The small group of elves froze the moment they realized someone had overheard their conversation. Tension rippled through them as they exchanged nervous glances.
"Should we… stop?"
One of them asked, voice uncertain.
"It'll just bring more trouble if someone rats us out."
Another murmured, shifting uncomfortably.
But the leader of their group, a tall elf with sharp eyes and a hardened expression, shook his head.
"We've already come this far. Giving up now would just make us look guilty."
"But if the tree really is still unstable—"
"There's no proof of that. If that foreigner could purify it, then it must be safe. Besides… don't you want to see it for yourself? What if it holds answers we've been denied?"
The leader cut in firmly.
The others hesitated, torn between fear and curiosity. Eventually, one by one, they nodded.
"I'll go after the one who overheard us just to make sure they're not causing problems."
