----
Fowad's curiosity weighed heavily on his mind after Maren's warning about the shadows near the ruins.
Despite the bustling city life around him, he couldn't shake the thought that something larger was brewing, something he needed to uncover.
"If the shadows are linked to the rival families or something worse, I need to know," Fowad muttered, tightening the straps of his pack.
Standing in his small yard, he called his beasts. Foxy, Zoom, and Fattey assembled with practiced ease. Zoom buzzed with faint sparks of energy, its normally energetic movements subdued.
"Let's check this out," Fowad said, heading toward the outskirts of the city.
The path to the ruins wound through narrow streets before opening into a desolate stretch of rocky terrain.
Evening had settled, and a light mist blanketed the ground, making the journey eerie. The ruins loomed ahead, jagged stones and ancient carvings silhouetted against the fading light.
