Chapter 36 – The City of Elnoir
The arrival of Sam and his family did not go unnoticed.
The moment their portal opened above the Elven capital, royal guards had already assembled in perfect formation.
The City of Elnoir, heart of the Elven Kingdom, sparkled beneath the pale winter sun. Towers of crystal ice rose into the sky, reflecting silver light across the entire valley.
At the gates of the palace stood the Elf King himself.
It was a rare honor.
When Sam, Meera, and Ruhi stepped through the portal, the king greeted them personally.
"Welcome home, Lady Meera," the Elf King said warmly.
Meera bowed slightly. "Thank you, Father."
Sam simply nodded respectfully.
Ruhi, meanwhile, stared around with sparkling eyes.
"Wow… it's like a fairy world."
The Elf King chuckled softly.
Soon after, royal attendants escorted them through the palace corridors and into their guest chambers.
The Ice Chamber
Their room was built entirely from enchanted ice crystals.
The walls glowed faintly with blue light, reflecting patterns like frozen stars across the ceiling.
Despite being made of ice, the temperature was perfectly warm.
Ruhi immediately ran toward the balcony.
"Look! The whole city is shining!"
Sam, however, wasn't smiling.
He stood quietly near the window, observing the palace grounds below.
Something felt wrong.
He finally turned toward Meera.
"Doesn't this feel strange to you?"
Meera looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Sam folded his arms.
"Everyone is being polite… but something is being hidden."
He lowered his voice.
"There's tension in this kingdom."
Meera nodded slowly.
"I noticed it too."
"Even my father was acting… different."
Before Sam could respond—
Ruhi ran back into the room.
"Mama! Papa! What's wrong?"
Meera immediately smiled and crouched beside her.
"Nothing's wrong, sweetheart."
Then she glanced toward Sam.
"And your father is taking us out to explore the city today."
Sam blinked.
"…Since when?"
Meera gave him a sharp look.
"Since right now."
Ruhi looked at him with wide pleading eyes.
Sam sighed dramatically.
"Well then," he said, raising his hands in surrender, "we should leave immediately."
Ruhi cheered.
"Adventure time!"
The City of Elnoir
Not long after, the three of them stepped outside the palace and began walking through the city.
Elnoir was enormous.
More than a city—
It was practically a kingdom within a kingdom.
Bridges of living crystal connected massive towers.
Silver rivers flowed between glowing streets.
Illusion mages performed elegant magical displays for small groups of spectators.
Yet something felt… empty.
The streets were unusually quiet.
There were far fewer elves than there should have been.
Sam noticed it immediately.
But Meera spoke first.
"This is strange."
Sam looked at her.
"What is?"
Meera scanned the streets.
"Elnoir is famous for its markets and festivals."
"There should be crowds everywhere."
"But today…"
She gestured around.
"It feels half empty."
Sam gently took her hand.
"Don't think about it too much right now."
Ruhi tugged his sleeve excitedly.
"Papa look! Magic fireworks!"
Sam laughed.
"Alright, alright. Let's focus on the fun part."
For the next few hours, they wandered through the city.
Ruhi watched illusion shows.
Meera visited crystal markets.
Sam mostly observed everything quietly.
By evening, the family returned to the palace.
But while they rested—
Another meeting had already begun elsewhere.
The Secret Meeting
Inside a secluded council chamber deep within the castle…
Tsar, the Hand of the King, sat at the head of a stone table.
Around him were several royal officers.
His voice was calm but cold.
"Keep watching them."
One officer asked,
"You mean Lady Meera?"
Tsar shook his head.
"No."
"Her husband."
"Sam."
The officers exchanged confused looks.
"He's just a mortal," one of them said dismissively.
"What danger could he possibly pose?"
Another officer smirked.
"If you're worried, my lord… I can eliminate him tonight."
Tsar's expression hardened instantly.
"No."
"That would be foolish."
"If he dies suddenly, Lady Meera will know exactly who did it."
The room fell silent.
