Cedric and Magnus stood back-to-back, their eyes darting around as the strange beings closed in from all sides. The tension was thick in the air, the creatures moving with a slow, deliberate menace that only heightened the sense of impending danger.
"What's the play here?" Magnus asked, his voice low but steady.
Cedric quickly assessed their surroundings, his gaze landing on a nearby wooden wall. It looked old and thin enough to break through. "See that wall on our right?" Cedric indicated with a quick nod.
Magnus glanced at it, his mind racing. "When?" he asked, bracing himself for whatever came next.
"On my go," Cedric replied, his voice firm.
The masked dancer was the first to make a move, dashing toward them with unnerving speed. Magnus instinctively stepped back, dodging the attack, giving Cedric the opening he needed. Cedric leaped from Magnus's position, his boots landing on Magnus's broad shoulders before launching himself into the air. With a swift, powerful kick, Cedric sent the dancer sprawling backward.
"Now!" Cedric shouted.
Magnus didn’t hesitate. He lowered his shoulder, his magical shield and armor flaring with energy, and charged toward the wooden wall. The brittle wood splintered and shattered under the force of his impact, creating a large hole through which they both could escape.
Without a second thought, the two men dashed through the newly made gap, bolting down the narrow street on the other side. The creatures were quick to recover, more of them emerging from the shadows, their inhuman forms becoming more visible in the dim light of the city’s night.
As they ran, the number of creatures chasing them seemed to grow. "Where were these guys during the day?" Magnus questioned, his breath coming in quick, controlled bursts as they weaved through the streets.
Cedric, running just ahead of him, shot a glance over his shoulder. "I don't know," he replied, his tone urgent. "Maybe they were hiding in the sewers or near the waterway. With the river dry, they could’ve been lurking there."
An avian-like being suddenly lunged at Magnus from a side alley, its once-majestic wings flaring out as it attacked. Magnus reacted instinctively, swinging his shield around to bash the creature away with a forceful blow. The creature crumpled to the ground, momentarily stunned, but more were already closing in.
"Which way to the manor again?" Magnus shouted, his voice tinged with frustration.
But as they ran, it became increasingly clear that the city at night was a labyrinth of dark, twisting alleyways, each one looking eerily similar to the last. The streets that had seemed straightforward during the day now seemed to shift and change, with the shadows playing tricks on their sense of direction.
Cedric's eyes scanned the surroundings desperately, but the familiar landmarks from earlier were obscured by the darkness and the oppressive presence of the creatures. The city's charm from earlier had vanished, replaced by an ominous, foreboding atmosphere. The narrow streets, once filled with life, now felt like a trap closing in on them.
Magnus and Cedric dashed into the narrow alley, their boots pounding against the cobblestones. The alley was dimly lit by the faint glow of distant lanterns, their light barely piercing the thickening gloom of the night. Shadows clung to the walls like dark sentinels, and the once bustling city now felt eerily silent, save for the ominous rustling of the creatures pursuing them.
As they reached the end of the alley, their path was abruptly blocked by a high brick wall, its surface rough and unyielding. The realization hit them hard—there was no way forward. Magnus turned around, his eyes narrowing as he saw the entrance to the alley fill with the unnatural figures closing in on them. The creatures moved with a slow, deliberate grace, their grotesque forms illuminated by the pale moonlight filtering down from above.
"Dead end," Magnus muttered, tightening his grip on his axe. It was clear that they were cornered, and the only way out seemed to be through the horde that had them trapped.
Cedric's eyes scanned the alley, taking in every detail. His gaze fell on a scaffold to their right, stacked with crates and other loose items. It offered a potential escape route, but Magnus wouldn’t be able to follow if Cedric decided to climb. Even if Cedric teleported up there and kicked the crates down, it wouldn’t do much to slow the creatures due to their sheer numbers.
"How desperate are you?" Cedric asked, his mind racing as he tried to piece together a plan.
Magnus shot him a bewildered look. "Very much? We're about to die here, Cedric!"
Cedric's mind settled on a risky idea. "Well, I have a plan, and it's a crazy one," he said, the gears turning in his head.
Magnus, with no other options in sight, grunted. "Whatever your plan is, if it gets us out of here, then it's probably a good plan."
