As they stepped out of the tower, the daylight seemed brighter than ever — but it brought no comfort. Thanatos glanced at Elina, still visibly shaken, and tried to gather his thoughts, piecing together what they had learned.
"Elina," he began, hesitantly, "I think… I think I saw the amulet."
She looked at him, wide-eyed. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "When we visited the governor's office… there was a painting with an elven amulet hanging beside it. It could be the one we're looking for."
Elina bit her lip, her mind racing. "If that's really the amulet… we'll need a plan."
Thanatos hesitated, then a name came to mind — Einar. "I know someone," he said carefully. "He's… good at staying out of sight. He might be able to get the amulet without anyone noticing."
Elina seemed reluctant. "Involving more people is risky. If anyone finds out what we've done… entering that tower was forbidden."
"Trust me," Thanatos insisted. "He's smart. If anyone can help us, it's him."
There was a moment of silence before Elina finally sighed and gave a small nod. "Alright. But keep it quiet. We can't draw attention."
Thanatos agreed, and they arranged to meet again the next day, in front of the tower. He promised to bring Einar and make sure everything was handled carefully.
"We'll make it, Elina," he said before parting ways.
She looked at him, her expression filled with gratitude and quiet resolve.
The rest of the day, Thanatos did his best to keep up appearances, collecting testimonies to avoid arousing suspicion about his true intentions. During one of his conversations, he once again crossed paths with a pilgrim of the goddess Freyja.
The man, cloaked in a long robe embroidered with symbols of love and light, spoke with calm gestures and a serene voice.
"The goddess Freyja teaches us to love, to care for one another, to bring beauty into the world," the pilgrim said. "But there are forces here… old and dark… that defy her grace. In this city, I sense something deep and foul, trying to corrupt the harmony she wishes for all of us."
Thanatos listened closely, intrigued by both the message and the man himself. He couldn't help but wonder why so many devoted followers of Freyja had been appearing lately in Rune-Midgard, a kingdom whose dominant faith had always been toward the Aesir gods, like Odin. Freyja, after all, belonged to the Vanir — a pantheon traditionally distant from local worship. This shift felt like more than just simple piety.
But there was no time to dwell on that now. Thanatos thanked the pilgrim, quietly holding onto those words as he moved on to his next task.
By the time dusk fell, the soft orange light of the setting sun filled the modest common room of the inn. Dagrík, Kjetil, Einar, and Thanatos gathered around a weathered wooden table to share the day's findings. A heavy tension hung in the air, thick with unsettling stories and anxious thoughts.
Dagrík spoke first, his voice low and steady. "The reports keep repeating themselves. People dreaming about things they can't explain. Others swearing they've seen loved ones long dead. This isn't normal."
Kjetil, sitting beside him, nodded grimly, resting his chin in one hand. "I spoke with one of the guards who made it inside the tower. He said he saw something… something too real to be a dream, but it vanished before his eyes. There's something deeply wrong with this place."
Einar, ever the skeptic, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Or maybe it's just a bunch of ghost stories. Specters, illusions… sounds like something out of an old book."
Thanatos, who had been listening quietly until then, spoke up, choosing his words carefully. "I've heard the same thing… people seeing lost loved ones. And they don't believe it was a dream. They're convinced it really happened."
"And that's the most dangerous part," Kjetil added. "If it's true… we're not dealing with mere hallucinations or nightmares. Something is bleeding into the real world, manipulating people."
Dagrík tapped the table lightly, drawing everyone's attention. "The leader of the mage guild mentioned a strong magical presence here. Since none of us can sense magic properly, we'll head back to the guild tomorrow and get clearer answers."
Everyone agreed. Given what little they knew, it was the best plan they had.
That night, after the group retired to their rooms, Thanatos was once again haunted by the memories of his past. In his sleep, his mind dragged him back to the fateful day of Liv's death.
He saw the clan's camp under the rain, the clash of steel, the desperate cries of battle. And then — Liv's scream, piercing through the storm.
He tried to run to her, but his legs felt as if weighed down by iron. In the dream, he saw her surrounded by elves, her sword still raised as she fought bravely. But Thanatos already knew what came next.
The image of a blade piercing Liv's chest… the faint, sorrowful smile she managed before collapsing… it stabbed at his soul like a jagged thorn.
"Thanatos, run!" Her voice echoed in his mind, mixing with the storm and clashing steel.
He woke with a start, cold sweat clinging to his skin, heart pounding in his chest.
