The sky was awash with deep indigo as the palace gates disappeared behind them. Lucas rode slightly ahead, his expression unreadable, while I followed in silence. The memory of his outburst in the throne room still lingered, though the king's words echoed even louder in my mind: "We needed to find the remaining pieces now, or the world will fall into chaos."
We didn't speak much as we left the capital, only exchanged glances and brief nods. The path ahead led to the Desert of Mourn, where the next fragment was hidden
beneath the sands in a forgotten shrine. It was a place where the veil between the spirit realm and the living thinned, a place that had driven many mad.
As night deepened and the moon hung heavy above, we stopped near a small river nestled between dunes. Lucas set up camp while I tended to the horses. The silence between us had stretched long enough.
"You've been quiet," he said finally, handing me a canteen. "Are you still angry?"
