Angelina was the last to board, pausing at the threshold to offer a final nod to Oceana.

"Take care, child," she said, her voice carrying across the chamber with maternal warmth despite the formal circumstances of their meeting.

"Power without wisdom is destruction, but wisdom without compassion is merely another form of tyranny. Remember that the next time you seek to cage those who might soar free."

With that, she stepped into the carriage, and the magnificent conveyance began to move away from the Witch Spire with dreamlike grace.

The swans’ wings beat in perfect synchronization, their forms growing smaller and more ethereal as they carried their passengers into the night sky above Amnohdet.

In the chamber they left behind, Oceana stood watching until the last glimmer of the moonlight carriage faded into the distance.

Only then did she turn to face Yasmine, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, observing everything with the careful attention of a scholar taking mental notes for future reference.

"Well," Oceana said, settling back into her chair with obvious weariness, "it seems our plans must be adjusted once again."

Yasmine leaned forward slightly, her dark eyes reflecting the gaslight as she considered her words carefully.

"You wish to maintain surveillance on them, I assume?"

"Indeed. The boy’s power grows stronger with each passing day, and his grandmother’s influence may prove... insufficient to contain it should circumstances align unfavorably."

Oceana gestured toward the windows where the carriage had disappeared.

"I want to know everything—where they go, whom they meet, what training Angelina provides, and most importantly, any signs that Jaegar’s abilities are developing beyond even her considerable capacity to guide them."

The witch nodded slowly, already beginning to formulate the network of watchers and informants that would be necessary for such comprehensive observation. "And if the situation deteriorates beyond acceptable parameters?"

Oceana was quiet for a long moment, her fingers tracing patterns on the table’s polished surface as she considered possibilities she hoped would never come to pass.

"Then we will do what we must to protect both the boy and the world he might inadvertently destroy. But until that time comes, we watch, we wait, and we prepare for whatever consequences may arise from allowing such power to develop beyond our direct influence."

"And one more thing, find the other children of chaos. The serpents will come for them definitely, and we need to know what those bastards are doing."

Yasmine nodded.

The chamber fell silent once more as both women contemplated the challenge ahead.

Outside, the city of Amnohdet continued its nightly rhythm, unaware that high above in the Witch Spire, plans were being laid that might determine not only the fate of one young man but the balance of power in the magical world itself.

-

Inside the carriage, Angelina and Jaegar were sitting side by side, and Mirabel was sitting opposite to them. Inside of the carriage, its walls were carved with floral patterns, and the seating was cushioned.

The reason Mirabel chose to follow Angelina was simple, and it was because she loved Angelina when she was her master and when she had been the Reverend. Spire was at its function when Angelina was pulling the strings, and now with Oceana, things are getting complicated.

And so Mirabel just took the chance when it presented itself. She was contemplating from the moment she saw Angelina.

Angelina asked her, "Are you sure about leaving the spire, Mira?"

Mirabel replied, "Yes, master. I had this feeling for a while, that I should have left a long time ago. But I couldn’t. It had been my home for so long that I had become used to it."

She turned to Jaegar and said, "Young master, we haven’t properly introduced, right?"

"I am Mirabel Joseling."

Jaegar shook her hand and said, "You can call me Jaegar. No need for formalities."

And Angelina and Mirabel started talking about the spire matters, while Jaegar simply moved to the window, staring outside at the clouds and small buildings.

He was in deep thought, thinking about his aunt, his mother, and all of the mess he was in right now.

Mirabel told Angelina about the remaining chaos child. As she was listening to Mirabel, Angelina noticed Jaegar being distant and lost. She continued to talk with Mirabel as the carriage rode itself towards a new destination. She had been guiding the carriage with her magic.

-

The crystalline carriage moved through the night sky with the silence of falling snow, its swan bearers navigating currents of wind and magic with practiced ease.

The silent flapping of swans left behind a glitter of white sparkling in their wake.

Below them, the sprawling city of Amnohdet gradually gave way to rolling countryside dotted with the warm lights of small settlements.

It took them a while to reach the human settlements—places where magic was whispered about in folklore rather than wielded in council chambers.

Angelina’s protective enchantments wrapped around their ethereal conveyance like an invisible shroud, rendering them as insubstantial as moonbeams to any eyes that might chance to look skyward.

The spell was old and complex, requiring constant attention to maintain, but she wove it as naturally as breathing.

To the world below, they were nothing more than a trick of starlight, a brief shimmer that might make an observer blink and look again, only to find empty sky.

The carriage had entered the human lands and was moving in a particular direction.

Jaegar pressed his face against the carriage’s translucent wall, watching the familiar landscape emerge from the darkness.

The human settlements looked so peaceful from this height—neat rows of gas-lit streets, modest houses with their chimney smoke rising straight in the still air, and here and there the larger estates of merchants and minor gentry.

It was a world that moved at a gentler pace than the magical realm they had just departed, where political maneuvering and displays of power held less sway than simple human connections.

Wait—human lands? Jaegar jerked back in his seat and looked towards Angelina.

She was smiling at him.

Jaegar opened his mouth, but she pressed her finger, making him silent.

"Just meet her and say that you miss her."

Jaegar sighed and was thinking it was not a good idea.

Mirabel just watched them, silently.