The group filed into the room, the wooden floorboards creaking under their steps as they moved toward the sturdy, worn table at the center. Sunlight streamed through the narrow windows, illuminating floating dust particles in the air, giving the space a quiet, golden glow.

Despite the modest size of the room, it felt crowded, their presence filling every corner. There weren't enough chairs for everyone, so Hovan and Thomrik remained standing, positioned at either side of the table. Benji leaned against the edge of the bed, arms crossed casually. Danio, true to form, took a seat with an easy sprawl, stretching his legs beneath the table.

Near the back of the room, Rakz hopped onto Raelyn's bed, letting out a small trill as he stretched out, claws kneading into the soft fabric before settling into a comfortable coil. His golden eyes flicked lazily between the group before he let out a warm breath and rested his head on his tail.

Raelyn pulled up a chair and settled in, watching as Hovan unrolled his map, its edges softened from use. He smoothed it over the surface of the table, revealing carefully drawn markings—Hovan's notations merged with Raelyn's intersecting lines, forming a complex web of routes, locations, and theories.

He glanced at Sylvy and Lira, making sure he had their full attention before he spoke.

"Raelyn was able to unlock the clues hidden in the locket," he explained. "We believe these clues correspond to four places in Unevia."

He tapped his finger on the first marked location.

"Eryndoriel in Anderwyn," Hovan's finger slid westward across the map. "The Labyrinth in Mirardond." His finger moved south to point at another indicated location. "The Abyssal Oasis in Umiren." Finally, Hovan's finger traveled north, pausing over the last location. "And Grimkaroth, once known as Thrumthal."

"Raelyn believes the weapon is hidden here." He tapped the map where the lines intersected. "Where these four locations connect."

Sylvy leaned forward, her sharp green eyes scanning the lines and markings. She tilted her head slightly, her arms crossed as she studied the pattern laid before her.

After a long moment, she lifted her gaze to Raelyn. "You figured this all out?" she asked.

Raelyn shifted slightly, feeling the weight of Sylvy's scrutiny.

"We couldn't have done it without you." She turned toward Lira, acknowledging her as well. "Without the two of you deciphering the clue that led us to Eryndoriel, we might not have understood the rest."

Lira's expression softened, a small but warm smile touching her lips.

Raelyn exhaled, her fingers grazing the edge of the map. "Besides, I'm not even sure if we're right." She paused, locking eyes with Hovan before looking back at Sylvy and Lira. "We don't have any proof that this is where the weapon is."

The air grew still following her words.

And then, Danio scoffed.

"That's right, we're walking into the most dangerous place in Unevia... on a hunch."

His tone was light, almost lazy, but there was an edge of unease beneath the sarcasm. His confidence from earlier slipping away again.

Hovan studied him, unwavering. "It's the best lead we have. The only one."

Danio leaned back in his chair, exhaling as he ran a hand through his dark hair. "Great. Love that for us."

Benji leaned against the table. "We are going to make it there and back, I know it."

Lira chuckled softly, a touch of amusement in her expression. "Your optimism is refreshing, Benji."

Danio pressed his lips into a thin line, but didn't argue.

Hovan turned his attention back to Lira and Sylvy. "When we left Brystwy Forest there was a demon encampment" he said. "I need to know, is it still there?"

Lira's smile faded, her expression darkening slightly. "It is. And it has grown."

A tense hush hung between them, thick with unspoken thoughts.

Lira sighed, casting a glance toward Sylvy before continuing. "They've started burning parts of the forest, trying to drive us out or weaken our defenses. But we've held them off... for now."

Hovan's jaw tightened. "How many are we talking about?"

Sylvy leaned against the table, resting a hand on the hilt of one of her curved blades. "Hard to say, their numbers keep increasing."

Benji looked at Raelyn with an expression of concern. "Just like Ardesco."

Sylvy gave a short firm nod. "Which is why we took our time getting here."

"We couldn't risk being seen." Lira added. "If they caught wind of our movements, they might have followed us, and the last thing we wanted was to lead them straight to you."

Thomrik grunted in approval. "Smart." He rubbed a hand over his beard. "And that's the only reason you were delayed?"

Lira hesitated for a moment, fingers grazing the silver circlet on her brow. Then she sighed. "No. There was another reason."

Raelyn straightened at that. "What happened?"

Lira's eyes flicked briefly to Sylvy before answering. "King Lytherion didn't want to part with us."

Raelyn's stomach twisted.

"He didn't want you to come?" she asked, a touch of disbelief in her voice.

Sylvy let out a short, dry chuckle. "Oh, he made that clear." She let out a dry chuckle, her lips curving slightly, though there was no real amusement in it. "With the growing threat of the demons, he wanted us in Eryndoriel, not running off on some human quest."

