My body ached; my magical reserves were low.

“This was a really good training...”

I took a deep breath, letting the cool evening air fill my lungs, and sat down by the campfire I had prepared earlier.

Sacril settled beside me with a low huff, his watchful eyes scanning the darkening forest.

Pulling some dried meat and bread from my supplies, I began to eat.

Sacril sniffed at his share of the food before devouring it with his usual enthusiasm.

As the flames crackled and cast dancing shadows around us,

Returning to Crimson Berry Town wasn’t something I looked forward to.

The memories of poisoned food and the lingering sense of being hunted had left a bitter taste.

But I couldn’t avoid it. Elenora would be waiting at the Blackbeard Inn.

Still, I wasn’t naïve.

“Whoever wanted me dead was likely still in town, watching, waiting.”

The thought should have been terrifying, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel fear.

“I’m not the same man they ambushed.”

“We’ve grown stronger. Smarter. They may try, but I won’t make it easy for them.”

I closed my eyes briefly, going over potential scenarios in my mind.

If they attacked outright,

I’d need to rely on quick spells like Energy Dart and Energy Bolt to keep them at bay.

If it turned into a drawn-out fight, I’d use defensive spells like Energy Shield to buy time and assess the situation.

And, of course, Sacril would be there to help me out in the battles at this point. He was not just a pet but a magical creature capable of fighting against the mages.

“Sacril,” I said softly, glancing at him.

He looked up from where he was gnawing on a bone.

“If things go south tomorrow, we stick to the plan: focus on staying alive. We don’t need to win; we just need to survive.”

He let out a low growl, a sound of acknowledgment and perhaps agreement.

The night wore on, and as the fire burned low, I let myself drift into a light sleep.

Morning came too quickly, the pale light filtering through the trees and rousing me from sleep.

I stretched, feeling the stiffness in my muscles from the previous day’s training, and began packing up the camp.

As I slung my bag over my shoulder and adjusted my cloak, I cast one last glance around the clearing.

“Time to face the music.”

The walk back to Crimson Berry Town was uneventful.

“Let them come.”

I whispered under my breath,

“I’ve faced worse...”

-

The guards at the entrance gave me no trouble, barely glancing my way as Sacril and I strode past them.

It was almost strange not to feel a pair of hostile eyes on my back or an ambush lying in wait.

Leaning slightly toward Sacril, I murmured under my breath,

“Looks like we’ve got a peaceful entry this time. Maybe the gods decided to give us a break for once.”

As I searched for the Blackbeard Inn, my mind wandered to the upcoming meeting with Elenora.

“Whoever tried to poison me clearly hadn’t given up.”

Just as I was about to pass a quieter alley, a soft voice cut through the noise of the crowd.

“Marsil.”

It wasn’t a shout, just a low, almost cautious call, but it was enough to snap my attention.

I turned quickly toward the source of the voice.

Standing at the edge of the alley was Elenora, her posture relaxed but her expression tense.

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Her eyes darted left and right, scanning the street as though expecting someone to step out of the shadows at any moment.

I moved toward her, keeping my pace steady and my movements casual to avoid drawing attention.

“You could have just waited at the inn. Why are you out here?”

Elenora’s gaze settled on me.

“I couldn’t risk it. You’ve been followed, Marsil.”

Her words hit me like a cold wind, though I kept my face neutral. “Followed?” I echoed.

She nodded, glancing over my shoulder.

“Our enemies have been tailing you, watching your every move. But it’s not just about you. They’re using you to get to me—and to my friends.”

My stomach twisted at her admission.

The poison, the near misses, the constant feeling of being watched—it all made sense now. I clenched my fists, my mind racing.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” I asked, keeping my voice low but firm.

“I didn’t know until recently,” she admitted.

“We had suspicions, but it wasn’t confirmed until one of my people spotted them tracking you outside the town. They’re staying just out of sight, waiting for you to lead them to us.”

I glanced back toward the bustling streets, my eyes narrowing.

“So they’re using me as bait.”

Elenora nodded solemnly.

“I’m sorry, Marsil.”

I let out a slow breath, trying to steady the anger bubbling inside me.

“I can handle myself, but you should have warned me. If they’re that close, they might already know where you’re hiding.”

