Seren carefully rolled up the completed parchment. She then approached the small cage near the window where a black raven was perched. Opening the cage door, she gently stroked the bird’s head and tied the parchment to its leg with a thin red ribbon. Leaning in, she whispered into its ear:

> “Castle Arthur.”

The raven took off the moment it heard the command, soaring with unshakable speed. It was far faster than any normal raven—perhaps five, maybe even ten times faster. In the blink of an eye, it vanished into the sky.

Seren sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Then she turned to Nujah with a serious yet warm smile. Her voice now carried a firmer, more heartfelt tone:

> “I only have a hundred soldiers right now, but all are sworn to me. Roughly how soon can they arrive, Nujah?”

Nujah swallowed hard, replying with an uneasy voice:

> “Vareth said they’ve already departed... I’d estimate one or two hours. Five at the most—if the roads are clear, and nothing gets in the way.”

Seren furrowed her brows, but didn’t panic. She simply nodded:

> “I see. Nujah, can you slip into the house unnoticed? If they spot you, everything might fall apart. Alvaren has more men than I do. It’s unlikely he’ll try to harm me directly… but if something goes wrong before my brother Arthur arrives, we could lose control.”

Nujah nodded—he had clearly thought this through before:

> “I left a puppet in my bed. It’s roughly my size, shaped like me, made of wood. I covered it with a blanket. If no one has entered the room… I can slip in without being detected.”

Seren gave him a stern nod:

> “Good. Then I’ll send you home. I’ll be there too—as Seren Valinea, openly. But I’ll need a signal to know when they’re coming. Something silent…”

She paused for a moment, thinking.

> “When you get near the house, send up a brief flash of light into the sky. Just once. That’ll be my cue to intervene immediately.”

“I’ll have everyone ready in half an hour.”

She pulled the Calvenhold map from the bag on the floor and handed him a pencil.

“Mark the location. Exit the same way you came—unseen. If Alvaren finds out you left, one of his men could become a problem.”

Nujah marked the spot, then ran toward the window. Just before jumping, he said:

> “No amount of thanks would be enough, my lady.”

Seren, with a gentle smile, replied:

> “I haven’t done anything yet. Save it for when we succeed.”

Nujah slipped away swiftly, unseen. Since entering through the front door was risky, he used the hidden tunnel beneath the house that Vareth had once used. He moved quietly, unnoticed, and reached his room.

Luck was on his side—the paper he had placed as a trap behind the door fell exactly as he had set it. No one had entered. He confirmed it.

Looking out from the balcony, he heard animal sounds—ten times louder than usual—but saw nothing. Judging by the time, at least ten minutes had passed.

Fetching firewood from the living room was too risky, so he grabbed his own clothes, a lighter, and a small dagger. He also took the potent poison he had stolen from his mother, its green liquid now replaced with harmless water.

Once ready, he dashed toward a tree, leapt to it, and safely landed on the ground. He blended into the crowd on the main road. Nine minutes later, he spotted a small army approaching from behind.

He slipped behind a nearby house to remain unseen and lit his clothes on fire, producing a visible column of smoke.

At the same time, Seren Valinea—already disguised in a cloak and hidden among the people with her undercover soldiers—had arrived. She was certain Nujah had sent the signal.

As the carriage neared, Seren and her men stood up and blocked its path.

---