The sun was a faint white spot only in the dull sky as Elena's party left the Lost Marshes. The thick, unnatural mist clung to their boots, resisting every step they took, as though the Marsh itself wasn't ready to let them leave. Varik broke the silence. "They'll follow us." Elara didn't stop walking, her eyes fixed ahead. "Let them. I want them to see where we're going." "Arrogance will get us killed, Bael growled from behind, his armor caked in black mud. His shield was still dented from the previous fight and the new scars on his face only accentuated his face of grimness. "That masked figure was no ordinary cultist, and that thing— He spat into the mud, as if to purge the taste of the Dreadbeast from his mouth. "It was the stuff of nightmares." Elara paused, turning to face him. "Do you think I don't know that, Bael?" Bael flinched at her tone but held his ground. "I think you don't know when to stop. We lost men back there. Good men. And for what? A few shadows and a petal?" She held up the black lotus petal between her fingers, the faint gleam of frost still lingering where her magic touched it. "This isn't just a petal. This is proof. The Jade Lotus isn't just whispering rebellion anymore—they've uncovered something dark and ancient. Something powerful." Bael's voice softened slightly, though his frustration lingered. "And what if we can't stop it? You're risking everything." Elara's icy gaze didn't waver. "We have no choice." The Forgotten Path The group reached firmer ground by midday. The marsh ended to a sparse woods, in which the contorted ones straight, and their branches no longer reached out to the sky. Even if the mist had faded, the stillness still prevailed, as if the whole of nature was still cautious after what lurked beyond them, in the shadows. Varik came to the edge of the clearing, wolves' growls low rumbling on his back. "We're not alone." From the woods' fringe, the figures moved into view - green and bronze-clad scouters, with their identities concealed behind hollow leaf-carved half-masks. They moved with the disciplined grace of trained killers. The Jade Lotus isn't this neat, Bael said, drawing his sword. "They're not," Elara murmured, narrowing her eyes. "These aren't cultists." The top of the Verdant Veil, one of the Five Great Factions. Princess Elara of Aeloria," the man purred, smooth but with a warning edge, "beware. "Your presence here borders on an act of war." Bael's sword was about to be unsheathed when Elara stopped him with a look. She stepped forward, shoulders squared. But what, asked Lord Merek, "would pull the Verdant Veil so far inland into the swamps, beyond your territories? Lord Merek's golden eyes narrowed beneath his hood. The same that got you here. His eye darted to the cinders on top of Elara's cloak. "You've seen it, haven't you? The Dreadbeast." Elara stood her ground refusing to let the appearance of surprise be revealed. "What do you know of it?" [O]ut of this, The Jade Lotus has infiltrated the territory of things they do not understand," Merek commented. "Their corruption is spreading into our lands. If you believe that to be simply the "matter" of this kingdom, my Princess, you greatly mistaken. Varik stepped forward, his tone sharp. But what is the Verdant Veil going to do about it? Sit in your forests while the rest of us bleed? Merek turned his gaze on Varik, his expression cold. "The Silver Fang Clan's reputation for insolence precedes it." Better to be insolent than cowardly, Varik, took the counter, his hand reaching for his daggers. "Enough," Elara snapped, silencing both men with a look. She turned to Merek. "You're here for the same reason we are. The Jade Lotus is growing stronger, and none of us can face them alone. Merek studied her for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Perhaps you're wiser than your father. We do not love Aeloria, Princess, but this horror threatens us all. "What are you proposing?" Bael asked warily. "A temporary alliance," Merek replied. "The Verdant Veil will share its intelligence. Together, we'll root out the Jade Lotus and destroy them before their corruption spreads further. Elara considered the offer, her mind racing. She didn't trust Merek—his faction had long been at odds with Aeloria's rule—but the stakes were too high to let pride cloud her judgment. betray me, and I'll burn your forests to the ground. Merek smiled faintly, as if amused. "Likewise, Princess." Nightfall The camp was located beneath the trees. Fires crackled, casting flickering light on the uneasy alliance. Elara sat near the largest fire, sharpening her froststeel dagger. Standing before her, Merek fixed her with the eye of a hawk. "You remind me of him, you know, Merek said suddenly. Elara didn't look up. "Who?" "Your father. When he was young." She paused, the whetstone stilling against the blade. "My father would never have allied with you." "True," Merek admitted. That's why he lost the trust of half of his subjects," he writes. Elara's grip tightened on the dagger, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Why are you really here, Merek? Your people don't cross borders without reason." Merek's expression darkened. Due to the fact that the Jade Lotus has started to defile the roots of our trees already. Unless we run now, our lands will perish—And yours will go with it. Before Elara could reply, Varik appeared at her side, his expression unusually tense. "We have visitors." Elara rose, coming with Varik to the camp's perimeter. There, standing just beyond the firelight, was a lone figure—a young woman in tattered robes, her face obscured by her dark hair. She bobbed on her toes, her voice a breathy murmur. "They're coming…" Bael moved forward cautiously. "Who are you?" The woman gave a lift to the head, and in the process the eyes showed a downcast, soft green glow. The Marsh has unveiled itself, Her tone became thick, layered and unnatural. "You cannot stop what has already begun." Before anyone could react, she convulsed violently. Dark viens mark her body all over, her limbs contorting in an unnatural movement as a shout escaped her mouth. And then, in a burst of shadow and blood, she exploded. The force knocked Elara backward, Varik dragging her to safety as black mist erupted from where the woman had stood. The mist coiled like a living thing, snaking through the camp, spreading panic as men shouted and wolves howled. Elara pushed herself to a sitting position, her ears throbbing, her vision focusing on the changing shadows. "The Jade Lotus," she whispered. "They're here."