The creatures were closing in, their inhuman forms shuffling forward, eager to trap their prey. Cedric glanced at the scaffold and shouted, "Bash the scaffold, Magnus! Bring it down!"
Magnus didn’t hesitate. With a mighty swing of his axe, he struck the base of the scaffold. The structure groaned under the impact, and in an instant, crates, barrels, and various debris came crashing down onto the creatures below, creating a temporary blockade that slowed their advance.
"What now?" Magnus asked, his voice edged with tension as the creatures began to push through the debris.
"We’re bashing through them," Cedric responded, his tone resolute.
"That’s crazy!" Magnus exclaimed, though there was a hint of reluctant admiration in his voice.
"That’s what I told you"
Magnus couldn’t think of any other plan himself. With a determined growl, he braced himself behind his shield, the magical armor around him shimmering with power. Then, with a burst of energy, he charged into the debris. The sound of splintering wood and shattering crates filled the air as Magnus barreled through, his shield and armor protecting him from the falling wreckage and the grasping hands of the creatures.
Cedric followed closely behind, his movements swift and calculated. As they barreled through the crowd, Cedric spotted a bag among the debris of the fallen scaffold—a sack of Drake's Ash, a substance used in construction for its quick-drying and binding properties. Knowing its volatile nature when exposed to heat, Cedric grabbed the bag as they ran past. He swiftly pulled a firestone from his pouch, tossing it into the bag before hurling it toward the creatures swarming behind them.
As the bag landed, one of the creatures—a masked dancer with iridescent scales—was momentarily stunned by the falling debris. It reached out, its shimmering, almost liquid hand brushing against the sack. The instant its fingers made contact, the firestone inside ignited the Drake's Ash with a faint spark.
The bag exploded with a deafening roar, the Drake's Ash combusting in a burst of flame and thick, acrid smoke. The dancer was caught in the blast, its body disintegrating in the fiery explosion. The other creatures recoiled from the sudden burst of fire, momentarily thrown into disarray.
The resulting blast created a dense cloud of dark smoke that filled the alley, obscuring their pursuers’ vision and buying them precious seconds. The acrid smell of the burning Drake's Ash mixed with the scent of charred wood and stone, creating a choking haze that clung to the air.
With the smoke screen covering their retreat, Magnus and Cedric pushed forward, using the confusion to their advantage. The city streets, now bathed in the faint glow of the moon and the dying embers of the explosion, seemed almost foreign to them. The once lively streets were now silent, the echoes of distant footsteps the only sound that accompanied them.
As they emerged from the alley, they found themselves on a wide avenue lined with tall, shadowed buildings. The lanterns that hung from the walls flickered weakly, casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the cobblestones. The city’s charm from earlier in the day was now replaced by an ominous silence, as if the very air was thick with tension.
They could hear the distant shuffling of more creatures, but for the moment, they were clear. The smoke from the explosion still lingered, drifting lazily down the alley behind them.
The explosion behind them provided only a fleeting moment of respite, and Cedric and Magnus knew they couldn't afford to linger. The eerie silence of the city was now filled with the sound of more creatures emerging from the shadows, drawn to the commotion. Cedric could feel the tension rising in the air, a palpable sense of danger that urged them forward.
"Keep moving!" Cedric urged, glancing over his shoulder to see more of the strange beings closing in from the alleyway. Their movements were unnaturally smooth and fluid, gliding over the cobblestones like phantoms in the night. The eerie glimmer of their forms was only accentuated by the moonlight, giving them an otherworldly appearance that sent a chill down his spine.
Magnus, his armor clinking with each step, was running as fast as his heavy gear allowed. His breathing was ragged, but he pushed on, determined not to let the creatures catch them. "This city’s turning into a damn nightmare!" he muttered between gasps, his eyes scanning the dark streets ahead for any sign of escape.
They twisted and turned through the labyrinth of narrow streets, each one looking more like a dead end than the last. The city that had seemed so welcoming during the day was now a maze of darkness and shadows, with every corner potentially hiding more of those creatures. The few lanterns that still burned did little to illuminate the way, casting long, flickering shadows that made the streets appear even more treacherous.
As they rounded another corner, Cedric spotted a ramp leading up to a series of connected rooftops. It wasn’t the most ideal escape route, but it offered a chance to get off the ground and away from their relentless pursuers. He pointed to it and shouted, "Up there, Magnus! It’s our best shot!"
