“That should buy us some time,” Linus muttered, his voice laced with a touch of relief. He released a slow breath, feeling the pressure in his chest ease for the first time since the chase began.

Eliza stood a step away, her breath coming in shallow, uneven bursts. She raised her hand to her lips, her fingertips brushing the lingering warmth from the kiss—unexpected, searing, and far too complicated to process amid everything else. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, a storm of confusion and something else swirling in their depths. “Thank you, Linus,” she whispered, her voice quiet and fragile after what had just happened. She hesitated, her gaze dropping, then rising again to meet his. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

Linus waved off her gratitude with a sharp, dismissive flick of his hand as if her words were a nuisance he couldn’t be bothered to address. The softness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a shadow of something darker, colder. He took a deliberate step forward, his broad shoulders angling toward her, cutting off any chance for retreat.

Eliza’s breath caught in her throat, her chest tightening as the distance between them disappeared. His eyes pinned her where she stood, cold and unyielding, the kind of stare that left no room for half-truths or clever evasions.

“We have more pressing matters to deal with,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous growl. The sound cut through the thin veil of safety they’d created, slicing into the fragile moment of reprieve. “I overheard part of your conversation back there. Tell me, Eliza…” He leaned in, his gaze boring into hers, sharp as a dagger’s edge. “Is it true your family is in cahoots with Sorenputhra?”

The words landed like a slap. Eliza’s relief froze on her lips as if she’d been struck. Her eyes widened, shock flaring across her face before she could hide it. Her breath faltered, a shiver rippling through her as her relief shattered, turning into sharp-edged panic. It was as though the ground had been yanked out from under her feet, leaving her suspended in midair, caught between truth and the instinct to deny it.

Her wide eyes locked onto his for a heartbeat before darting away, dropping to the ground as if the ground might offer an answer. Linus didn’t move, didn’t flinch. He simply waited, his silence heavier than his words, a cold and suffocating pressure filling the alley. The air between them grew heavy, thick with unspoken accusations until it felt like even the walls around them were closing in.

Eliza swallowed, the movement almost painful, her throat bobbing as she fought to find her voice. “Master Linus, I—” she started, but the words faltered, falling flat. She glanced to the side, her eyes darting to the shadows of the alley as if looking for an escape. But there was none. The two of them were locked in this moment of raw, unfiltered confrontation.

Her silence was deafening. To Linus, it said more than any words could. His voice dropped further, sharp and venomous, a hiss that scraped against her nerves. “You hesitated,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “That’s all the answer I need.”

Eliza’s face crumpled, the mask she wore slipping for just an instant, revealing the turmoil beneath. She took a deep, shuddering breath, finally forcing herself to meet his gaze. “It’s not what you think,” she whispered, her voice breaking on the last word. But even as she spoke, Linus could see the guilt lurking in her eyes, the weight of whatever secret she was carrying.

“Then make me understand,” he demanded, the steel in his voice leaving no room for argument. He took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up toward his, forcing her to look at him. “Tell me the truth, Eliza, before it’s too late.”

Eliza’s gaze dropped like a stone, her hands clasping so tightly in front of her that her knuckles turned white. She drew in a shuddering breath, her chest rising and falling with the effort to steady herself, but it was futile. When she finally spoke, her voice cracked under the weight of her fear, barely more than a broken whisper.

“My husband’s actions have been… suspicious,” she admitted, each word falling heavily from her lips as though dragged out against her will. “That’s why I’ve been trying to find out what he’s involved in. I don’t want my family caught in the crossfire because of his choices.”

Her voice trailed off, and she glanced away, her hands twisting together as she hesitated. Her lips parted, but no words came as if she debated how much more to reveal—or if she should say anything at all. Her gaze flickered to Linus, then quickly darted away, unable to hold his piercing stare.

Linus’s eyes narrowed, catching the hesitation. The soft clench of his jaw became a tight line of frustration, his patience stretching dangerously thin.

“You realize what will happen if this comes to light, right?” His voice dropped to a low, venomous whisper, coiling around her like a snake tightening its grip. “If your family is connected to Sorenputhra, the consequences will be catastrophic.” He leaned in his voice like ice cutting through her fragile defenses. “Arrest. Confiscation of your property. And that’s if you’re lucky.”

