The night settled over their camp, a small fire flickering between the trees as the forest whispered its ancient lullaby. The victory over the mana-beast still hummed in their veins, but the group's relief was tempered by lingering questions.
Lyra sat apart, sharpening her daggers with slow, precise strokes. Her usual sarcastic humor seemed thinner tonight.
Aelira approached cautiously, the warmth from the fire illuminating her silver hair. "You're awfully quiet," she said softly. "What brought you to Greystone? Hunting mana-beasts can't be just for the money."
Lyra's eyes flickered, dark pools reflecting the flames. "Let's just say I have reasons to keep the shadows close and the light at arm's length."
Thorne snorted nearby. "That's poet talk, not assassin talk."
Lyra shot him a sideways glance. "Careful, half-orc. You might find out I'm better with words than you think."
Master Oren flitted down to perch on a low branch. "Secrets have a way of unraveling when you least expect it. This journey will pull them out, one by one."
Aelira nodded, feeling the truth in the owl's words. "We all have pasts. Maybe sharing them will help us face what's coming."
There was a long silence before Lyra spoke again, her voice quieter but steady.
"I was born in the Veil's Shadow, the borderlands torn by magic and war. My family... they didn't survive the Sundering. I've been chasing ghosts ever since, trying to find my place in a world that feels broken."
Aelira reached out, touching Lyra's hand briefly. "You're not alone anymore."
Before anyone could reply, a sudden rustle erupted from the underbrush. All eyes snapped toward the noise as a figure stumbled into the firelight Kaelon Drakemire, the cursed dragonkin boy, clutching his chest, his eyes wide with urgency.
"They're coming," he gaspered, elemental flames flickering wildly around him. "The Hollow Queen's hunters. They've found us."
The camp erupted into action. Thorne hefted his axe. Oren's feathers bristled. Lyra's daggers gleamed with renewed purpose.
Aelira's heart pounded. This was only the beginning.
---