Kael stared at the silver pendant lying on the table.
For a moment, the sounds of the inn faded away.
The quiet conversations of travelers, the crackling fire, even the clinking of dishes from the kitchen—all of it seemed distant.
His eyes were fixed on the pendant.
It looked almost identical to the one hanging around his neck.
Slowly, Kael reached up and pulled his own pendant from beneath his shirt.
He placed it on the table beside Rowan's.
The two pieces of silver rested side by side.
They were not exactly the same, but the designs were clearly connected. Both carried the same ancient markings carved into the metal.
Mira leaned closer to examine them.
"Those symbols…" she murmured.
"They're old magic," Rowan said quietly.
Kael looked up sharply.
"You really knew my father?"
Rowan nodded once.
"Yes."
The simple answer sent a wave of emotions through Kael.
Anger.
Curiosity.
Hope.
"My father never mentioned you," Kael said.
"That's not surprising," Rowan replied calmly. "We weren't close allies. But we fought on the same side once."
Mira crossed her arms.
"During the war against the dragons?"
Rowan's eyes flickered slightly.
"Yes."
The word hung in the air.
The war against dragons was supposed to be ancient history—stories told to children. But Kael now knew the truth behind those stories.
His father had been one of the magicians who ended the dragons forever.
"You were one of the hundred?" Kael asked.
Rowan shook his head.
"No."
He tapped the pendant lightly.
"But I worked with them."
Kael frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Rowan leaned back in his chair.
"Long ago, before the dragons disappeared, there were many groups of magicians."
"Your father belonged to the strongest of them."
"The Hundred."
Mira's eyes narrowed.
"And you?"
Rowan smiled faintly.
"I was… something else."
Before Kael could ask more, Rowan's gaze shifted toward the window.
His expression hardened slightly.
"They're getting closer," he said.
Kael turned his head slightly.
Through the window, he could see three Highland soldiers moving along the road outside the inn.
They were speaking with travelers and checking wagons.
Searching.
"They'll come inside soon," Rowan continued calmly.
Mira leaned forward.
"So what's your plan?"
Rowan looked at Kael.
"That depends."
"On what?" Kael asked.
"On whether you trust me."
Kael hesitated.
Everything in his mind told him to be careful.
But Rowan knew about the hidden city.
He knew about Kael's father.
And he had warned them about the soldiers outside.
Mira watched Kael carefully.
Finally, Kael spoke.
"What do we need to do?"
Rowan stood up from the table.
"Follow me."
He walked toward the back of the inn without another word.
Mira immediately stood as well.
"This could be a trap," she whispered.
Kael nodded.
"I know."
"But if he's telling the truth…"
"…he might be the only person who can help us reach the hidden city."
Mira sighed.
"Fair point."
They followed Rowan toward a narrow hallway near the kitchen.
The innkeeper glanced at them but didn't ask questions.
Rowan pushed open a wooden door at the end of the hallway.
Behind it was a small storage room filled with sacks of grain and wooden crates.
Kael looked confused.
"This is your plan?"
Rowan closed the door quietly behind them.
"Not exactly."
He moved one of the crates aside.
Beneath it was a wooden trapdoor.
Mira raised an eyebrow.
"Now that's interesting."
Rowan pulled the trapdoor open.
Darkness waited below.
"A tunnel," he said.
Kael blinked.
"Where does it go?"
Rowan grabbed a lantern from the wall and lit it.
"Under the river."
"And out of sight of the Highland patrols."
Kael exchanged a glance with Mira.
This stranger clearly knew the area well.
Rowan stepped down into the tunnel first.
"You can stay here and wait for the soldiers," he said calmly.
"Or you can follow me."
Kael didn't need to think long.
He stepped toward the trapdoor.
Mira followed close behind.
Rowan lifted the lantern, illuminating the narrow stone passage stretching into the darkness.
"Good," he said quietly.
"Because once we leave this tunnel…"
He looked back at them both.
"…there's no turning back."