The room was quiet, save for Einar's soft snoring nearby. Thanatos rose and went to the window, seeking anything to distract his thoughts from the nightmare. Outside, the city lay still. This time, there were no strange sights in the shadows.
He let out a heavy breath, returning to his bed — though sleep would not come easily.
The following morning, the group gathered in the inn's common room to discuss their next move. Dagrík, standing with his usual rigid posture, had already decided that he and Kjetil would return to the Mage Guild, just as they'd planned the night before."The magical presence the guild leader mentioned is the only solid lead we have so far. We need to investigate it thoroughly," he declared.
Thanatos, however, needed to shift the focus toward his own plans with Elina. Taking a deep breath, he chose his words carefully."Dagrík, what if Einar and I went back to speak with the governor? Some of the stories we heard yesterday—especially about the guards acting strangely—seem to point directly to him. We might be able to link this to the tower and the guards' unusual behavior."
Dagrík narrowed his eyes, considering."And what exactly do you expect to find there? We've already questioned him once."
Thanatos quickly continued, keeping his tone respectful."We can question him about the reports we've gathered. The guard Kjetil spoke with yesterday mentioned seeing something inside Geffen Tower. Plus, the guards' behavior might be tied to the magical presence the guild detected. Maybe the governor knows something he didn't share before."
Kjetil, who had been quietly listening with interest, stepped in."It makes sense. If the guards are behaving strangely, it could be linked to some kind of dark magic. And it's possible the governor is hiding something—even if unintentionally."
Dagrík crossed his arms, staring at Thanatos for a long moment before finally relenting."Fine. You and Einar can go to the governor. But be direct and efficient. We don't have time for games."His voice carried the kind of authority that left no room for failure.
"Understood," Thanatos replied, holding back a sigh of relief. He knew this was the perfect opportunity to move forward with Elina's plan.
Before getting up, Kjetil shot a warning look at the two younger men."Be careful. This city is full of secrets. Stay alert."
Thanatos and Einar nodded, exchanging quick glances as they began to prepare to leave. As they stepped out of the inn, Thanatos cast his gaze toward the horizon, where the city's central tower loomed like an ominous sentinel.He knew that while convincing Dagrík had been a victory, the real challenge was just beginning.
As they made their way through the streets toward the meeting place with Elina, Thanatos kept the conversation light, inventing excuses to explain the detour."I just want to go over something with a person I spoke to yesterday," he said casually.Einar, suspecting nothing, simply followed along.
When they arrived at the central square, Thanatos spotted Elina waiting near the tower. She looked anxious, nervously fidgeting with her hands as her eyes scanned the crowd.
"Thanatos!" she called out, walking briskly toward them.
Thanatos waved, trying to appear calm."Einar, this is Elina. She… she's been helping us piece together what's going on around here."
Einar gave her a curious look."I remember you. You were at the Mage Guild, right?"
Elina nodded but quickly shifted the topic."We need to talk. It's about the amulet we saw in the governor's office. It's important… really important."
"Important how?" Einar raised a skeptical brow.
"It's an elven artifact," Elina replied quickly, though without sounding desperate."It might be the key to understanding the nightmares and the apparitions in this city. We don't know everything yet, but the pieces are starting to fit together."
Einar kept his gaze on her, suspicion clear on his face."And how exactly does that help? Some amulet's just going to magically fix everything? How convenient."
"Elina believes the amulet might be connected to everything that's happening," Thanatos stepped in."Think about it, Einar—the governor shouldn't have something like that. It's from her people. It could explain the strange things going on in this city."
"Ah, I see," Einar said with a crooked grin."So you want me—the so-called 'expert in thievery'—to just sneak in there and grab it, and suddenly everything will make sense. Am I right?"
"We need your help," Elina insisted.
Einar narrowed his eyes, watching her for a moment."And you can't tell me exactly why you need the amulet, can you?"
Thanatos hesitated, but before he could speak, Elina stepped forward."If I told you, it would only be a theory. And theories won't convince you, will they? We're only asking you to trust us enough to give this a chance."
Einar pretended to think, stroking his chin. He glanced at Thanatos with a sharp look."Alright then. If this amulet is so important to our mission, I'll help you get it."
Thanatos let out a quiet breath of relief, though Einar turned away, hiding a wry, cynical smile."So, what's the plan?" he asked.
The plan was simple — but risky. Thanatos and Einar would enter the governor's office together, using a harmless excuse to distract him while Einar, with his nimble hands and stealth, would snatch the frame hiding the amulet.