Magnus glanced up, his eyes widening slightly as he realized what Cedric intended. "You’ve got to be kidding me," he muttered, but he didn’t hesitate. He followed Cedric as they sprinted toward the ramp, the sound of their boots slapping against the stone pavement echoing through the deserted streets.
They reached the base of the ramp and began their ascent, the incline steep but manageable. The wooden boards creaked under their weight, but they held firm as Cedric and Magnus scrambled upward. Behind them, the creatures hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to follow. But it was only a moment; soon enough, they began to ascend as well, their fluid forms adapting to the unfamiliar terrain with disturbing ease.
The rooftop wasn’t much better than the streets below. The tiles were slick with dew, and the narrow space offered little room for maneuvering. Cedric moved quickly, his feet finding purchase on the unstable surface as he led the way across the rooftops. Magnus, however, wasn’t as nimble. His armor, though providing protection, made balancing on the uneven tiles a precarious endeavor.
"Careful, Magnus!" Cedric called back, his voice strained with the effort of keeping his balance.
Magnus grunted in response, his focus entirely on not slipping. "This is why I hate rooftops," he muttered, his footsteps heavy on the tiles. Despite his best efforts, his foot slipped on a loose tile, and he stumbled, his arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance.
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Cedric turned just in time to see Magnus lose his footing completely. "Magnus!" he shouted, reaching out instinctively to grab him. But as soon as he did, the weight of Magnus’s armored form pulled him off balance as well.
Together, they tumbled off the edge of the rooftop, gravity taking hold as they plummeted toward the street below. The world spun around them in a blur of darkened rooftops and dimly lit streets, the wind rushing past their ears as they fell. Cedric’s heart raced, his mind scrambling for a solution even as they hurtled toward the ground.
Just when it seemed like they were about to crash into the hard cobblestones, they collided with something much softer. With a heavy thud, they landed on a shop’s awning, the fabric sagging under their combined weight before tearing with a loud rip. They tumbled down onto a pile of crates stacked outside the shop, the wood splintering beneath them as they finally came to a stop.
Cedric groaned as he pushed himself up, wincing at the dull ache that spread through his body from the impact. Magnus lay beside him, equally disoriented but alive. The shop’s awning had saved them from what could have been a fatal fall, but now they were back on the street, and the creatures weren’t far behind.
"That… could’ve gone better," Magnus grunted, rolling onto his back and catching his breath.
Cedric didn’t have time to respond. He was already on his feet, scanning the area for their next move. The street they had landed on was narrow, with tall buildings on either side. The dim light from the shop’s broken lantern cast long shadows across the cobblestones, making the scene look even more eerie.
The sound of the creatures’ approach was getting louder, their fluid movements growing closer with every passing second. Cedric helped Magnus to his feet, both of them knowing they couldn’t afford to stay in one place for long. The creatures would be on them in moments, and they had to find a way out.
"Come on," Cedric urged, his voice tight with urgency. "We need to keep moving."
Magnus nodded, still shaken but determined. Together, they began to run again, the narrow street offering little in the way of cover. The city, once a vibrant place of life and energy, now felt like a maze of darkness and danger, with no clear path to safety.
Magnus’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the darkened streets, spotting a building with a faint glow of lantern light still visible through the cracks of boarded windows. “There!” he whispered urgently to Cedric, pointing towards the structure.
Without hesitation, the two men sprinted toward the building, their boots thudding softly against the cobblestones. Reaching the door, Magnus shoved it open, and they both slipped inside, quickly closing it behind them.
The interior was dimly lit, the room cluttered with crates piled high, packed with various goods and supplies. The air was thick with the scent of dust and aged wood. The boarded windows allowed only slivers of the outside light to filter through, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. In the corner, a narrow staircase wound upwards to a second-floor landing, its railing overlooking the storage space below.
They stayed still for a moment, ears straining for any sound that might indicate they had been followed. Their breaths came in controlled, shallow gasps as they waited, hoping that the creatures outside would pass by without noticing them.
Magnus finally exhaled, breaking the tense silence with a sigh of relief. But as he adjusted his stance, his elbow caught the edge of a crate stacked with old plates. The fragile ceramics teetered for a split second before tumbling to the ground with a loud crash, shattering into pieces.
