It was well past midnight, but the warm glow of The Cup and Staff's hearth still spilled out into the night. Villagers, their spirits lifted by wine and mead, continued to chatter and laugh as Ranati busied herself behind the bar. The tavern's patrons, heavily intoxicated, provided the perfect cover for Raelyn to slip away unnoticed by the landlord.

The cool night air greeted her as she stepped into the dark streets, the chill of the breeze making her wrap her arms around herself for warmth. Her gaze lifted to the sky, clear and speckled with countless stars, their faint glow illuminating the path ahead. The cobblestones underfoot echoed softly as she moved, her feet following the winding road leading through Westwell.

Raelyn inhaled deeply, the air crisp with the scent of pine and damp earth. The moon, a thin sliver, bathed the town in a pale, ethereal light. She had no particular destination in mind, but somehow found herself standing before the gates of Ardesco—its towering walls open as they had been for years, silent and inviting.

She paused for a moment, unsure of how she had come to this place. But a strange pull stirred within her, urging her forward. Without a word, she crossed the threshold.

The halls of Ardesco were eerily quiet, save for the distant echo of her boots against the stone. The flickering torches cast long, wavering shadows across the walls as she ventured deeper into the castle's heart, uncertainty gnawing at her.

Voices drifted to her ears, faint but distinct. She froze, straining to hear. Who could be awake at this hour? With careful steps, she followed the sound until she reached a door slightly ajar. A warm light spilled from the crack, illuminating the dark corridor. Raelyn moved closer, heart pounding in her chest, and peered inside.

A gathering of magi filled the room—Corix, Keardath, and the scarred knight, along with a handful of armed guards. Their voices were low, too hushed for her to make out, but the mere presence of Keardath suggested an opportunity—one she might never get again. If he was here, his chamber was surely empty. Raelyn couldn't resist. She had to know what was inside that casket.

A sense of guilt washed over her. She had promised Keardath that she would let it go. Yet, her curiosity and the nagging feeling deep in her gut told her otherwise. She shook her head, running a hand through her white hair in frustration.

She silently turned and moved toward Keardath's chambers, careful not to alert anyone to her presence. Her fingers brushed the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. Locked.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath. She yanked at the door, but it refused to give.

Sighing, she stepped back, prepared to abandon the idea. Then, her eyes caught sight of a nearby window, slightly ajar. She hesitated, biting her lip as she weighed her options.

With a quiet breath, Raelyn made her decision. She moved toward the window, unlatched it, and pushed it open. The wind greeted her with a fierce gust, sending a chill down her spine.

She poked her head out, gripping the stone frame as she glanced down. The dizzying height made her stomach lurch, but across the way, she noticed another window—Keardath's window. It was within reach, but only just. The wall between the two windows jutted out with crooked stones, forming uneven footholds.

"What are you doing, Raelyn?" she whispered to herself, her heart racing.

She slid one leg out of the window, carefully finding a steady place to stand on the rough stones below. The wind howled through her hair as she cautiously followed with her other leg, her body now hanging from the ledge. The icy wind whipped around her, and her breath hitched as she tested her balance, her heart pounding.

Her eyes darted downward to the abyss, her hands clammy against the stone. She swallowed hard, her throat tight. "Come on, Raelyn. Almost there."

Her foot slipped.

A sharp scream tore from her lips as her body jerked downward. Desperately, her feet scraped against the tower's cold stone, searching for something to hold onto. A gust of wind threatened to pull her from the wall entirely, but with a final, frantic push, her foot found a solid foothold.

Gasping, Raelyn dragged herself up, her heart hammering in her chest. She took a moment to steady herself, her body trembling from the near fall.

"Thank the gods," she muttered, her breath still ragged.

Slowly, carefully, she continued her ascent, inching her way toward the window. With a final, desperate stretch, she reached out and grabbed the ledge, pulling herself inside.

Raelyn collapsed onto the floor, her body trembling from the shock and fear. Her legs felt like jelly, her heart still pounding in her ears. What had she just done?

Shaking her head in disbelief, she sat against the wall, running her hands through her white hair. "Why in heaven's name did I do this?" she thought.

But there was no turning back now. Her gaze swept around the room—Keardath's room, so familiar and yet so alien in the stillness. She walked to the center, closing her eyes, focusing on the vibrations she had come for. The familiar pull was there, faint but unmistakable.