Lira's voice was calmer, more measured than her sister's. "The king knows the weapon could be the key to stopping Baragor." She paused, her fingers grazing the silver circlet on her brow. "But he isn't willing to sacrifice his own people to pursue it, not when the demons are already at our doorstep."

Raelyn's brow furrowed. "But if we find it, we could end this."

Lira nodded. "That's what we told him." She exhaled, glancing at Sylvy. "We argued that fighting a losing war in Eryndoriel won't save our people. But if we help you, if we find the weapon first, we might actually stand a chance."

Sylvy huffed, crossing her arms. "Took some convincing, but he came around. Eventually."

Benji, who had been listening intently, finally let out a relieved breath. "Well, I'm glad he agreed in the end."

Sylvy's grin returned, but it was sharp, edged with amusement. "Agreed is a strong word."

Lira tilted her head slightly, a spark of humor in her gaze. "He relented."

Hovan, who had been listening in silence, nodded slightly before asking, "Have you had any word about the situation in Kaiswen?"

The twins exchanged a glance before Lira shook her head. "Nothing."

Hovan's jaw tensed. "Alright, it's safe to assume Baragor wouldn't abandon Ardesco now that he's conquered it." He leaned over the table, his finger tracing a line along the map. "That works in our favor. If his forces are still occupied in Kaiswen and outside Brystwy, then that means there are fewer demons left inside Bromaric."

Thomrik grunted in agreement, rubbing his chin. "That's a clever observation."

Sylvy's gaze flickered toward Hovan, a hint of approval in her expression. "Not bad."

Hovan ignored the comment, focusing instead on Raelyn and Lira. "Lira, we were able to slip past the demons outside Brystwy because Raelyn summoned a thick mist."

"Oh, that's clever." Lira cut Hovan off and turned to Raelyn, her eyes widening slightly.

Raelyn felt her cheeks warm. "I figured it was the best way to get us through without a fight."

Lira's smile was one of genuine admiration. "That's not easy magic to perform."

Raelyn ducked her head slightly, the praise making her stomach twist—not in embarrassment, but in a quiet kind of pride.

Hovan nodded. "It was. Which is why I was wondering. Would you be able to sustain that mist throughout our journey into Bromaric?"

Raelyn considered the question. "...I think so."

Lira, however, shook her head. "No."

Raelyn blinked, turning toward her. "No?"

Lira's expression was serious now. "Sustaining something like that for long periods would drain our medial completely. We'd be useless in a fight against demons if it came to that."

Benji frowned. "What if you could recharge it? Would that work?"

Lira breathed deeply before speaking, shaking her head. "The land in Bromaric is tainted with dark magic. It has seeped into the trees, the water, the air." She hesitated before adding, "The magic there will be... heavy with it. Pulling from it to fuel our own would not only be difficult but painful."

A moment of silence settled over the room.

Thomrik was the first to break it. "Well, that plan's off the table then."

Hovan nodded slightly. "I figured that might be the case."

Hovan leaned over the worn map, his fingers tracing a faint line through the parchment, following a trail that stretched from Duskwatch into the depths of Bromaric. "This is our route. We'll avoid known towns, farms and strongholds. There are likely to be demon settlements, we don't know where they are—but we assume they exist. If we run into anything, we adapt."

Raelyn frowned slightly, watching his finger move over the hand-drawn trails. "Are there still people living in Bromaric?"

Thomrik grunted, arms crossed. "There weren't supposed to be." He exhaled, his gaze darkening. "After the fall of Lochrest, the people did what they could. They assembled an army of men and women, every soul capable of wielding a weapon. They fought." His jaw tensed. "But it wasn't enough."

The weight of his words settled over the room.

Benji's expression turned grim.

Thomrik dropped his gaze to the table before looking back up. "They fell. Their cities were left defenseless. And so, the ones who survived did what they had to."

Raelyn swallowed. "They surrendered."

Benji pressed his lips into a thin line. "Not all of them." he said softly until finally he lifted his eyes to look at her. "Some fled. Like us. But not everyone had that luxury or good fortune. Some were forced to stay or refused to leave. They had to surrender."

Thomrik nodded. "To Baragor. To his demons. And now?" He inclined his head to the map. "Bromaric belongs to them."

The only sound left was the faint crackle of the hearth.

Benji finally spoke, his brows pulling together. "Then why avoid the cities? Surely the people there would want to fight back—to help us stop him?"

Hovan shook his head immediately. "You're thinking of them as rebels, Benji. They're not. Not anymore." He leaned against the table. "These people are starving. Desperate to survive. Do you know what that means?"

Benji was quiet for a moment. "...They'd betray us for a chance to live."

Hovan nodded. "They'll turn us over to Baragor without hesitation if it means winning his favor."

