Caelum stood tall, but the weight of their predicament hung heavy. The council wanted something in return—something far more valuable than they could afford. He could feel the cursed sword stirring within him, its dark energy coaxing him to embrace the power it offered.
"We'll give you the information you seek," Caelum said, his voice steady. "We have little choice, but we cannot offer our souls."
The elder's laugh echoed through the hall, cold and unsettling. "Very well. But remember, boy, there is always a price."
He snapped his fingers, and a servant brought forth a small chest. The elder opened it, revealing a shard—a shimmering fragment of crystal, identical to the one Caelum had. "Take it, and remember your promise."
With the second shard now in their possession, Caelum felt a surge of hope—but it was tempered by the looming shadow of the price they had paid.