Her eyes shut tighter, and she raised her arms, trying to follow the pulse to its source. She moved forward in the direction her instincts told her to go until her hands hit the stone wall. Through the rough surface of the stone, she could feel the pulse against her fingertips. It was here, somewhere. Her hands shifted over the wall when she heard a thud. Startled, she opened her eyes to see she had knocked a painting from the wall.

"Shit." She whispered to herself, bending over to grab the painting.

As she turned to hang the painting back, she noticed a bronze knocker on the wall. Confused, she stared at it for a moment before laying down the painting. Raelyn looked over her shoulder and scouted the room to check she was alone before grabbing the handle and knocking it three times. She took a step back and stared at the wall as she waited, not sure what to expect.

A minute passed and Raelyn approached the wall around the handle to examine it. She ran her hands over the surface of the wall looking for a crack or split, but nothing could be found. Raelyn sighed and stared at the knocker for a second before wrapping her fingers around the handle once more.

As she tightened the muscles in her arm, she started to pull the knocker. Suddenly the wall seemed to move. A creak appeared and as she continued to pull, it opened like a door. Shocked, Raelyn stared at it. She was surprised to find the other side of the wall to have been made out of wood.

"A cloaking spell." She whispered.

Beyond the door, a staircase spiraled downward, the steps lit by flickering candles. The vibrations were stronger here, almost overwhelming as they thrummed through her body. She descended cautiously, feeling each step beneath her. When she reached the bottom, the source of the vibrations became undeniable.

A stone shrine, bathed in candlelight, stood before her. And upon it, the casket.

The casket was made of wood with metal lines running over it. She noticed words she couldn't read, and marks engraved into the wood. She frowned when she was unable to locate a keyhole. Without a keyhole, or a lock, how was she to open it? Her hand trembled as she reached out to touch it.

The moment her fingers brushed against the wood, the vibrations surged violently through her chest. The metal seams of the casket flickered with a sudden, eerie red glow. The markings flared, then faded as the lid clicked open.

When she looked inside, she found a locket. It was a bright white, oval-shaped, and attached to a wire with a crown. The lid had a hole of glass in it showing what appeared to be a smooth, cloudy white rock. Raelyn's fingers trembled as she reached for it. As her hand made contact, a shock of energy jolted through her body, and the wire shot forward, wrapping tightly around her wrist.

Raelyn shrieked and stumbled back with the mysterious item. She hit the wall behind her and breathed heavily while staring at the small locket dangling from her wrist. As it twirled, she noticed the back which consisted of several rings with symbols and parts of words that didn't seem to make sense to her. The vibrations slowly faded as she held the item in her hands.

Her mind raced. What had she just uncovered?

The sound of scraping from above caused her to freeze. It was Keardath, or one of his men. She quickly pulled the locket close to her chest, her heart pounding in her ears.

She had to leave. Fast.

Raelyn scrambled back up the stairs, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and dread. At the top, she found the door still open, and to her relief, the room was empty. When she walked into the room, she noticed the door that blocked her path before was now open. Raelyn frowned but decided to stay silent. She closed the door behind her and saw the creak disappear into a smooth regular wall. The only proof there ever was a door was the bronze knocker.

She hurriedly replaced the painting on the wall, covering the hidden knocker.

With the locket clutched tightly in her hand, she stepped out of the room, moving swiftly through the empty halls of Ardesco. The cold night air greeted her as she exited the castle and walked briskly toward the tavern.

By the time she reached her room, Rakz was waiting for her, perched on the chest with a curious look in his eyes.

Raelyn moved to the bed and whispered, "Look what I found, Rakz." She opened her hand to reveal the locket. "It's... something. But I don't know what yet."

She sank onto the bed, exhaustion weighing heavy on her limbs. Rakz climbed onto her back, his warm presence comforting. She lay there, staring at the locket, her mind racing as the excitement of her discovery slowly gave way to the heavy fog of sleep.

"It's amazing Rakz, when I touched it...I felt something... like I've never felt before." She laid her head down on the pillow and stared at the locket in her hand.

"What have I gotten myself into...?" she whispered as the locket gleamed softly in the dark.

As her eyes fluttered shut, she drifted into a restless sleep, the wire still wrapped tightly around her wrist.