Both men froze, their eyes wide with horror. The noise echoed through the building, a stark contrast to the silence they had hoped for. Outside, the shuffling sounds of the creatures ceased, the horde seemingly holding its collective breath.
Then, the sound of claws scraping against the cobblestones grew louder. The creatures had turned back, drawn by the noise, and now they were heading straight for the building.
“Damn it!” Magnus muttered, rushing to grab a large storage shelf. He dragged it across the floor, positioning it against the door in a desperate attempt to reinforce their barricade. The door rattled as the first of the creatures began pounding against it, their hands and claws reaching through the gaps, trying to force their way inside.
“They’re coming in from the second floor!” Cedric shouted, already halfway up the stairs. He reached the landing just as one of the creatures managed to pry open a boarded window. Its grotesque, elongated fingers clawed at the air as it tried to pull itself inside. Cedric’s sword flashed in the dim light as he slashed at the creature, sending it tumbling back to the ground below with a guttural shriek.
Downstairs, Magnus swung his axe in wide arcs, fending off the creatures as they forced their way through the gaps in the makeshift barricade. The door buckled under the pressure, the shelf groaning as it strained to hold back the onslaught.
Cedric leaned over the railing, scanning the room below. “Magnus, hold them off as long as you can!” he called out, his mind racing for a plan. But even as he spoke, the shelf began to give way, the weight of the creatures proving too much for the improvised barricade.
The door finally burst open with a thunderous crash, the shelf tipping over as the creatures flooded into the room. Magnus roared in defiance, swinging his axe with all his might, but the sheer number of them was overwhelming. Cedric leaped from the landing, landing beside Magnus with a graceful, deadly precision, his sword slicing through the creatures as he fought to keep them at bay.
Despite their combined efforts, it was clear that they were being pushed back. The room was rapidly filling with the monstrous horde, and the two men were running out of space to retreat. They fought side by side, every swing of their weapons a desperate attempt to hold their ground, but the numbers were too great.
Just when it seemed like they were done for, a distant sound rang out through the city—the tolling of the morning bell.
The creatures paused, their movements slowing as the bell’s clear tones echoed through the streets. One by one, they began to retreat, their grotesque forms slinking back out of the building. The horde, which had seemed unstoppable just moments before, began to disperse, drawn away by some unseen force.
Magnus and Cedric stood in the wreckage of the room, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. The morning light filtered through the broken windows, casting long shadows across the floor littered with debris and the remains of their fight.
“Did we… did we make it?” Magnus panted, still gripping his axe tightly, his eyes scanning the room for any lingering threats.
As the creatures receded into the shadows of the city, Cedric and Magnus cautiously made their way to the door of the storage building, stepping out into the early morning light. The streets were eerily quiet, the tolling of the morning bell still echoing faintly in the distance. The two men exchanged a relieved glance, but their respite was short-lived.
“Finally, they’re gone,” Magnus muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Just as they began to catch their breath, a shout rang out from the end of the street. “Halt! You there!”
Cedric and Magnus turned to see a group of city guards approaching, their armor glinting in the dawn’s light. The guards’ faces were stern, and their hands rested on the hilts of their weapons as they closed in.
“You two, hands where we can see them!” the lead guard commanded, his voice brooking no argument. He gestured to the smashed door of the storage building behind them. “Breaking into a storage house, are we? Thought you could get away with a bit of looting, did you?”
Magnus quickly raised his hands, trying to reason with the guards. “Wait, it’s not what it looks like. We’re not thieves—we were just trying to get away from—”
“Save your excuses,” another guard cut him off, stepping forward to roughly grab Magnus’s arm. “You can explain yourself to the magistrate.”
Cedric attempted to intervene, his voice calm but firm. “This is a misunderstanding. We’re not criminals. There were creatures—”
“Creatures?” the lead guard scoffed. “I’ve heard enough. You’re coming with us.” He nodded to his men, who moved in to secure them.
Before they could protest further, the guards had their hands bound, their weapons confiscated. “You’ll be spending some time in the cells until we get this sorted out,” one of the guards said as they were led away.
Cedric and Magnus exchanged a frustrated glance, knowing that there was no point in resisting. The guards were clearly not in the mood to listen, and any attempt to explain further would likely fall on deaf ears.
