Lucas's mind reeled with disbelief. Father? Ellius's daughter? It didn't make sense. But before he could voice his confusion, Ellius, seemingly caught off guard by Adara's sudden appearance, regained his composure.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, my dear," Ellius replied, his voice strained but composed. "Just a little altercation with some unwanted guests. But everything is under control now."
Adara turned to Lucas and Titania, her expression softening with concern. "Who are you two?" she asked, her tone polite but distant. "And what brings you here?"
Lucas exchanged a bewildered glance with Titania, both of them unsure of how to respond. This wasn't the Adara they knew. Something was very wrong.
"We're... travellers," Lucas managed to say, his voice cautious. "We were just passing through and... thought we'd pay a visit to Ellius."
Adara nodded, her gaze flickering between them. "Well, I'm afraid my father is quite busy at the moment," she said, her tone apologetic. "Perhaps you should come back another time."
With that, she turned back to Ellius, her attention fully on him as she ushered him away from the doorway. As they disappeared into the shadows of the tower, Lucas and Titania were left standing outside, their minds reeling with confusion and concern.
"What just happened?" Titania whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
Lucas shook his head, his thoughts spinning with unanswered questions. "I don't know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But we need to find out what's going on. And fast."
With a subtle ding, Lucas got a notification from the system.
★≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈★
Quest: Shady Sorcerer
Requirements: Investigate the mage Ellius
Reward: 3 skill points
★≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈★
As Lucas read the notification from the system, a sense of urgency washed over him. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. It was as if the system knew they needed answers and had provided them with a clear objective.
"Well... let's look around?" asked Lucas, his tone a bit confused, "Maybe we can find something that'll help us get in."
"So quick of you to jump to breaking and entering, Hmm? maybe you're worse than I thought," Teased Titania, she seemed much less affected than Adara's mysterious switch in alliance than he was.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Lucas replied, his voice tinged with determination. "And right now, I'm desperate."
As Lucas and Titania circled around the tower, their eyes scanning the exterior for any signs of a hidden entrance, they stumbled upon a rusted metal door tucked away in the shadows of the tower's backside. It was barely visible beneath the overgrown foliage that surrounded it, almost as if it had been deliberately concealed.
Lucas's heart quickened with anticipation as he approached the door, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He had a feeling that whatever secrets lay within the tower, they would be found beyond this door.
"Looks like we found our way in," Lucas muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Titania nodded, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Time to put those muscles to good use," she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
With a swift motion, Titania stepped forward and wrapped her hands around the rusted lock, her fingers digging into the metal with surprising strength. With a grunt of effort, she applied pressure, and with a satisfying click, the lock snapped open, the door swinging open with a creak of protest.