Vardy got back late, a little disoriented. But, he still knew what he had to do.
"Get the map." Vardy said to Tracy, his voice clipped as he stared outside.
Tracy nodded quickly before heading to the corner of the study, where the crumpled map was.
In the center of the room, a large wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, artifacts, and cryptic books stacked haphazardly on top of one another. The map, half-faded and torn, was the key to Vardy's next mission, but it wasn't in great shape. Its edges were burnt.
Tracy picked up the map, her fingers tracing the edges carefully, as if afraid the map might fall apart with the slightest touch.
She walked back to Vardy, handing it over with a resigned sigh. "You know, it might fall apart if you keep using it like this," she remarked, her voice heavy with concern.
Vardy shot her a glance, his eyes sharp and unwavering. "It has to be done. This map leads to something far too important to leave to chance."
