Jessica stood, taking it all in. She wasn’t sure what she was looking at, but it was mesmerizing. The room was filled with intricate golden and brass gears, all turning in a synchronized dance. A central walkway led to a staircase, where the Raven was seated. The stairs ascended to a platform overlooking a central glass sphere. Inside the sphere was a pearl-like object no larger than an apple, radiating bright hues of green and blue that shifted and cascaded over its surface. Occasionally, small bolts of lightning arced from the pearl, illuminating the space.

  Tall windows lined the walls, stretching up to the vaulted ceilings and allowing light to flood the room. Jessica’s thoughts drifted back to the stained-glass window she had seen from outside the tower—the one at its supposed peak. These new windows, impossibly vast and glowing with shifting images, should have been visible from the outside, yet they weren’t. Each window’s light changed rapidly, morphing into faint shapes resembling people, animals, and places.

  A brief moment flashed that she could have sworn was the Mayor helping up a small child. That small child looked eerily like her when she was much younger.

  The ghostly form of the First Raven hovered near the current Raven, smirking as he noticed Jessica’s awe. “I think you may need to attend to our curious guest,” he said, his tone wry. Bowing to the Raven, the apparition turned to Jessica. “We will eventually have a conversation where I can answer some questions you may have, that time is not now. Until then my lady.” With a faint smile before fading away.

  The Raven stood, brushing soot off his young face and smiling. “We certainly have a lot to discuss. I imagine this room is at the top of your list,” he said, drying his hands on his shirt as he walked toward her. Behind him, Jessica noticed exposed wires and gears in the area where he had been working.

  Reaching her, he gave a small bow. “This is the Scrying Room,” he announced, turning to face the expansive space. “It’s where I spend most of my days. The windows allow me to observe current events—any event I wish to see, anywhere in the world. They also hold records of every event that has ever happened.”

  Jessica’s gaze shifted to the pearl within the central sphere. “The windows are just the display, aren’t they? The real magic is in that pearl,” she said, pointing toward it. As she looked, there was a pull, a pull for her to touch it. A sound that seemed similar to wind brushing through the grass permeated her mind. Her trance was cut short as the Raven continued.

  “Precisely!” The Raven’s smile brightened. “You’re looking at the Bakunawa Egg, an artifact stolen by the first Raven from the sea titan Bakunawa, He Who Devours.” His expression grew serious. “I understand that theft may sound unpleasant, but it saved our people then and continues to save us now. During the Great Conflict, scrying magic gave Raven’s Bay the power to act as neutral mediators, setting us apart in the province. Without it, we would have been overrun. Robbing the titans of a treasure of this broke the truce with them, but it saved countless lives. The greater good, and all that.” His gaze drifted toward the egg.

  Jessica felt an inexplicable wave of emotion—remorse, duty, and awe, as if she were channeling the feelings of a soldier preparing for war. Her eyes drifted past the Raven to the apparition of the First Raven, who stood silently on the stairs, his gaze fixed on the Bakunawa Egg. “So this stolen egg is what allows you to scry?” she asked, still watching the ghostly figure.

  “This room wasn’t the egg’s original home,” the Raven explained, starting up the stairs toward the platform. “This chamber was built years later, to not destroy the scryer. As the Raven’s authority became solidified in the province, so did the resources he was provided.”

  Jessica’s eyes followed him as he ascended, her mind catching on stray thoughts—both about his words and his occasional flashes of muscle through the loose fabric of his work clothes.

  “Scrying magic is dangerous,” the Raven continued, his voice echoing in the vaulted room. “The human mind wasn’t meant to know everything. We use magic to strengthen our mental resilience, but even that isn’t enough to hold all the world’s knowledge. This room helps filter the information, isolating what’s important and discarding the rest.” Reaching the top of the stairs, he turned and gestured to her. “Today, you’ll have your first introduction to the art. Come up and see.”

  Jessica climbed the staircase, marveling at the gold-and-marble inlay on each step. She found herself mentally cataloging her experiences with staircases. This one easily ranked in her top three: first was the haunted tower staircase, and second—she flushed at the thought—was the staircase incident with her neighbor, Nathan. The moment when she had too much to drink, and shared an extremely uncomfortable, but intimate experience with him. It was only one time, but based on the absurdity of location and time, one she could not forget. Uncomfortable, as the steps stabbed in her back, or as there was still a party happening on the ground floor, it was unforgettable. One thing is for sure, Nathan knew exactly what he was doing. She finished twice before he even got inside of her. His mouth and fingers took complete control of the moment.

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  The memory lingered briefly before a bright light in the room snapped her back to the present. Horror dawned on her as she realized the window in front of her was displaying the very memory she had just recalled. She froze mid-step, watching as the scene played out: her dress hitched up, Nathan’s head buried between her legs, and her hands gripping the edge of the steps. Her legs shook violently, as her first orgasm of the night took place.