Danio let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "I swear, every time I think this mission can't get any worse, you all find a way to surprise me."

Hovan's gaze flicked toward him, but he didn't bite. Instead, he straightened, surveying the group.

"We have no choice. The weapon is in Bromaric. If Baragor gets his hands on it before we do, then Unevia is done for. We have to do this. We must go."

His voice carried through the small room like an unshakable truth.

Hovan leaned forward, both hands braced against the table, his gaze sweeping across them all.

"We travel at night," he began. "We stay off the roads. No fires, no light." His tone left no room for argument. "One stray flame could be the last thing we see."

A chill settled over the group at the finality in his words.

Benji nodded solemnly, his usual easygoing demeanor gone, replaced by quiet resolve. Lira and Sylvy listened in silent focus, their sharp elven gazes locked on Hovan.

Danio, however, shifted in his seat, scratching his fingers along his jaw.

Hovan's hand moved across the map, tracing a path he had marked.

"We avoid the main roads. Demons are more likely to use them to move their forces. If we take the roads, we'll be spotted before we even reach the halfway point."

His finger shifted, moving along a less-defined path, where the ink was lighter, almost faded.

"Instead, we stick to overgrown roads, riverbeds, and hunting trails—paths from before the fall of Lochrest. They're forgotten, unused, and, hopefully, unguarded."

Thomrik grunted approvingly, crossing his arms. "If the demons aren't expecting trouble, they won't be looking out for it either."

"That's the idea." Hovan nodded before continuing, his finger tracing the rough terrain. "But stealth won't be enough. If we want to succeed, we avoid any confrontation. That means no fighting. No drawn weapons. No heroics."

Danio let out a short breath, shaking his head. "You're asking us to sneak across an entire demon-infested land without a fight?"

Hovan's gaze locked onto him. "Yes."

Danio tilted his head, exhaling sharply. "Great plan, really. You just forgot one tiny detail—what happens if they find us?"

Hovan was unfazed. "We won't let them."

Sylvy smirked, leaning her head on her hand as she looked at Hovan, her fingers idly tracing the hilt of one of her curved blades.

"Oh, I do love it when you take charge like that," she mused, her voice low and teasing.

"If we're caught, it's over," he continued, ignoring Sylvy's smirk. "Any fight could expose our location and alert Baragor's forces before we even get close to the weapon." He straightened, his tone final, absolute. "If we engage the demons, we lose."

Silence.

Raelyn could feel the weight of Hovan's words pressing into the room, each of them understanding the risk they were taking.

"And what if the weapon isn't there?" His voice was lighter, but his foot bounced slightly beneath the table, betraying his unease. "What if we run into an army of demons? What if we get there, and there's nothing but a pile of bodies?" He exhaled sharply. "And even if the weapon is there—what then? What's the grand plan, Hovan?"

Raelyn held his stare, unwavering. "I believe in this plan. I believe in all of us."

The air grew still, every eye on her.

She let out a slow breath, steadying herself. "We have fought demons at Flatrest. We stood against Infernal hounds at Grimkaroth. We faced a troll in the tunnels and survived Icevein Crest." Her fingers curled against the map, knuckles whitening. "We have come too far. We have overcome too much to back down now."

Her voice didn't waver.

"Alone, I would never stand a chance. None of us would. But together?" She looked around the table, meeting each of their eyes—Benji, Thomrik, Hovan, Sylvy, Lira, even Danio. "Together, we have survived everything Baragor has thrown at us. And we will survive this."

She straightened, shoulders squared.

"We are on a mission sent from the gods. Watched over by the gods. They have guided us this far, and they will guide us through."

Raelyn's chest rose with a slow breath, her voice turning softer—but no less firm.

"We just have to have faith."

Her words hung in the air, a quiet strength behind them.

Danio's lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to argue—but once again, he said nothing.

Sylvy smiled. "That's my girl."

Benji grinned. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Thomrik let out a low chuckle, nodding approvingly.

Lira's smile was quiet but warm, filled with quiet admiration. Hovan said nothing, but the way he studied Raelyn for a long moment before nodding told her enough.

Even Rakz lifted his head from his curled position on the bed, letting out a soft, approving chirp.

The only one who remained unconvinced was Danio. He didn't argue, but his expression didn't change. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his jaw, eyes dark with thought.

Hovan finally broke the silence.

"We leave tonight."

Sylvy sighed, stretching her arms above her head. "Well then." She clapped a hand on Raelyn's back. "Let's enjoy our last bit of comfort while we can."

She kicked out a chair and dropped into it. "I want a hot meal, some wine, and some good company."

Lira smiled softly, turning to Raelyn. "And I want to hear all about your journey so far."

Raelyn let out a breath, feeling the tension in the room finally ease.

That night, they would step into the dark.

But until then... they could still pretend things were normal.