A few moments later, Nathan, Luca and I stood around the table, the book laid open between us. I traced the glowing mark on the page.
“She’s here,” I said.
“That far east?” Nathan asked. “That’s dangerous terrain.”
“Exactly why she’s hidden there,” I replied. “I think she’s been waiting for this moment, for us to be ready.”
“More like for you to be ready." Luca said, staring at the map, his jaw tight. “We better not waste any more time then.”
I rolled the page gently back into the cover, the glow fading but not gone.
“Pack light,” I told them, my voice firmer than I felt. “We leave in an hour.”
“Well then,” Nathan who had been quiet, muttered. “Guess we’re going on another trip.”
And just like that, the next chapter of my fate began.
We gathered quickly.
It wasn’t like before. This time, there was no rush, and no panic. The air was just filled with quiet purpose. The kind that grows after too many close calls and not enough answers.
We didn’t say much while we packed. Only the rustle
