Dark Secrets Unveiled - Tears of The Fallen Angel

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While Vilaria and her half-human companions wandered through the halls of records, the atmosphere was filled with anticipation and focus. The halls were vast, lined with twisting shelves and ancient books that held within them the history and magic of the kingdom. Each of them searched with great care, and every step was measured with precision.

Then, Vilaria suddenly stopped in front of a distant shelf in the corner, where her attention was drawn to a massive book with a glossy black cover. It was as if time had stopped around it, and the air surrounding it felt heavy. The book was locked with a heavy iron clasp, surrounded by an aura of ancient magic. The lock was intricate, and the magic surrounding the book was extremely powerful, making it far from easy to open.

She approached it cautiously and placed her hand on it carefully. "What is this?" she murmured to herself as she examined the tight black cover, which seemed to conceal great secrets.

"This must be... something important." She pondered. Then she recalled the warnings she had heard about ancient magic that contained powerful secrets—perhaps this book was part of that magic. She knew the book might hold clues to the spell that could be behind the magical explosion they had witnessed earlier. But first, she had to find a way to unlock it.

Away from the rest of the men who were searching in other areas, Vilaria decided to take the book with her. She turned to one of her men and said in a quiet but firm voice, "Close the door behind you. No one enters here now. This book might hold what we are looking for."

She carried the book carefully, knowing that opening it would require great effort, yet a strong feeling that this was the key to understanding what was happening made her eager for the next step. She took steady steps toward the exit, her thoughts occupied with Alethion.

"I will show him this book. Perhaps this is the answer we need." she thought. A conflicting feeling filled her—on one hand, she was certain that what she held in her hands might be their only hope; on the other, there was something strange, as if the book concealed something dark that would reveal itself later.

With the book in her hands, she began walking towards the hall where Alethion was, her mind busy thinking about what these blackened pages might uncover.

Ragarath entered the meeting hall alongside one of his men. This hall was reserved only for Alethion and his generals. The lighting was dim, and the air was thick with focused minds analyzing and discussing. The place was dominated by an atmosphere of seriousness and professionalism, with maps of the kingdom and ancient weapons scattered on the walls, adding to the feeling of grandeur and power.

Ragarath sat beside Serinus while his companion took a position in the corner, watching anxiously. All eyes were fixed on Alethion and Darcian, who were carefully anticipating every word that might come from Ragarath. After a moment of silence, Ragarath began his report.

"I spent several days moving between the villages inhabited by half-humans, expecting quicker results. But as time passed, some evidence started to emerge that might be the cause of all this turmoil. There were unnatural occurrences among the villagers—signs resembling unfamiliar magical influences. Some people in those places seemed unbalanced and avoided speaking about any suspicious movements."

Then he looked at Alethion and added, "Especially in the villages where half-humans live, there were signs resembling magical rituals that might have hidden effects on the inhabitants. Some of them seemed unaware of what was happening, but it appears that something much larger is brewing in the shadows."

Ragarath took a deep breath and continued, "It seems that someone, or a group, is behind this manipulation. This could be a much bigger conspiracy than we initially thought. Everything in those villages points to unusual movements."

Darcian, who had been listening intently, did not hide his deep contemplation as he commented, "If that's the case, we must begin analyzing the magical disturbances in those areas. We need to understand exactly what is happening. There's a possibility that a hidden group is exploiting these people for other purposes."

Alethion, who had been observing everyone in silence, raised his head and said firmly, "We will not let anything go unchecked. We will send additional teams to verify the accuracy of this information. We need to intensify our investigation in these villages and ensure that everything is under control."

A few hours after Ragarath's return, Vilaria entered the room where Alethion and his generals were discussing their future plans. She was carrying a book wrapped in dark cloth, her face showing signs of exhaustion and concentration. She stepped forward and placed the book on the table before Alethion, who looked at her expectantly.

