The study hall of House Aurelian was silent, the only sound the faint crackle of candle flames. Elias Aurelian sat at the polished wooden desk, back straight, hands folded before him. He had spent countless hours in this very room, surrounded by tomes older than the kingdom itself, yet never had he felt so unsettled.
Across from him, Verena Caelis turned a page in an aged manuscript. She was not a noble, nor a priest, yet she spoke with an authority that demanded attention. Unlike the clergy, who preached devotion, she taught understanding.
Her eyes lifted from the text. "What is Order?"
Elias answered without hesitation. "The will of the gods. The foundation upon which all things stand."
Verena nodded, but her expression remained unreadable. "And what is chaos?"
"The opposite," Elias replied. "A flaw. That which disrupts the natural order."
At that, Verena closed the book with a soft but deliberate thud.
"Then tell me, Lord Aurelian," she said, her voice calm, measured, "why do the gods allow it to exist?"
Elias hesitated.
The answer should have been simple. Because it must. Because the gods willed it. Because all things, even chaos, served a purpose.
And yet, when he opened his mouth, nothing came.
Verena watched him for a moment before rising to her feet. "You know the scriptures," she said, "but knowing is not the same as understanding." She stepped toward the tall arched window, her gaze drifting to the golden horizon beyond. "Think on it, Lord Aurelian. We will continue tomorrow."
She left without another word, the heavy door shutting behind her.
Elias sat in silence.
For the first time, he had been given a question he could not answer.
The halls of House Aurelian stretched before him, vast and empty. Moonlight streamed through stained-glass windows, casting fractured patterns across the marble floor.
His thoughts lingered on Verena's words, yet no matter how he turned them, no clarity emerged.
"You look troubled, my lord."
Elias stopped. Near one of the stone pillars stood Gregor, the family's senior attendant. Despite his age, the butler's posture was straight, his uniform crisp, his gaze as observant as ever.
Elias exhaled. "Verena asked me something today."
Gregor adjusted his sleeves. "So you're stuck on it, then?"
Elias frowned. "I don't get why she asked it."
The old butler let out a quiet breath. "If you can't answer it, then maybe that's the point."
Elias said nothing.
Gregor inclined his head. "Your magic instructor awaits in the eastern chamber. You should not keep him waiting."
Elias gave a small nod and turned down the corridor.
Yet, even as he walked, the question remained.
"Why do the gods allow chaos to exist?"