Page 52

A heavy silence fell over the room. Mira’s fingers trembled slightly as she clutched a small blue spellbook to her chest.

“Did everyone get their skills?” Kai asked finally, his tactical mind clearly working through our options.

One by one, we nodded. Rhia flexed her hands, now wrapped in new, reinforced cloth. “Monk’s Guild had some interesting techniques. I can channel energy through my strikes now.”

“Knight’s Guild taught me a new sword technique,” Kuro added, his usual swagger returning. “Something called Blade Dance. Should make me harder to hit.”

“I learned something called Arcane Missiles,” Mira said softly. “And a stronger illusion spell.”

“Fighter’s Guild was expensive,” Kai admitted. “But worth it. I can now enhance my arrows with elemental damage.”

I patted my satchel. “Three new spells for me, including something powerful enough for even the worst injuries.”

Sky nodded appreciatively. “My druid skills will help us track and avoid trouble. And maybe heal a bit if Oliver’s busy.”

“So, we’re stronger,” Kai concluded, his eyes sweeping over each of us. “But are we strong enough for whatever Boromia is planning?”

“We’ll have to be,” Sky muttered, his ears flattening against his head. “It’s not like we have a choice.”

I moved to the small table, unloading my new spell books. The weight of our situation pressed down on me like a physical force. “What about the shadows? How do we deal with being watched all the time?”

“We adapt,” Kai said, his voice calm despite the tension in the room. “We assume everything we say and do outside these walls is being reported back to Boromia. We stay in groups, we stick to public places, and we act like the perfect, grateful scouts he wants us to be.”

“While secretly plotting against him,” Kuro added with a grim smile.

“Exactly,” Kai nodded. “And we start studying these new skills immediately. Probably a good idea to upgrade gear too. Whatever mission he has planned, we need to be ready.”

Rhia crossed her arms, her muscular frame tense with barely contained energy. “What if it’s another trap? Another suicide mission?”

“Then we survive it,” I said firmly, surprising myself with my conviction. “Like we did the last one.”

Sky moved to stand beside me, his presence steady and reassuring. “And we gather information. Every mission, every interaction with the RSB is a chance to learn their weaknesses.”

A knock at the door silenced us all. We exchanged alarmed glances, frozen in place until a second, more insistent knock followed.

“RSB! Open up!”

Kai motioned for us to act natural. I quickly gathered my spell books, tucking them under a cushion while the others scrambled to appear casual. Sky leaned against the wall, assuming his typical aloof posture, though I could see the tension in his shoulders .

Kai opened the door to reveal a young RSB scout, barely older than us, clutching an official-looking scroll sealed with gold wax.

“Message from Captain Boromia,” he announced, thrusting the scroll forward. “You’re to report to headquarters tomorrow at dawn. All of you.”

Kai accepted the scroll with a polite nod. “Thank you. We’ll be there.”

The scout lingered, his eyes scanning our humble dwelling with poorly disguised curiosity. “Heard you all got new skills today. Captain will be pleased.”

“Just trying to be better scouts,” Kai replied smoothly. “As the captain encouraged.”

The scout nodded, apparently satisfied. “Dawn,” he repeated before turning away. “Don’t be late.”

When the door closed, we all released a collective breath. Kai broke the seal on the scroll, unrolling it with careful fingers. His eyes scanned the elegant script, his expression growing increasingly grim.

“What is it?” Mira asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kai looked up, his normally warm eyes hard with determination. “We’re being sent to Ivros Hollow.”

“Where’s that?” I asked, the name unfamiliar.

“A ruined stronghold in the mountains west of here,” Sky answered, his ears flattening completely. “It was built as a shrine to the old gods before the RSB took over. No one goes there anymore.”

“Why not?” Mira asked, clutching her new spell book tighter against her chest.

Sky’s blue eyes darkened. “Because about sixty years ago, something happened there. Some kind of magical disaster. The place was sealed off by royal decree.”

Kai nodded grimly, still scanning the scroll. “According to this, the RSB sent a unit to investigate Ivros Hollow three weeks ago. They never returned.”

“And now they want us to go?” Kuro laughed bitterly. “Perfect. Just perfect.”

“What exactly are we supposed to do there?” I asked, moving closer to read over Kai’s shoulder.

“Retrieve something called a mana core,” Kai replied, his brow furrowed. “Says here it’s an artifact of historical significance that the king wants for his archives.”

“Bullshit,” Sky growled, pushing off from the wall. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. And if it was just some historical trinket, they wouldn’t send scouts to a death trap to get it. They’re lying to us again. ”

Rhia crossed her arms, her expression hardening. “So, it’s another suicide mission.”

“But with a twist,” I added, the realization dawning on me. “This time we’re replacements for scouts who’ve already failed. Last time they sent us somewhere they could already get to as a sacrifice. They never expected us to succeed. This time they’re trying to guarantee we don’t return.”

A heavy silence fell over the room as the implications sank in.

Whatever awaited us at Ivros Hollow had already claimed the lives of trained RSB scouts, presumably more experienced than us.

It wasn’t a suicide mission, it was an execution, one that would surely keep the RSB’s image intact when we didn’t return.

“We could refuse,” Mira suggested quietly.

Kai shook his head. “Not an option. The scroll specifically mentions that this is a direct order from the king himself. Refusing would brand us as traitors.”

“Convenient,” Sky muttered, his tail swishing agitatedly. “The king just happens to need the same thing Boromia wants.”

“If the king even knows about this at all,” I added.

Kai carefully rolled the scroll back up, his movements deliberate. “We have until dawn to prepare. I suggest we spend what’s left of our gold on supplies and equipment. Then we study our new skills until we can use them in our sleep.”

“We should try to learn more about Ivros Hollow too,” I said. “Maybe there are records in some of the guild libraries.”

“I’ll go,” Rhia volunteered. “The Monk’s Guild keeps extensive historical records. They might have something on the disaster Sky mentioned.”

“And I’ll check the Mage’s Guild,” Mira added, surprising us with her resolve. “If it was a magical disaster, they’d be the ones to know.”

“Good,” Kai nodded. “The rest of us will go into town and upgrade our gear. Mira and Rhia, let us know what you need, and we’ll purchase it for you while you’re gone.”

Sky’s ears twitched with suspicion. “We should move fast. Those shadows Jeremy mentioned won’t give us much privacy.”

“Let’s pair up again,” I suggested, already moving to gather my remaining coins.

“I’ll go with Oliver,” Sky said quickly, his tail swishing behind him.

Kuro snorted, but said nothing, merely exchanging a knowing look with Kai.

“We meet back here before sunset,” Kai instructed, his voice taking on that natural leadership quality that always seemed to rally us. “No exceptions. And remember, act normal. As far as anyone watching is concerned, we’re excited about this mission and honored by the king’s trust.”

We dispersed quickly after that, each of us gathering what we needed before heading out. Sky and I were last to leave, pausing at the doorway.

“This feels worse than the last mission,” I admitted quietly. “At least then we didn’t know we were being sent to die.”

Sky’s hand found mine, squeezing briefly before letting go.

“But now we do,” he murmured. “This time we know it’s a trap.

That gives us an advantage they don’t expect.

And we’re not gonna go down without a fight.

” He paused, looking up at me with those piercing blue eyes. “I won’t lose you, Oliver.”

My chest swelled with affection. “You won’t lose me,” I replied, leaning forward to kiss him once more. “I promise.”