"This is what I found," Vilaria said in a quiet but concerned voice. "I searched the palace records for a long time but found nothing of real importance—except for this book." Then she added, "The book is locked with an iron and magical seal. I don't think merely opening it will be a simple task."

Alethion took the book from her, noticing the strange blend of magic emanating from it. The clasp was metallic, but the surrounding aura contained intricate magical distortions. He gazed at the book with reverence before saying in a low voice, "Were you able to decipher its magical seals?"

Vilaria shook her head. "No, I couldn't. But I believe it contains information that could be useful. We might have only one key to unlock it, and that is to show it to a magic master who understands how to deal with such enchantments."

Alethion exchanged looks with his generals before saying, "We will leave no room for doubt. This book might hold a great secret. We need to intensify our efforts to solve this mystery."

Then he looked at Vilaria and said firmly, "Thank you for your efforts. We will continue the investigation from here."

Two days passed since Vilaria's return, but Valinor had yet to return. Doubt began creeping into the hearts of Alethion's generals, sensing that something strange was happening, and their worries grew. They wondered among themselves whether something had happened to him—if he had fallen into an ambush or suffered misfortune during his investigation.

At that moment, as they were deep in discussion in the meeting hall, the door suddenly swung open. Valinor entered, but he looked exhausted, his eyes sunken with fatigue. Yet, despite this, he appeared angrier than ever.

Ragarath quickly raised his gaze and said sharply, "Where have you been? Why are you late? Did something happen?"

Valinor responded in a low, provocative voice, "I'm here. I think I'm making enough noise for you, beast." Then he continued while rubbing his ear, which appeared to have suffered an injury, "I ruptured my eardrum, that's all."

"If you 'ruptured your eardrum,' as you say, were there any important findings in your investigation? Or is your ear the only thing that suffered?"

Valinor raised an eyebrow and replied, "Do not underestimate the sense of hearing, Ragarath. My ears may hold many secrets, but it seems you do not understand that very well, do you?"

Ragarath smirked maliciously. "Perhaps your ear needed a rest. Maybe the chaos you caused there was more than any ear could handle."

Valinor sighed and replied with a wink, "You talk about chaos, yet those who cannot endure noise usually flee to quieter places rather than create it themselves."

Light chuckles spread among the generals, but they quickly returned to seriousness, realizing that every moment of delay could be crucial.

Alethion directed his gaze toward Valinor and said, "Alright, have you told us everything about your findings?"

Valinor nodded and finally answered, "Yes, yes. But before I begin… I believe this hall is not suitable for discussing everything I discovered. There are things far more surprising than this, and perhaps this place is not enough to contain them."

Everyone felt a sense of anticipation, knowing that the investigation was beginning to take a much more dangerous turn than they had anticipated.

Valinor looked at everyone, his eyes reflecting the exhaustion and hardship he had endured over the past days. He began speaking in a serious tone, laced with a hint of caution:

"As you all know, after leaving the hall to continue my investigation, I started tracking the movements of Counselor Valiran. At first, everything seemed ordinary, but what I discovered went far beyond mere political matters."

He paused for a moment, then continued:

"He was moving through hidden alleys and secret passages as if he knew every corner of the city. I tried to follow him several times, but every time I reached a certain point, I found myself caught in a pre-set trap. I started to feel like I was nothing more than bait in some larger game."

Then, he looked at his men standing nearby, his eyes filled with concern, and gestured toward them:

"I barely escaped many of those traps, and some of my men suffered serious injuries. Fortunately, we managed to get away at the last moment, but that was just the beginning. There was a constant sense of danger surrounding us."

He turned to Alethion and said:

"After several attempts, I realized that the counselor was not acting alone. There is a hidden force guiding him, and it is clear that they do not want us to uncover the truth. If the organization we are searching for is behind these events, then they will stop at nothing, even if it means putting innocent lives at risk."

The atmosphere in the room was no longer the same. Everyone listened intently, exchanging glances, as if they were beginning to grasp the true magnitude of the threat before them.