Eliza’s breath hitched audibly, her shoulders jolting like she’d been struck. Linus continued his voice unyielding and tinged with a subtle threat. “They might even consider execution. Not just for you, Eliza.” He paused, the silence between his words heavy and suffocating. His piercing gaze locked onto hers, his next words slicing through the air like a blade. “Your father. Your mother. Your brother. Everyone could die because of this.”

The blood drained from Eliza’s face, leaving her pale as parchment. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no sound came, her breath shallow and ragged. Linus could see the shock and terror in her expression, the way her posture seemed to collapse in on itself as the reality sank in.

“Now,” Linus said, his voice sharp and cold. “I want you to tell me everything you know. Every detail. And if I sense even the slightest hint of a lie, I won’t hesitate to act.” His tone left no room for doubt, his body language promising consequences should she choose to withhold anything.

Eliza stood frozen, her fingers twisting together, her eyes glazed with barely contained fear. She knew she had no way out, no space left for evasion or carefully crafted half-truths. Linus had stripped away all her defenses, and he stood there, waiting, relentless and unforgiving.

She swallowed hard, attempting to steady her voice. “Alright,” she murmured, taking a shaky breath. She looked up, forcing herself to meet his cold, demanding gaze. “A few months ago… two people came to visit my husband. They claimed to be archaeologists from Sorenputhra.” Her voice shook with every word, her gaze flickering with a mixture of anger and guilt. “Since then, he’s been meeting with them regularly. They talk in hushed tones, locked away in his study. And sometimes… sometimes they disappear for a day or two, returning like nothing happened.”

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Linus watched her intently, his face a mask of concentration, eyes narrowing as he processed her words. He didn’t react immediately. His gaze locked onto hers as if trying to pull more secrets from her, his expression unreadable.

“At first, he was incredibly excited,” Eliza continued, her voice finding a sliver of steadiness as she gained momentum. “He said our lives were going to change, that it would be for the better. But he never shared any specifics. He avoided my questions, brushed me off…” She bit her lip, her frustration momentarily overtaking her fear. “Then, over time, his mood darkened. He became angry—especially after those meetings with the Sorenputhrans. Their conversations always seemed to end in arguments, loud enough that I could hear their voices even through the closed door.”

Eliza paused, her fingers intertwining as if she were squeezing out her anxiety. Her voice dropped, barely above a whisper now. “But in the last few weeks…” She paused, taking another shaky breath, her chest rising and falling unevenly. “He’s seemed more afraid than anything else. Jumpy. Paranoid. He barely sleeps. That’s when I knew I couldn’t ignore it anymore.” Her voice wavered, a hint of desperation creeping in. “I arranged for a spy—someone to investigate, to find out what was going on. But even they couldn’t tell me more than I already knew.”

Linus’s gaze bore into her as he processed her confession. Though his expression remained unreadable, his eyes gleamed with something sharp and calculating, as though he were piecing together a puzzle in his mind. "What are they looking for?" Linus asked, his voice low, filled with intensity.

Eliza hesitated for a heartbeat, her lips pressing together as if weighing the enormity of what she was about to say. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, her voice trembling when she finally spoke. “I overheard them mention… the Phoenix Blade.”

Linus’s eyes narrowed in intrigue hearing the name. “The Phoenix Blade?” His tone carried a dangerous curiosity, his sharp gaze locking onto hers. “What do you know about it?”

Eliza hesitated again, but this time, the words came more steadily, a grim certainty hardening her voice as she spoke. “I researched it. He had documents in his study—bits and pieces of legends, scattered notes.” She swallowed, her throat dry but pressed on, her voice steadier now as if the act of speaking had given her strength. “It’s a mystical weapon, forged in the heart of an eternal volcano by the first Phoenix—the creature of fire and rebirth. The Phoenix Blade isn’t just a weapon… it’s a symbol. Of ultimate power. Of eternal life.”

Linus’s expression remained carved in stone, but his eyes darkened, sharpening as the weight of her words settled over him.

Eliza continued, her voice rising slightly, gaining momentum as the legend unfolded. “They say the blade was quenched in the blood of the Phoenix itself, and that’s what gives it its power—the power to command an army, to grant its wielder immortality.” She paused, her gaze flickering with unease as she added in a hushed tone, “And the ability to revive fallen soldiers under their command.”

Linus’s jaw tightened, his thoughts racing. This wasn’t just about a relic or a fragment of history—it was something far more dangerous. The Phoenix Blade wasn’t just power; it was the kind of power that could topple kingdoms, rewrite the balance of the world, and change the course of history in ways no one could predict.