  Jessica’s cheeks burned as she realized the Raven could see everything. Worse, she felt a warm sensation start to spread through her, intensifying her embarrassment. Her mind raced, trying to stop herself from this arousal.

  The Raven’s eyes were glued to the window, his expression tense as he focused. The image began flickering between the intimate memory and a field of wildflowers. His face tightened as he exerted his will, trying to shift the scene.

  Jessica stood paralyzed, her will locked in conflict with his. The images alternated: her legs trembling as Nathan performed magic like no man before, then the patch of lilies she picked for her mother.

  The window shown, with Jessica slowly pulling off her top, her right hand coming up and caressing her breast, fingers poking at her nipple. Then flashed to the field she traversed every day, the path that she primarily walked, being trod in the patch.

  The fingers caressed the sensitive skin, pulling gently as Nathan lifted his head, a grin peering out, and eyebrows wiggling.

  The scene turned back to a dirt path, as the sun was peeking over the mountain range. A patch of lilies off to the side. It was her mothers favorite flower.

  Nathan lifted onto his knees, his hands reaching for his belt, as Jessica adjusted herself, making a more accessible opening.

  Those lilies, those were the flowers that she picked in the morning. The same flowers that she sifted through, to find the best ones to take back home to her mom. She never got the chance, as the mayor made his announcement of Jessica’s marriage just a few minutes later. The image of the flowers took over, then another image of her selling flowers, calling one of the local sailors over to convince him he needed to bring his girl back some of the collection.

  The Raven let out a relieved breath as the images stabilized. He turned to Jessica. “I see now that I should’ve given you a warning about how this magic functions…”

  Jessica folded her arms, her expression defiant. “Don’t ask me to apologize! That was a kind of special moment for me.” She defended herself. “Nathan is a very nice boy, and we both had an enjoyable time.” She thought to herself how it was his fault for not telling her what the magic could do. He was the one that asked her to marry him, and she barely knew the stranger. She continued to think that she would be who she was, and he could take her or leave her.

  The Raven hesitated, then chuckled. “I don’t judge. Though I admit to a twinge of jealousy.”

  Jessica’s hand shot out, her index finger poking into his muscular chest. “You, mister, don’t get to taste until you’ve proven yourself worthy,” she teased, feigning a scoff.

  “Or until we’ve had a few drinks,” he quipped, gesturing toward the window as it had apparently shifted to a lively tavern scene. On where Jessica was taking a mug of ale, and chugging it down, as dancing and music permeated the room.

  Jessica laughed, focusing on the window and changing the image to her commissioning a rocking horse for her sister—a memory filled with warmth and pride. The Raven smiled, watching as Jessica gained control of the magic. The room was not just filled with the scene of her commissioning the piece, but it was filled with the exacting feelings of love she felt that day.

  Jessica, turned back to the Raven “Well mister, we shall see where the wind takes us. So, it’s based on emotions and thoughts?” she asked, her curiosity taking over.

  “Exactly,” he replied, eager to explain. “Your will and emotions shape what the magic reveals. It’s how I displayed your path yesterday—using my will to see where you were in the fields.” The Raven said, thankful that he was able to be in a place where he was far more confident talking about. He was always respectful of privacy, and never once used the magic to visit intimate moments of Jessica’s life. Though feeling wrong, he did have to admit, that surprise display was an enjoyable one.

  Jessica grinned mischievously. “So, I could see ?”

  The Raven nodded. “Yes. This power ensures accountability. Knowing they can’t hide from me keeps the royalty and elected officials honest.” He gestured around at the windows, and they once again displayed various colors and scenes. “If they know that there are no secrets that can be kept from me, they’re less likely to even attempt breaking trust.”

  Jessica concentrated, and the windows around them filled with infinite reflections of the moment: her standing next to the Raven, staring at the windows themselves. It created a dizzying cascade of overlapping realities.

  The Raven broke the silence. “I’ve never seen myself in the present moment before. It’s… remarkable.”

  Jessica shrugged, also glancing at the now being displayed. “I tried to see you earlier, when you were tinkering with that stuff, but I guess it didn’t work.” She gestured down to the place he was working.

  The Raven shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “Let’s leave this room for now. I’ll give you a better explanation downstairs.” Taking her hand, he led her down the stairs and toward the exit. “Run ahead—I need to finish my earlier project,” he said, gesturing to the gears and wires he had been working on.

  As Jessica left, the First Raven’s ghost reappeared, joined by countless other apparitions. They inspected the windows and mechanisms, their faces grave. The personage of the First turned to the current Raven. “This shouldn’t be possible. The room cannot be scryed upon. If that has changed, we are truly in danger. The Titans are gods, far beyond our power to resist.”

  The Raven’s gaze lingered on the doorway where Jessica had exited. “I don’t think the room is broken. I think it’s her. The egg reacted strongly to her presence. We must be cautious. Some truths are not hers to know.” He sighed, looking down at the broken panel.

  The ghost of the First nodded solemnly as the Raven turned back to his work, his thoughts heavy with the implications of what had just occurred.