After quietly closing the door, Velrith stepped outside with heavy footsteps. Lucas and Kael were still waiting in the shadows of the stone courtyard.
"What did you find out?" Lucas asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.
Velrith took a couple of steps, then stopped. Taking a deep breath, he spoke carefully."The Thaloria army is growing. Their numbers have doubled, and new alliances are forming. There are cracks within the Thaloria Kingdom itself."
Kael shrugged, pulling his hands out of his pockets."So things are as complicated as we expected."
Velrith slowly nodded."But the most important thing is, some have broken away from the army and formed a new cult. I learned who's leading it."
Lucas raised his eyebrows."Who?"
Velrith lowered his voice to a whisper."The second prince of the kingdom, Rylen Virell."
Kael murmured softly,"This means the stakes are rising. New cult, new games..."
Lucas said seriously,"Our role is to move quietly. None of our moves must be revealed."
Velrith took a deep breath."And in this, our greatest ally is the darkness."
Kael smirked with a hint of sarcasm,"If that darkness doesn't swallow us first."
Despite the cooling air, the three quickened their steps. Under the courtyard stones, the distant howling wind surrounded them.
As the night slowly progressed, the wind gently rustled the leaves, breaking the silence of the stone courtyard only with their footsteps echoing amid their swirling thoughts.
Velrith inhaled deeply and fixed his eyes on the sky."We have a long road ahead," he said, his voice tired but determined.
Lucas nodded."We must plan carefully. Rushing would be a mistake."
Kael shrugged."No matter what we do by day, the shadows are always stronger at night."
Under the pale moonlight, the three silently disappeared from the courtyard, their thoughts drifting in different directions.
Velrith slipped his hands into his pockets as he moved away from the cold stones of the courtyard. Inside him, a storm was brewing; the name Rylen Virell weighed heavily, enough to reshape all their plans. Yet, no one knew for sure which side Rylen truly stood on. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Lucien Virell, who had forged a new alliance with the Varneth Duchy, had emerged as the strongest power on the stage.
Lucas and Kael were silent as well; each was calculating their own moves.
"Rylen…" Velrith muttered to himself. "The king's son, yet his stance remains a mystery. Lucien has a strong bond with Varneth. There's a much bigger game at play here."
Lucas approached quietly from behind and spoke softly:"This new cult might take over not just the soldiers, but the palace itself. But my real concern is Rylen's true intent. If he's not on Lucien's side, he could be a card against him. Or is he part of another plan altogether?"
Velrith suddenly remembered something."Wait, I just recalled — we can infiltrate the Thaloria Kingdom."
Lucas reacted,"You seriously forgot something that important?" Kael chuckled and added,"So, how do we sneak into the kingdom?"
Velrith pulled out the map Noah had given him from his cloak and carefully showed it under the flickering street lamp."According to what I learned from the shadows, we can infiltrate the kingdom through the port. This map will guide us."
Kael raised his eyebrows slightly, with a sarcastic expression,"The port's like the castle's guardian. Not easy, but if we catch the right moment, that's when we can get in."
Lucas kept his eyes fixed on the map and added,"The port guards change shifts at night, and there are patrol routes. If we find a gap there, we can slip in silently. But we have to be careful — the smallest mistake will ruin everything."
Velrith shrugged lightly."We'll move so silently and quickly that no one will even notice. The confusion between Rylen and Lucien might be to our advantage."
Kael smiled faintly."It's exactly in moments like these that shadows become our greatest allies."
Lucas said seriously,"Let's finish our preparations. We'll analyze the daytime patrols and the port guards closely. Velrith, we need that map of yours."
Velrith took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the darkness."Yes, when we're ready, we'll use the night. This is just the beginning."
Kael said with a sarcastic smile,"And remember, you can never tell if those hiding in the shadows are friend or foe."
The three silently melted into the night. Ahead of them lay a stealthy infiltration from the port into the kingdom — a path full of dangers but also filled with hope.