THE PATH OF THE SEEKER

The rain had stopped, leaving Ravenglen in eerie silence. The scorched cobblestones and lingering scent of ozone bore silent testimony to the battle they had survived. Aria stood in the village square, her hand brushing the pendant that housed the Shard. Its golden glow had dimmed to a faint flicker, mirroring the weariness in her heart.

Saraphine's words echoed in her mind: You truly are your mother's daughter... Will you make the same mistake?

Kael approached quietly, his sword sheathed but his expression tense. "We should move inside. The villagers are shaken enough as it is."

Aria nodded. "You're right. Let's regroup and figure out our next move."

The group made their way to the village inn, where an elderly woman named Marla ushered them into a small, firelit room. She set down steaming mugs of tea before leaving them alone.

For a moment, the only sound was the crackle of the fire.

Finn broke the silence first, his tone unusually subdued. "So... that happened."

Lyric gave him a sharp look. "This isn't the time for jokes, Finn."

"I wasn't joking," Finn muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Saraphine's not just toying with us anymore. She's escalating."

Kael leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "And she keeps mentioning Celeste. She said it again tonight—called you your mother's daughter."

Aria's gaze dropped to the leather journal in her lap, worn with age and filled with her mother's notes. "She always talks like she knows more about my mother than I do. Like she's... testing me."

Lyric tilted her head, her sharp eyes softening. "Celeste Evercrest was a Seeker, wasn't she? Maybe she left behind answers—things you haven't uncovered yet."

Aria hesitated, then flipped open the journal. Most of its pages were familiar—healing techniques, reflections on Seeker traditions, and cryptic references to the Shard. But near the back, tucked between two pages, her fingers found something new: a smaller, hidden notebook bound in crimson leather.

"What's that?" Kael asked, leaning closer.

"I don't know," Aria murmured, her voice tight. She carefully opened the hidden notebook. The first page bore her mother's name: Celeste Evercrest. Beneath it was a single line: For my daughter, should the shadows find her.

Her breath caught.

"What does that mean?" Finn asked, peering over her shoulder.

"I'm not sure," Aria said, turning to the next page.

The entries were short and hurried, written in her mother's elegant script:

Entry 11

The Wardens are not what they seem. Their obsession with balance is a facade. They crave control, and the Shard is their key to it.

Entry 15

Today, I met Dorian Veyl. He's so young, but his eyes... They hold too much darkness for someone his age. He reminds me of someone I can't quite place. If the Wardens take him, I fear he'll never be free of their influence.

Aria's grip on the notebook tightened at the mention of Dorian. Her heart pounded as she flipped further, the words pulling her deeper into her mother's secrets.

Entry 22

Dorian's family... I didn't realize the depths of their connection to the Shard until it was too late. His father is...

The rest of the sentence was smeared, the ink blurred as if by water—or tears.

"His father?" Lyric said, her brows furrowing. "What does that mean? Was he tied to the Wardens too?"

Aria shook her head, her thoughts racing. "If my mother knew something about Dorian's family and the Shard, maybe that's why Saraphine keeps targeting me. She thinks I have answers."

Kael frowned. "Or she thinks you're a threat."

The room fell silent again as Aria stared at the blurred words, frustration gnawing at her. "I need to know what my mother was fighting against—and why she kept so much hidden."

---

Sleep came uneasily that night. Aria lay awake, the crimson notebook clutched in her hands. Her mind churned with questions, each one adding to the weight pressing down on her. Eventually, the quiet became unbearable, and she slipped out of the room.

In the common area, Kael was already there, sitting by the dying embers of the fire. He glanced up as she entered.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

Aria shook her head, taking a seat across from him. "There's too much I don't understand."

Kael studied her for a moment before pulling a small stone from his pocket and handing it to her. It was smooth and cool to the touch, with faint runes etched into its surface.

"What's this?"

"A worry stone," he said simply. "My mother gave it to me when I was a kid. It helped her clear her thoughts."

Aria smiled faintly, running her thumb over the etched runes. "Thanks."

They sat in companionable silence for a while, the fire casting flickering shadows on the walls.

"Whatever's coming," Kael said quietly, "we'll face it together. You're not alone in this, Aria."

His words settled something in her, a small spark of comfort in the sea of uncertainty.

---

The next morning, the group left Ravenglen. As they passed the village square, Aria glanced at the charred letters Saraphine had left behind: The storm is coming.

The villagers watched them leave from windows and doorways, their expressions a mix of hope and fear. Aria felt the weight of their gazes and swore silently to herself that she wouldn't let them down.

She clutched the crimson notebook tightly. Whatever shadows lay ahead, she would face them—just as her mother had.

But as they disappeared into the forest, unseen eyes watched from the darkness. A low, mocking voice whispered on the wind:

"You're walking right into the heart of it, little Seeker."