The golden light of the late afternoon filtered through the leaves as the trio stood at the edge of Maglina's garden, the weight of discovery heavy on their shoulders. The wind rustled softly, but there was tension in the air like the calm before a storm.
"We can't waste any more time," Solis said, his voice resolute. "We split up. Ada and I will find Razille. Vaidya, head toward the borderline woods. If Phill's hiding or... meeting someone, that's likely where he'd be."
Vaidya nodded, his face unreadable. "Right. Even if he did swipe my satchel, I'm not letting him walk into danger alone."
Ada gave him a look. "You sure about going alone? Those woods connect to Sagacia. Not exactly the friendliest border these days."
"I'll be fine," Vaidya said, adjusting his coat and securing a short dagger at his side. "Aegels respect the old laws in Sagacia, and I know the woods better than most. If I find him, I'll signal. You two focus on Razille. If she's tied to all this, she might be our best lead."
Solis and Ada exchanged glances before nodding. The group split silently—Solis and Ada heading toward the residential quarters while Vaidya turned toward the northeast, following the narrow footpath into the woods that skirted the boundary between the Prism Kingdom and the elusive realm of the Aegles.
---
Solis and Ada: Searching the Quiet Corners
The duo moved quickly through the village, navigating past tired workers and patrolling Postknights. They checked the smithy, the observation tower, even the eastern ridge where Razille sometimes stood for hours alone. But she was nowhere to be found.
"She's not at the barracks either," Ada muttered, scanning a list of locations in her head. "That's the third place today she's just vanished from. Either she doesn't want to be found or..."
"Or someone made sure she wouldn't be," Solis finished grimly.
The streets were cooling under the setting sun, shadows stretching longer as the village lamps flickered to life. Solis paused outside the Postknight records house, his eyes drawn to the roof.
"The bell tower," he said suddenly.
"You think she's up there?"
"She likes high places. Somewhere she can see without being seen."
Without waiting, Solis moved toward the stone stairs that spiraled up the tower. Ada followed, her steps soft despite her heavy boots. At the top, they emerged onto a flat platform enclosed by low stone rails. And there, perched at the edge like a gargoyle, sat Razille.
Her face was lit by the last rays of sun. She didn't turn to look at them, but her voice drifted back with unsettling calm.
"You're persistent."
Solis stepped closer. "You left us with more questions than answers."
"And sometimes," Razille said slowly, standing up with her arms folded behind her, "questions are safer than answers."
Ada rolled her eyes. "Cut the cryptic talk. What's going on, Razille? Why ask about the mines? Why bring up Solis specifically?"
Razille finally turned to face them, expression unreadable. Her eyes, however, held a glint of urgency. "Because people are being watched. Including you. And the less you know, the less risk you carry."
"Watched by who?" Solis asked.
Razille hesitated. Then she said, "A group far older than this village. They've used the mines for generations. You stumbled into their space. Phill may have seen something he wasn't supposed to. If he's missing now, they may have... recruited him. Or silenced him."
"You knew this and said nothing?" Ada demanded, voice sharp.
"Because speaking of them paints a mark on your back," Razille replied. "And now that mark is already on all of us."
---
Vaidya: Into the Borderline Woods
Meanwhile, Vaidya's boots made little sound on the forest floor. The borderline woods were darker, older than the forests near the village. Thick with tangled roots and whispering leaves, the air carried a hum of ancient magic. He knew Sagacia's edge wasn't far—a land where the Aegles kept watch, rarely seen but always present.
Following faint tracks and broken branches, Vaidya kept his senses sharp. He moved past moss-covered rocks and low-hanging vines until a hushed murmur stopped him cold.
Voices.
He dropped low, easing behind a wide, mossy tree. Peering around the trunk, he spotted a small clearing.
Phill stood near the edge of the clearing, his back tense, head lowered. Facing him were three cloaked figures—the same ones who had attacked Vaidya the yesterday. Their robes bore that same pale symbol, barely visible in the twilight.
Phill was speaking to them. His voice was low, hushed. Vaidya couldn't make out the words, but Phill's hands were animated, nervous. One of the cloaked figures stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder—comforting? Commanding? It was hard to tell.
Vaidya's fists clenched at his side. He couldn't risk charging in blind. Not when Phill might be acting under duress. Or worse—willingly.
He stayed hidden, listening, observing. His heart pounded as he realized this wasn't a simple kidnapping. This was a meeting.
And Phill had come willingly.
---
Back in the village, the golden afternoon light slanted across the rooftops as birds perched on chimneys and the soft breeze carried the scent of pine and cooked lentils from distant kitchens. Solis and Razille stood beside the watchtower's shadow, where Ada kept a watchful eye on the perimeter from a few paces back, letting them speak.
Razille lowered her voice further, her expression tighter than usual. "The group you're now chasing... they have ties to both Prism and Sagacia. They've been here longer than either kingdom. They call themselves the Ashlight Circle."
Solis frowned. "Ashlight Circle...?"
Razille nodded, her eyes darting around before focusing on him again. "They're not just some band of rogue cultists or mercenaries. They're old. Hidden in layers of history no one wanted to preserve. Most think it's just a story, a myth told in the archives of both nations. But I've been piecing things together for years, and it lines up too well. Every time something vanishes—be it a person, an artifact, or even records—it's them."
Solis narrowed his gaze. "And now they're after Phill?"
Razille's face hardened. "That's the part I don't like. I've been watching them move in the shadows—months before you even stepped foot in Pompom. But never once have they taken interest in a child. Not openly. Phill... he must have seen or heard something. Something he shouldn't have."
Solis swallowed, his throat dry. "What do they want?"
Razille's eyes drifted toward the horizon, toward the fading edge of the forest where Prism met Sagacia. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. "They want something that was buried long before any of us were born. Something even older than the Prism Kingdom's founding charter. It's not just power or treasure they're after—it's knowledge. Forbidden, dangerous knowledge. A relic or secret so old that both Sagacian sages and Prism scholars deemed it too dangerous to document."
Solis felt a chill crawl up his spine. "Like what? Some kind of weapon?"
"Worse," Razille murmured. "A key. Not just any key—something that can unlock what they call The Hollow Archive. I don't know what's inside, but all evidence points to it being sealed beneath this region, somewhere in the old Aegle territory."
Solis exhaled slowly. "And they think Phill has something to do with it?"
Razille didn't answer immediately. She reached into her tunic and pulled out a weathered page—half-burnt and torn. Etched into it were ancient symbols, barely legible, and a child's sketch drawn in charcoal.
"I found this yesterday morning near the pasture line. Phill's drawing style. He must have dropped it."
Solis took the paper gently, scanning the image. A spiral staircase. A moon carved in stone. And below it, a word in shaky letters: Ashlight.
His grip on the parchment tightened.
Razille turned to him, the wind lifting her hair slightly. "This confirms it. He saw something. Maybe even where the Ashlight Circle meets. If they believe he remembers or knows more than he should... they won't let him go."
Solis looked back up at her, his voice low. "Then we need to get to him before they do."
Razille nodded. "I've already sent word to someone I trust within Sagacia. But we need to move fast. If they cross into Sagacian lands, tracking them becomes almost impossible without the Aegles' permission."
Solis tucked the paper away. His thoughts drifted to Vaidya. He hoped his friend was safe.