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Magnus sat slumped against the iron bars of the dimly lit jail cell, his broad shoulders resting heavily against the cold metal. His armor, now safely back inside his pendant, was gone, leaving him in his travel-worn clothes. Across from him, Cedric sat on the hard stone bed built into the wall. The bed was nothing more than a slab of rock, with a thin, scratchy blanket that offered little comfort. The faint light from a small, barred window high above cast long shadows across the cell, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.
The small hallway outside the cell was equally dim, with only a single torch flickering weakly in its sconce, barely illuminating the worn stone floor. The cell door, made of heavy iron bars, stood between them and the hallway, a reminder of their current predicament. Despite the ease with which they could break through it, they both knew that doing so would only worsen the misunderstandings that had led them here.
Magnus let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "What just happened?" he asked, breaking the silence that had settled between them. His voice was low, tinged with confusion and disbelief as he tried to make sense of the events from the night before.
Cedric, his elbows resting on his knees, stared down at the stone floor. "I don’t know," he replied, his voice thoughtful but equally uncertain. "One moment we were following Garrick, and the next… those creatures appeared out of nowhere. It doesn't add up."
Magnus shifted slightly, the iron bars creaking under his weight as he adjusted his position. "Do you think it could be like the manor? Maybe we were hallucinating, or someone cast an illusion spell on us?"
Cedric looked up, meeting Magnus’s eyes for a moment before glancing back at the small window. The light filtering through it was pale and weak, barely enough to brighten the cell. "It's possible," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered the idea. "We know Veilith has that kind of power… but this place is too normal. There were no signs of Argoth or his minions being involved. And why go through the trouble of setting up an illusion here, of all places?"
Magnus frowned, his brow furrowing as he thought. "Yeah, it doesn’t make sense. The city's just… off. The prices are high, sure, but that doesn’t exactly scream demon lord’s influence."
Cedric’s mind drifted back to the events of the previous night, replaying the scenes in his head as he tried to piece together the puzzle. He remembered the strange creatures, their fluid movements, the masks, the elderly figure with tiny glowing beings on its back… all of it felt real, too real to be a mere hallucination. But then again, how could they have missed such an overwhelming presence during the day? The streets had been bustling with life, completely normal in every way.
"We were outnumbered, surrounded by creatures that shouldn’t exist… but when we ended up here, there was no sign of them. Just the city guards," Cedric murmured, frustration creeping into his tone. "If it was a trick, it was a damn good one."
Magnus grunted in agreement, rubbing his hands together to warm them in the chilly cell. "You think Argoth is behind this?" he asked, though there was a note of doubt in his voice.
Cedric shook his head slightly, leaning back against the stone wall. "Argoth's focus seemed to be on the palace last we knew. He hasn't shown any interest in the human territories, at least not openly. And if he were here, I think we'd have seen more overt signs—chaos, destruction, something. This… this just doesn’t fit his style."
Magnus exhaled slowly, nodding. "Yeah, but we can’t ignore the possibility. Something’s definitely wrong here. It could be someone else, maybe another player we haven’t accounted for."
Cedric looked at Magnus, his expression serious. "Whoever or whatever it is, we need to figure it out. But first, we need to clear up this mess with the guards. Breaking out of here isn’t going to help."
Magnus smirked slightly, a glimmer of his usual confidence returning. "Yeah, because nothing says 'we’re innocent' like smashing through a jail cell door."
Cedric chuckled softly, the tension between them easing just a bit. Despite the uncertainty and the dangers they faced, they were still in this together, and that gave him some measure of comfort. For now, all they could do was wait and hope that the truth would reveal itself before it was too late.
“Magnus! Cedric!” Tristan’s voice echoed through the stone hallway as he hurried toward the cell, concern etched on his face. He stopped short in front of the cell, eyes wide with disbelief. “What happened? Why are you guys in jail?”
A guard quickly stepped forward, fumbling with the keys as he unlocked the cell door. “We’re sorry for this misunderstanding, Your Highness,” the guard apologized, bowing his head as he swung the door open.
As soon as the door was open, Faylinn leaped out of Tristan’s shirt pocket, her tiny form darting straight for Cedric. She landed on his head with a flurry of angry and worried mews, her tiny claws gripping his hair as if she never wanted to let go.