Tsar leaned forward slowly.
"Besides…"
His eyes narrowed.
"I want to know who he really is first."
Outside the palace walls—
The frozen forest still held the bodies of the dead.
And whatever curse haunted the Elven Kingdom…
It had not yet revealed its true face.
Night slowly descended over Elnoir.
The crystal towers of the city began to glow softly as ancient enchantments awakened. Blue lanterns floated through the air like drifting stars, illuminating the streets below.
From the balcony of their chamber, Meera watched the city quietly.
It was beautiful.
But beauty could not hide the uneasiness in the air.
Behind her, Sam stood silently, leaning against the doorway.
His gaze wasn't on the city.
It was on the forest beyond the walls.
Something there felt… wrong.
Ruhi, meanwhile, was already asleep on the bed, exhausted from the day's adventures.
Meera turned back toward Sam.
"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?"
Sam didn't answer immediately.
After a moment, he nodded.
"This kingdom feels like a calm lake before a storm."
Meera crossed her arms.
"That's a very dramatic way of saying something feels suspicious."
Sam smirked faintly.
"Maybe."
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"But I don't like coincidences."
Meera walked closer to him.
"You think the invitation was connected to whatever is happening here?"
Sam didn't answer.
Instead, he asked quietly,
"Tell me honestly… how much does your father trust me?"
Meera sighed.
"Enough to invite us here."
"Not enough to stop his council from hating you."
Sam chuckled softly.
"That sounds about right."
For a moment the two simply stood there, watching the silent city.
Then Sam suddenly straightened.
"…Someone's watching."
Meera frowned.
"Watching us?"
Sam closed his eyes briefly.
His senses stretched far beyond the palace walls.
"…Two guards on the western tower."
"…One mage hiding near the gardens."
"…And another observer on the roof above us."
Meera blinked.
"You counted them already?"
Sam shrugged.
"They're not exactly subtle."
Meera sighed again.
"I knew it."
Sam leaned back against the wall.
"So your father trusts us."
"But his advisors clearly don't."
Elsewhere in the Palace
Inside a shadowed corridor overlooking the guest wing, Tsar stood with two elite elven scouts.
Through a magical viewing lens, they could see the balcony where Sam and Meera stood.
Tsar's expression remained unreadable.
One scout whispered,
"My lord… he sensed us."
Tsar's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I noticed."
The second scout spoke cautiously.
"He may not be as ordinary as we thought."
Tsar closed the viewing lens.
"Of course he isn't."
"If Lady Meera chose him as her husband, there must be a reason."
The first scout hesitated.
"Then what should we do?"
Tsar turned toward the window overlooking the frozen forest.
"Nothing."
"Not yet."
Then his voice lowered.
"Because something else in this kingdom worries me more than him."
The Frozen Forest
Far beyond the palace walls—
Deep within the frozen jungle—
The wind moved slowly through the ancient trees.
A figure stood alone among the hanging bodies of dead elves.
His face was hidden beneath a black hood.
One of the corpses twitched.
Then another.
The hooded figure raised a pale hand.
Dark magic pulsed through the forest.
A whisper echoed through the cold air.
"The curse is awakening…"
The figure looked toward the distant lights of Elnoir.
"And the goddess has returned."
His voice dropped into a quiet laugh.
"Which means…"
"The king who betrayed her has returned as well."
His gaze moved toward the palace.
"Welcome back to the story, Sam."
Back at the Palace
Sam suddenly froze.
Meera noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
Sam's eyes slowly turned toward the distant forest.
"…Something just moved."
Meera followed his gaze, but she could see nothing beyond the dark horizon.
"What kind of something?"
Sam didn't answer.
Because for the first time since arriving in Elnoir—
He felt something looking back at him.
Not a spy.
Not a guard.
Something far older.
Something that knew exactly who he was.
Sam's expression hardened.
"…Looks like our vacation just ended."
And deep inside the frozen forest—
A pair of crimson eyes opened in the darkness.