fill the kitchen with their soft golden glow.

The kitchen was a wonderful fusion of magic and culinary technology. Large standing ovens alongside rows of oak cabinets filled with various ingredients alongside a walk-in enchanted refrigerator. Kaleon's fingers drummed along the island at the center of the room as he spoke his incantation, "Breath of life, release. Share with me your freedom and let my authority take shape."

All around the kitchen, hanging pots and pans started to rattle together as a breeze picked up. The wind gathered around Kaleon as he walked over to one of the large standing ovens, turning from translucent to rich cobalt as it drew near. After a second, the blue wind coalesced into three sets of arms attached to Kaleon's back. With a thought, the arms got to work.

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In a matter of moments, the kitchen had roared to life. The arms stretched impossibly long to open drawers and cabinets, pulling out enough meat, fruit, eggs, and cheese to feed a small country. Kaleon inhaled deeply, taking in the calming aroma of the bread he took freshly from the oven.

Kaleon set down the pan and began to set platters with a mountain's worth of silver. He poured rivers of juice from freshly cut fruits, made rolling golden hills of omelets, skyscraping towers of pancakes with lakes of syrup, and enough bacon to feed an army. The kitchen was a cluster of smells that nearly lifted Kaleon off his feet, but aside from setting up a small portion for himself, he resisted the temptation.

There was the sound of claws scratching on hardwood, and Gumbo burst into the kitchen. Beady black eyes reflected the mounds of food, and he whined in delight as if it were all for him. Six legs pushed him off the ground, and the two bladders on his back inflated, lifting him into the air.

"Oh no, you don't." One of the wind arms paused in making a fleet of breakfast sandwiches to palm Gumbo in the face, stopping him in his tracks.

Gumbo whined, his eyes pleading his case as House Odulfo's personal taste tester. "Nope. I'm not falling for that one again, all this?" Kaleon turned to look at his furball of a familiar and gestured to the assortment of food. "Is to keep my job, for as long as I can at least." Gumbo whined again, "Nope. I'm not looking, not going to look one bit. You're wasting your time. You might as well go away. I'm serious! I'm not- ah, okay here, you win."

Kaleon gestured to the kid's pool filled with food he'd already prepared, knowing he'd lose this battle of wills. Gumbo let out a triumphant squeal and dove into the pile. Kaleon laughed as he watched Gumbo dig into the pile and gorge himself. "Thanks, Gumbo, you always were my favorite critic, maybe-"

A booming voice angrily called from the next room, "Kaleon! Where is my breakfast?"

"And that's my cue," Kaleon whispered. His fingers tapped at the island sitting in the kitchen's center. Glowing glyphs appeared on the marble countertop, and the armada of platters floated into the air. Kaleon took a deep breath and walked through the double doors leading into the dining room.

The dining room was large and extravagant, with emerald green tiled floors and tall stained-glass windows that looked out onto the grounds' floral labyrinth.

Lord Reinard Odulfo sat at the head of an empty table as long as a river. He was a plump mouse of a man with honey-brown skin, only a tad lighter than Kaleon himself. His cloud hair was large and shaped into a pompadour that curled back until it was taller than the man himself. A cluster of Manor staff swarmed around the Lord, directed by an ancient-looking Yana in impeccably pressed robes more fitted than the typical cut.

"Good Morning, Lord Reinard, Mr. Lycus. Happy Harvetal!" Kaleon gave them his brightest smile as he spoke, laying the assorted platters on the table. "I'm sure you've got a busy day so far. Since it is a special occasion, I've pre-"

"It's about time!" Lord Reinard cut Kaleon off by slamming his fist onto the table. "If you would've waited any longer, I would've started withering away. Now give my regards to Cybil and get out of my sight."

Well, Cybil was right about him being in a bad mood. "Of course, right away, lord," Kaleon said quickly. Kaleon started placing one platter on the table after the other.

Lord Reinard's Chart twinkled, a shining monocle of star birthmarks showing his delight as Kaleon set the first platter before him, then disdain as he waited for Kaleon to set the rest. When there were about twenty plates in front of him, Lord Reinard started shoveling their contents into his mouth. Kaleon stood off to the side, having learned that getting out of my sight meant getting far enough that he didn't have to look at Kaleon but close enough that he could still be useful if needed.

The Lord didn't so much as eat Kaleon's food but inhale it. Despite his size, the man could eat more in one sitting than Kaleon ever could. It reminded him a lot of Gumbo, the small creature able to clear out entire households if left unchecked.

What Kaleon couldn't help but notice was the looks of barely contained worry on the faces of the Manor staff. The only one who kept their emotions in complete control was Mr. Lycus.

"Gaspar," Lord Reinard said between stuffing food in his face. "How are preparations for this evening? Everything on schedule?"

"Yes, m'lord," Mr. Gaspar Lycus confirmed with a nod. He spoke in a slow, monotonous pace that dragged out each syllable. "All provisional staff have been brought in to accommodate the extensive attendees list. Captain Dashard has ushered me that we'll also have extra security due to so many other members of Parliament being here."

"And how about what we have planned for the rest of the week?" He directed the question to Gaspard, but Kaleon couldn't help but notice the Lord pitching his voice loud enough to make sure he could hear.

Gaspar glanced in Kaleon's direction but otherwise focused on Lord Reinard. "So far, we are on track for nearly all this week's events. We've been coordinating with all the Guild Leaders to ensure they're ready for the festivities. As for Miss Odulfo's wedding, we've cleared out enough space for the seating around the pavilion, but Mrs. Katelo says that it's going to take more time to produce the amount of flowers you requested. She suggested that we could push the event back a few days..."

