Cedric stood beside me, his voice low as he wondered aloud, "Do you think this is the last of the trouble we'll have to deal with?"
I huffed, a mix of exhaustion and skepticism weighing my response. "I wish," I muttered before lacing my fingers with his. Together, we stepped out of the jail, the smell of damp stone and iron fading behind us. I turned to the guards and gave a firm nod. "Take the body and burn it."
The guards bowed and got to work, their boots echoing against the stone floor as Cedric, and I made our way back to Leader Daniel's office. By the time we arrived, Max, Emmet, Kieran, and the Commanders were already there, their faces hard, yet triumphant. They had returned from Clique Mountain.
Kieran, still dusted with the dirt of their journey, spoke up first. "The Crystal has been hidden safely in the heart core of Clique Mountain," he announced, his tone confident but laced with caution.