“This weapon…” Linus’s voice was low, almost a growl, his eyes fixed on hers with an intensity that made Eliza shiver. “It’s not just a myth, is it?”

Eliza shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line. “If it were, they wouldn’t be risking so much to find it. My husband wouldn’t be this terrified. The people from Sorenputhra believe it’s real, and they think they’re close to finding it.”

Linus studied her carefully, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable except for the sharp glint of intensity in his eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was low but carried a weight that made Eliza flinch. “And your husband?” His tone was quiet but laced with demand, each word pressing against her like a hand at her throat. “He’s been involved in researching this?”

Eliza nodded, her face clouding with a mixture of guilt and resignation. “Yes,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper at first, then stronger as she forced the truth into the open. “He’s been obsessed with it for years. He believes…” She hesitated before she pushed herself to continue. “He believes his family is part of a secret lineage entrusted with hiding the Phoenix Blade.”

Linus’s brow furrowed, but he said nothing, allowing her words to settle as he waited for her to go on. The silence pressed heavily on her, coaxing out the rest.

“That’s why he was so excited when the so-called archaeologists from Sorenputhra approached him,” Eliza explained, her tone bitter, as though the memory itself burned her. “He thought they had discovered a way to locate it—a way to fulfill his family’s ‘duty.’ At first, it was all he could talk about. He said it was destiny that our lives would finally have meaning.” She paused, her expression darkening further, her voice dropping into a whisper. “But then everything changed.”

Linus’s mind churned with the weight of this new information. Under normal circumstances, he might have dismissed such tales as mere legends. But he knew that the powerful Tradewood family was tailing the two spies as well, and now, knowing that they were from the kingdom of Sorenputhra, there had to be more to the story. Legends were sometimes built on fragments of truth, and Linus couldn't afford to ignore any possibilities.

Eliza’s voice trembled slightly as she continued. “The urgency comes from the timing... it’s said that you can only access the secret location during the Year of the Phoenix. If they miss this year, they’ll have to wait four more years for another chance.”

Linus’s eyes widened slightly, the magnitude of the situation sinking in. "The Year of the Phoenix?" he echoed, the timeline adding new pressure to the already volatile situation.

Eliza nodded, her fear clear in every word. "Yes. They believe that both the maps and the gem required to access the hidden location and retrieve the Phoenix Blade are now in Sorenputhra. My husband has been desperately trying to assist them in locating it." Her last word trembled, weighed down by guilt.

Linus took a step back, his thoughts racing. The information was valuable but incomplete. He needed to know more about these so-called archaeologists and their true intentions. "Describe the two people from Sorenputhra," he instructed, his tone demanding but calm.

Eliza froze momentarily, her expression tightening as if summoning the memory made it all the more real. She exhaled shakily, brushing her palms over her skirt as though grounding herself. “One of them is tall, with a stern face and this… commanding presence. He wears a dark cloak, always, even when it’s warm. His eyes…” She trailed off, a shiver running through her. “There’s something wrong about them. Like he’s staring through you. Like you’re nothing.”

Linus’s gaze didn’t waver, his sharp eyes locked on her as she continued.

“The other,” Eliza went on, her voice quiet but steadying with each word, “is shorter. Almost ordinary, unassuming. But he’s the one who does most of the talking. ” Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes darting to Linus’s as though searching for reassurance. “I think… he’s the mastermind.”

Linus's mind immediately connected these descriptions with the two figures he had been tracking during the Mayor's party—the same pair Mara had been monitoring. The confirmation solidified his suspicions: these weren’t ordinary "archaeologists" but something far more dangerous.

“Thank you, Eliza,” Linus said at last, his voice firm, though his tone carried a steely undercurrent that made her flinch slightly. “This information is invaluable. But let me make one thing clear.” He stepped closer again, his presence looming as his eyes bore into hers. “If you’re hiding anything else, anything at all, there will be consequences. You and your entire family could be branded as traitors for whatever your husband has entangled you in.”

Eliza’s face turned ashen, the blood draining from her cheeks as the full gravity of his words struck her. She nodded, clearly shaken. "I understand," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Linus gave a curt nod in return, his mind already moving ahead, formulating his next steps. If the men from Sorenputhra believed they were on the verge of finding the Phoenix Blade, they’d make their move soon. He had to act faster.