Kaleon braced himself at the mention of the wedding. It was the only reason he hadn't jumped as Lord Reinard slammed his utensils on the table. "Absolutely not! Out of the question!" Using his free hand, he traced a ward of protection in the air. His ring, middle, and index finger traced a diamond in front of him before slashing a diagonal line through it with his fingers like talons. "I don't want to hear anything about delays! The last thing we need is Rynnelle trying to extend the engagement longer than she already has. Have them shipped in if need be. It doesn't matter the cost." He stabbed a sausage with a fork, then savagely bit into it and talked as he chewed. "Five years! Have you ever heard of a five-year engagement, Gaspar?"

"Uh…no, m'lord,"

"Exactly! You haven't! No one has! I should make that girl apologize to Dashard for stringing him along like that." He aggressively grabbed a handful of bacon and tore it off in pieces with his mouth. "If Rynnelle keeps insisting on getting distracted from what's important, well, I won't be able to retire until I'm your age."

"Quite right, m'lord."

Lord Reinard let out a low grumble, stabbing his fork into another sausage as his eyes fell directly on Kaleon as he did. "Gaspar, be sure to remind my future son-in-law how important this week is. Many Lords and Ladies from the Parliament of Isles will be in attendance, and getting them to come out all this way was no small matter. If anyone does anything to disrupt it, I don't just want them arrested; I want to put them in the deepest, darkest cell that we have on Teon, and I want them to stay there until we can ship them off to Black Reef. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Gaspar answered, but Lord Reinard ignored it. He kept his gaze on Kaleon. Reluctantly, Kaleon gave a short, almost imperceptible nod, and the Lord resumed eating his meal.

Kaleon stood silently for a few minutes, watching Lord Reinard as he continued his meal. As the minutes passed, the Manor staff's nervous looks became more apparent. Enough to the point that even Gaspar's calm demeanor started to falter. Eventually, it got too much for him, and Gaspar discreetly gestured the rest of the staff away. Kaleon wasn't sure if he was included in that, but he chose to be on the safe side and stay put.

Gaspar leaned close to Lord Reinard and whispered, "M'lord, there's a situation regarding Miss Rynnelle that I think we should discuss..."

"Ugh, what is it now? Sometimes, I wonder if I'm only eating this much because of all the stress she puts me through." Lord Reinard dragged a hand over his face and played with his food, "By the Gods, that girl, she's her mother's daughter, alright. She has so much potential, Gaspar, if only she weren't so," He twisted the fork between his fingers as he searched for the right word, sighing when he couldn't, "Mark my words. One of these days, she'll understand that she can't keep getting invested in every little cause she finds. Our job is about sacrifice, sorting what work we can do against what can be done by any old Yana walking across the street. It's hard, unforgiving work, but we do everything in preparation for the island's future. I mean, I spent nearly two decades getting Teon to where it is now, and do I get any thanks?"

"Uh…no, m'lord, but-"

"Exactly! I don't, and you don't see me complaining about it! That's what sacrifice is about." Lord Reinard growled, shoveling another forkful into his mouth. "Only the Gods know what it will take for her to learn that lesson, but mark my words. It's going to be a tough lesson."

"M'lord." Gaspar's voice suddenly spoke sternly, catching Lord Reinard and Kaleon by surprise. The Lord and Gaspar shared a wordless conversation for a few seconds before Lord Reinard picked up his glass of juice, downed it in one sitting, and snapped his fingers. Seeing as Kaleon was the only member of staff left in the room besides Gaspard, he took that as a sign.

Kaleon peeled himself from the wall and poured a fresh cup of juice into the Lord's cup. Lord Reinard wasted no time snatching up the cup, aggressively downing it, and looking at Kaleon with the same intense loathing of a gift you wish someone hadn't given you. "You," He pointed at him with his fork, "Go back to the kitchen and make some platters for Rynnelle."

Kaleon nodded, and the pair silently watched as he gathered the empty platters before heading for the kitchen.

"And Kal?" Reinard called after him, and Kaleon turned to face him.

"Yes, Lord Reinard?"

Lord Reinard picked up a knife, sliced off a corner of an omelet, and gingerly placed it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, and dabbed his face with a napkin. "You just make the food. Mrs. Prisca brings it up to her. Understand?"

"Yes, Lord Reinard," Kaleon said, keeping his voice neutral. He gave a slight bow and continued back towards the kitchen.

Gaspar spoke again when he believed Kaleon was out of earshot of Lord Reinard. He whispered, "Miss Rynnelle snuck out again this morning before anyone else was awake, sir. And thus far, we have not been able to locate her."

Lord Reinard nearly choked. Gaspar quickly offered him a glass of juice, which he took, downing the entire glass. "For Hewa's sake, of all the times." Lightning flashed in his pompadour as he bit his lip in frustration, "Have everyone drop what they're doing and find her."

"Already done, m'lord. We've had people searching the districts thinking she might be there, but nobody has seen her." Gaspar said, "Perhaps..."

Lord Reinard's eyebrow arched suspiciously, "Perhaps what?"

Gaspar took his time deciding how to respond, "Well, Miss Rynnelle does tend to wander unsupervised." He said, taking even longer than usual. Gaspar didn't want to finish his suggestion but said, "Perhaps the search may go faster if we employ the help of someone more...familiar with Miss Rynnelle's likely whereabouts."

The heat behind Lord Reinard's glare could melt through the side of a ship. Lightning flashed erratically in his hair, and in a frighteningly calm voice, he said. "And who did you have in mind?"

"Captain Dashard, m'lord." Gaspar quickly added, "She very well may be currently with him, and there is no need to worry."

Lord Reinard glared at Gaspar for another minute before looking back at his food. He gave a short nod in acceptance, and Gaspar swiftly exited the room. Lord Reinard stabbed into a soggy piece of pancake. He lifted it to his mouth. Paused, then set the fork down and push the plate away.