"What are we doing now?" Velrith asked, patiently looking at each of their faces. Kael stood in a corner, his arms crossed, his eyes lost in the distance. Lucas, standing a little closer, spoke in a serious yet relaxed tone.
"We'll handle this together," Lucas said, his voice soft but firm. "No matter what, we'll be with you every step of the way."
Kael nodded, but with a hint of sarcasm. "Come on, don't overthink it. It's not that simple. But I have no doubt that we know what we're doing together."
Velrith smiled slightly at Kael's words. "You really mean that, Kael?"
Kael locked eyes with her. "Yes, because there's something worse than being alone in battle. That's... losing the battle alone."
Lucas calmly added, without interrupting Kael, "But losing isn't an option. We're here, Velrith. No matter what."
They stood in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Velrith took a deep breath, closing her eyes, trying to ease the restlessness in her soul.
"What will be the end of this?" she asked, her voice slow but clear.
Kael shrugged and smiled lightly. "We'll see. But if everything goes well, the only thing we'll lose... is the memory of what we've lost."
Lucas furrowed his brows and corrected him. "You're right. But we have to follow you in everything, Velrith. We won't leave you. No matter what your fate is, we'll be with you."
Velrith took another step forward, then nodded, taking a deep breath. "Then let's begin. We need to know what we're doing. We've learned the temple's secrets; now it's time to make a plan."
The heavy curtains in the hall were still open; outside, the day was slowly fading, and the sky was torn between orange and gray. Kael stood by the window, turning his glass in his hand. Lucas was at the table, where the map was spread out, while Velrith continued to think quietly.
"What now?" Kael asked, without trying to sugarcoat it. "Really. We went, we saw, we got scolded by the God. What's next?"
Lucas, not lifting his eyes from the map, spoke without looking up. "We need to assess the situation. Where do we have an advantage, where don't we... What will your father's next move be, we need to predict that."
"I'm talking about your father," Kael said, looking at Velrith. "What does he know about you? Does he know where you're going, what you're going to do... Can he really predict it?"
Velrith paused for a moment. "He doesn't need to predict it," she said in a low voice. "He knows me. He knows what I'll do. But I'm not Elira anymore."
Lucas frowned. "You're not Elira. But this time, you're not alone either."
"Yes," Velrith said, nodding. "But he's still playing an old game. And what I need to do... is create a new game."
Kael sighed. "So this is our classic 'let's make a plan first' moment? Because usually, plans go to hell in the first five minutes."
Velrith smiled slightly. "Not a plan... a stance. Not forgetting why we're fighting."
Lucas finally lifted his head from the map. "Alright. Then we need to think about allies first. This won't work with just the three of us. If we're really going to face your father, we need power behind us."
Kael threw his arm over the sofa. "Is there anyone we can trust? Or anyone still willing to follow you?"
Velrith was silent for a moment. In her thoughts, shadows of the past, old friends, and betrayals appeared. Then, she slowly lifted her head.
"Some still haven't forgotten Kaelis's name," she said. "But before that, we need to learn everything about the kingdom your duke allied with."
Lucas lowered his head. "So where's our first stop?"
The heavy silence in the hall was broken only by the ticking of the old clock on the wall. Outside, the sun had set, and the sky was a wavering mix of orange and steel-gray. The map was still on the table, the mark indicating Thaloria by the edge of the mountains caught Lucas's eye.
"We'll go to Thaloria then," Lucas said. "But going directly would be foolish. We need to gather information first, maybe from someone on the inside..."
Velrith suddenly leaned forward, the determination in her voice sharp enough to cut through the room. "I know where we can get the information."
Kael tilted his head, a typical hint of mockery at the edge of his lips. "Another acquaintance from the past? Is the Elira membership still valid?"
Velrith turned her gaze to him, but this time, she didn't smile. "This person... isn't familiar. But their name might be."
Lucas's attention sharpened. "Who is this source?"
Velrith shifted her gaze back to the map, though it seemed she wasn't really looking at it anymore. It was as though she was staring into the shadows of the past. "The Lord of Shadows," she said quietly. "In the underground world, that's how he's known. Talking to him isn't easy. But it's possible."
Kael chuckled darkly. "Look at the names people give themselves... So what, our next stop is some dark cave?"
Velrith's voice turned icy. "He didn't give himself that name."
Kael's smile froze. Lucas nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "How do we reach him?"
Velrith hesitated for a moment before lifting her head. "There's a place. It looks like an old inn, but inside, there's another world. To get in, you need a code. Ordinary people don't know it... but I learned it when I was Elira."
Kael asked in a low voice. "What's the code?"
Velrith took a step back, her eyes turning to the window. "The code is an order for a drink. If you say it in the bar, they'll take you to the back room. That place... works by different rules. In there, the only price for your questions is either gold... or blood."
Lucas frowned. "Why would the 'Lord of Shadows' help us?"
"He won't," Velrith said plainly. "But if we ask the right question, with the right price... he will answer."
For a while, no one spoke. The room was tense, but at the same time, it was the beginning of something moving. Kael threw his arm over the couch again and tilted his head. "Alright then... looks like we're going. To the heart of the shadows."
Velrith silently nodded. "This war won't just be won on the battlefield. The first move must be made in the shadows."