Chapter 39 - Shadows Among Secrets

The journey from Luthadel's rival, Drakenfeld, to the next leg of our tour left me with a mixture of anticipation and unease. The path ahead split into two distinct directions: one leading to Azureholt—a city famed as a scholarly sanctuary of arcane studies and ancient wisdom—and the other to Luthadel, the political heart where noble houses schemed and alliances were both forged and broken. Our convoy wound its way along a long, winding road that cut through rolling hills and thick woodlands. Every so often, a prickling sensation crept over my skin, as if unseen eyes were following my every move. I brushed it aside, dismissing it as unnecessary paranoia—perhaps nothing more than the residual echo of past battles and mistrust.