The secret room’s door finally burst apart with an explosion of splintering wood that made Raka stumble backward. Shards flew into the room, some striking the stone floor, while dust filled the air and blurred their vision. Elandor immediately raised his sword and took a ready stance in front of Raka. Lira moved to the side as well, her fingers gripping the hilt of her short sword tightly. For several seconds, no one moved. They were all waiting for Rovan’s forces to storm in. But the figure who emerged from behind the cloud of dust was not a fully armed soldier. A woman stood in the ruined doorway. She wore dark clothing that clung tightly to her body, her hair blown by the draft from the corridor, and her face was concealed behind a silver mask that left only a pair of sharp eyes exposed. In her right hand was a curved sword with a slender blade that reflected the torchlight. Raka stared at the woman without blinking. There was something strange about her presence. He felt as though he had heard that voice before. It wasn’t merely familiar, like the voice of someone he had met a few times. It was like a voice that had accompanied him in a dream he couldn’t remember.
“I’m not your enemy,” the woman said quickly.
Elandor did not lower his sword. “Lower your weapon.”
Instead, the woman raised her sword slightly.
“I’m not going to attack you.”
“Then drop your sword.”
“If I drop it, all of you will be dead before I have the chance to explain.”
Raka looked at Elandor. The old adviser seemed uncertain. He didn’t know the woman—or at least, he didn’t want to show that he did. Meanwhile, Lira continued watching her every movement. The sounds of battle outside the room grew closer. Rovan’s forces were beginning to overrun the rest of the palace. They were running out of time.
Raka finally spoke. “Who are you?”
The woman turned toward him.
For several seconds, their gazes met through the opening in the silver mask.
Raka felt something stab into his mind.
Rain.
A long road.
A woman standing beneath a black umbrella.
Then that same voice.
Don’t forget me.
Raka jerked and clutched his head.
The woman immediately noticed his reaction.
“You saw it again.”
Raka lifted his face. “What?”
“A memory.”
Elandor quickly turned toward the woman. “How do you know?”
The woman didn’t answer.
“Who are you really?” Elandor pressed.
The woman finally lowered her sword slightly.
“My name doesn’t matter right now.”
“Then what does?”
“The fact that Rovan is almost at the throne room.”
Elandor fell silent.
The woman continued, “And if you’re still here when he arrives, you won’t have time to get out.”
Raka stepped forward.
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw his forces enter through the southern gate.”
“Then why did you come here?”
The woman looked at him.
“Because I was looking for you.”
Raka’s heart began to pound harder.
“Why?”
“Because you’re a Witness.”
The room suddenly felt silent.
Lira stared at Raka.
Elandor lowered his sword slightly.
Raka himself simply stood there, unmoving.
“You know that term,” he said quietly.
“I know far more than the term.”
“Who told you?”
“The Tower Keepers.”
Elandor immediately tensed.
“You’re one of them?”
The woman shook her head.
“No.”
“Then how do you know about them?”
“Because I used to be where they are.”
Elandor stared sharply at her.
“What do you mean?”
The woman didn’t answer.
Instead, she walked into the room and closed the remaining section of the door. Then she turned her gaze to Raka.
“Rovan has allied himself with a group that calls itself the Tower Keepers.”
Raka clenched his fists.
“Why?”
“Because they want you dead.”
“Why?”
“Not because you’re a king.”
The woman stopped a few steps in front of him.
“Because you’re a Witness.”
Raka’s throat felt dry.
“What’s the difference?”
“To them, it’s enormous.”
The woman sheathed her sword.
“A king can be replaced. A Witness can’t.”
Elandor stepped closer.
“Explain.”
The woman looked at the old man.
“The Mirror Tower has become active again.”
Elandor’s expression changed.
“That’s impossible.”
“The symbol has appeared?”
Elandor fell silent.
Raka immediately realized that the two of them were discussing something far greater than a coup.
“What is the Mirror Tower?” Raka asked.
The woman looked at him.
“The place where all Witnesses are eventually gathered.”
A chill spread through Raka’s entire body.
“Gathered for what?”
“Not everyone who enters comes back out.”
“Who decides?”
“The Tower Keepers.”
“And they want to kill me?”
“If you live long enough, you’ll remember too much.”
Raka fell silent.
The words reminded him of Elandor’s warning.
Memories.
A body.
A life that wasn’t his.
Everything was beginning to connect.
“What kind of pieces?” Raka asked.
The woman stared at him for a long moment.
“Every life you live will leave behind a piece of the truth.”
Raka felt his heart beating faster and faster.
“So every time I transfer into another body...”
“You carry something with you.”
“Memories?”
“More than that.”
“What?”
The woman was about to answer when an arrow shot through the window.
FWOOSH!
