Tauriús paced back and forth, his mind whirling with questions, a growing sense of unease gnawing at him. Esteria was missing, and now, as the search parties combed through the palace and the surrounding waters, there was still no trace of her—or her teammate, Celene. The tension in the air was suffocating. It felt as though a dark cloud had settled over the Water Palace, and nothing was as it seemed.
Tauriús paused for a moment, staring at the waters just beyond the palace grounds. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.
"My lord," one of his generals spoke up, breaking the heavy silence. "We've scoured the palace and its outskirts. There's no sign of her, nor of her companion."
Tauriús' gaze darkened. Esteria wasn't just anyone; she was a key figure in their ranks, someone integral to their plans. And now, it seemed like she had simply vanished into thin air. But how? How could she and Celene both disappear so suddenly?