Elenora shook her head.

“Not yet. We’ve been careful, and we’ve made plans to move if necessary. But you need to be cautious.

Her words stung, but I knew she wasn’t wrong. I’d been so focused on surviving and piecing together the mysteries around me that I hadn’t stopped to consider how my actions might be affecting others.

I took a step closer to her, lowering my voice even further.

“Then what do you want me to do? Run away? Leave the town?”

She shook her head again, this time more decisively.

“No. If you run, they’ll just follow. But if we can turn the tables on them, we might be able to end this before it gets worse.”

“Fine. But if we’re going to do this, we do it my way. I won’t be anyone’s pawn, Elenora not theirs, and not yours.”

She met my gaze.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

-

After Elenora went, I went to a different inn than the usual one.

Sacril padded silently at my side, drawing curious glances from a few patrons scattered around the room.

I sat on the stool and gestured for the innkeeper.

He approached, a burly man with a thick mustache and calloused hands, and placed a pint of beer in front of me without a word.

I looked at the beer for a moment and smiled; the memory of the poisoned food told me to check it.

Better safe than sorry.

Without making it obvious, I leaned forward and studied the drink. The color looked normal, a deep amber hue, and the foam wasn’t discolored.

Still, I wasn’t about to take any chances.

Using a small sliver of magical energy, I probed the beer subtly, sensing for anything out of place.

Satisfied that it wasn’t laced with anything harmful,

I lifted the mug and downed the drink in one go.

The bitter liquid burned slightly on the way down,

The innkeeper glanced at me, perhaps surprised by my haste, but said nothing as he turned to serve another customer.

I leaned back on the stool and sighed, letting my eyes wander over the room.

Sacril settled by my feet, his sharp gaze scanning the inn.

Elena’s words echoed in my thoughts,

“She said I was being followed, and her group was in danger because of me. It all sounded plausible enough, and yet... her timing, her demeanor, the calculated way she’d approached me—everything about it screamed manipulation.”

“They want me scared.”

I muttered under my breath, barely audible even to myself.

“Scared enough to stick close to them.”

I swirled the empty mug in my hands, the weight of it grounding me as I pieced things together.

Eval Morningstar, that old man I respect.

I thought I knew him enough to trust him after all that time in the Grimrock Mines.

But his followers... if Elenora and her group were any indication, they operated on a different level. Subtle, yes, but manipulative to the core.

“Like a cult, I guess...”

“Eval might have his reasons, but this game of theirs is starting to get under my skin.”

Sacril’s ears twitched at my murmured words.

He tilted his head, looking up at me with a curious glint in his eyes.

I reached down and scratched the top of his head.

The patrons in the inn seemed to notice Sacril as well, their whispers just loud enough to catch.

“What kind of animal is that?” one woman murmured to her companion.

“Is it a wolf? Or something else?”

I ignored them, letting their curiosity roll off me.

Sacril was used to the attention, and I had bigger things to think about.

I wasn’t naive enough to dismiss the danger entirely.

The poisoned food, the words from Elenora and Freedom of Amber in the town, the enemies following me—these were real threats, and I couldn’t afford to ignore them.

“I trust myself, but it does not mean that I am impossible to kill and destroy.”

But aligning myself with a group that Elenora belonged to that operated like this?

That was a different kind of risk, one I wasn’t sure I was willing to take.

Still, there was something about Eval himself.

A part of me respected him, despite the unease his followers stirred within me.

If nothing else, he was a figure of power, someone who understood the world in ways I was only beginning to grasp.

But respect wasn’t enough to blind me.

If this group thought they could push me around, manipulate me into falling in line... they were in for a rude awakening.

Sacril let out a low, contented huff, settling into a more relaxed position at my feet.

“Let them try. If they think fear will work, they don’t know me at all.”

I pushed the empty mug away and signaled to the innkeeper for another.

If I was going to be drawn into whatever web Eval Morningstar was spinning,

I’d do it on my own terms. Not out of fear or manipulation, but because it served my purpose.

The innkeeper set another mug in front of me, and I lifted it with a small, wry smile.

If Elenora and her group wanted to play their games, they’d find I was more than ready to play back.