The arrow pierced the glass and flew straight toward Elandor.
Raka only had time to see a flash of metal.
“Elandor!”
The masked woman moved faster.
She slashed the arrow out of the air.
The broken pieces fell to the floor.
Elandor took a step back.
“Archer!”
A shout rang out from the corridor.
“Find them!”
Raka looked at the masked woman.
“You said we didn’t have time.”
“We don’t.”
The woman walked toward the shattered window.
Beyond it lay the palace courtyard, filled with fire. Soldiers bearing the emblem of a black eagle moved across the grounds while the royal troops struggled to hold them back. In the distance, the palace’s inner gate was beginning to open.
Raka saw something that made him even more uneasy.
“How did they get this far inside?”
The woman didn’t answer.
Elandor did.
“Someone inside is helping them.”
Raka looked at him.
“Who?”
Elandor shook his head.
“I don’t know yet.”
The masked woman looked toward the corridor.
“I do.”
Elandor turned.
“Who?”
The woman was silent for a moment.
Then the sound of footsteps rang out.
Many footsteps.
Drawing closer.
The woman drew her sword again.
“There’s no time.”
Raka looked toward the door.
“We have to go.”
“Which way?” Lira asked.
The masked woman pointed to a narrow passage along the side of the room.
“Through there.”
Elandor moved immediately.
But before Raka could follow them, he looked at the masked woman.
“I want to know one thing.”
The woman turned toward him.
“Why do you keep saving me?”
The woman was silent.
For the first time since entering the room, her expression seemed to falter.
Then she answered in a very quiet voice.
“Because I’ve failed to save you before.”
Raka froze.
“What does that mean?”
The woman turned away.
“You’ll find out later.”
She ran after Elandor and Lira.
Raka had no choice but to chase after her.
But the sentence continued to echo in his mind.
I’ve failed to save you before.
How was that possible?
He had only died once.
At least, as far as he could remember.
They ran through the secret passage as another explosion shook the palace. Small stones fell from the ceiling. Lira was in front, Elandor behind her, while the masked woman walked several steps behind Raka.
Suddenly, the woman said,
“Don’t get too close to the light.”
Raka turned.
“What?”
“The light from the gate.”
Raka didn’t understand.
“What gate?”
The woman looked at him.
“The gate in the south.”
Raka stopped.
“You know about that gate?”
“Yes.”
“Who opened it?”
The woman fell silent.
Raka felt his heart pounding faster.
“Tell me.”
“I can’t yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I tell you now, you might not believe me.”
Raka wanted to press her further, but suddenly a shout came from ahead.
“Elandor!”
They ran faster.
The passage ended at a stone staircase leading beneath the palace.
But before they could descend, the masked woman suddenly stopped.
Raka nearly ran into her.
“What is it?”
She raised a hand.
“Listen.”
They all fell silent.
A sound came from below the stairs.
Not footsteps.
Not soldiers.
A whisper.
Very faint.
Yet Raka could understand it.
Witness...
Raka froze.
The masked woman looked at him.
“You heard it.”
Raka nodded.
“Yes.”
Elandor stared at the dark staircase.
“Then they’ve already found us.”
“Who?”
The masked woman raised her sword.
“The Tower Keepers.”
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind them.
Rovan’s forces had found them.
Lira turned.
“There are too many of them.”
Elandor looked at Raka.
“We have to keep going down.”
Raka nodded.
They began descending the stairs.
But as Raka passed the stone wall beside the stairs, something caught his eye.
An engraving.
The split-sun symbol.
Exactly what Elandor had instructed him to find.
Raka stopped.
He touched the engraving.
In an instant, the world around him vanished.
He saw a tower.
The same tower.
A man stood before it.
The man had Raka’s face.
But it wasn’t Raka’s current face.
It was older.
Colder.
And in his hand was the split-sun symbol.
The man looked at Raka.
Then he said,
“Trust no one.”
Raka jerked back to reality.
He pulled his hand away from the wall.
“What did you see?” the masked woman asked.
Raka looked at her.
But before he could answer, a massive explosion shook the passage.
The wall behind them collapsed.
Large stones fell, separating Raka from Elandor, Lira, and the masked woman.
“Raka!”
Elandor’s voice came from beyond the rubble.
Raka tried to move closer, but dust filled the passage.
“Elandor!”
There was no answer.
Then footsteps sounded from the dark end of the passage.
Heavy.
Measured.
Drawing closer.
Raka slowly turned.
Someone was walking toward him.
And from the sound of those footsteps, he knew it wasn’t Elandor.
Not Lira.
Not the masked woman.
Someone who had been searching for him from the very beginning.
Raka clenched his empty hand.
For the first time since he woke up in King Ashwin’s body, he was truly alone.