“Ow! I’m sorry, Fay,” Cedric winced, raising a hand to gently pat the little fox, trying to soothe her. She mewed again, this time more softly, but still clung to him with all her might.
Magnus, rubbing the back of his neck, looked at Tristan and started explaining what had happened. “Last night, we were following Garrick, trying to see what he was up to. We ended up at the docks, and that’s when we saw them—creatures, all sorts of them, just swarming out of nowhere.”
“Creatures?” Tristan repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion. He glanced between Magnus and Cedric, as if trying to gauge whether they were serious. “I was asleep at the manor. I didn’t hear anything unusual. Faylinn was the one who woke me up this morning, flying around in a panic looking for you.”
Cedric nodded, carefully detaching Faylinn from his hair and cradling her in his hands. “We couldn’t tell what they were, but they weren’t normal. We thought we were hallucinating, or maybe someone was casting an illusion spell on us, but… it felt too real.”
Tristan looked thoughtful, his expression serious as he processed their words. “And you’re sure it wasn’t just a trick of the mind? No one else saw them?”
“We don’t know,” Cedric admitted, his tone frustrated. “Whether it was a similar trick like at the manor or something else.”
Magnus crossed his arms, his expression grim. “We were outnumbered, and when we tried to escape, we ended up here, with no sign of those creatures. It’s like they just vanished.”
Tristan nodded slowly, taking in the gravity of the situation. “We need to be careful. If these creatures are real, they could pose a serious threat, not just to us, but to the city as well.”
Magnus sighed heavily. “I’m starting to think we’re dealing with more than just Garrick’s shady business. There’s something bigger at play here.”
Tristan looked at the two of them, determination hardening his features. “Then we need to find out what it is. But first, let’s get you both back to the manor. We’ll figure out our next move from there.”
Cedric nodded, feeling the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders. Faylinn mewed softly in his hands, her tiny form still trembling slightly. “We’ll get to the bottom of this,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
With that, the three of them left the jail, the mystery of the previous night still hanging heavily in the air, waiting to be unraveled.
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Later that day, the team gathered and made their way to Caelum’s office. The sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows through the narrow windows of the fort as they walked down the corridor. Cedric couldn’t shake the unease that clung to him like a shadow, the memory of the previous night still vivid in his mind.
Inside the office, Caelum greeted them with his usual composed demeanor. “Is there something I can assist you with, Your Highness?” he asked, looking at Tristan with a respectful nod.
Tristan got straight to the point. “We were wondering if there’s been any trouble in the city recently. Anything out of the ordinary? We’d be happy to help with any issues.”
Caelum considered the question for a moment, then shook his head. “Nothing major, I’m afraid. There’s been some trouble with low stock, which has driven prices up, but that’s more an economic issue than anything else. We’ve also had the occasional demon sighting, but nothing that our guards can’t handle. The city has been relatively peaceful.”
Cedric and Magnus exchanged a glance. The calm report didn’t align with what they’d experienced last night. Had they really been imagining things? Were the creatures they saw nothing more than a shared hallucination?
Tristan nodded at Caelum’s response. “That’s good to hear. However, we’re planning to travel to no man’s land soon. I’d like to request a ship to take us there, and I believe Killian’s soldiers will arrive within a few days. We should be prepared for that.”
Caelum nodded in agreement. “Of course, Your Highness. I’ll make the necessary arrangements for a ship and ensure everything you need is ready.”
With that, the team left the fort, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls as they made their way outside. Cedric’s mind was racing. None of this made sense. If they had been under an illusion spell, how had both he and Magnus seen the same bizarre creatures? And if it wasn’t an illusion, what on earth had they encountered last night?
He looked at Magnus, who seemed equally troubled. They needed answers, and Cedric knew exactly where to start. “I need to go back to that building,” he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
Magnus glanced at him. “To see if there’s any trace of what happened?”
Cedric nodded. “If there’s nothing there, then maybe we were just swinging our weapons around like madmen. But if there’s even the slightest trace of a fight...”
“Then we’ll know it wasn’t our imagination,” Magnus finished, understanding the unspoken conclusion.
Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Cedric steeled himself for what was to come. Whatever the truth was, he knew they couldn’t afford to ignore it.