The Great Archives stood tall in the dim moonlight, its towering pillars casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets of Taldoria. Alaris walked carefully through the maze-like corridors, his face calm. But his nerves betrayed him. A steady drumbeat rang in his ears. He still felt the weight of the warning Calla's had given him the night before.
**"The King's Shadow is coming for you."**
That single phrase captured his thoughts, whispering in the depths of his mind like a constant ghost. He had spent the past day observing, analyzing, and waiting. It was his nature to think before he acted, to observe before he participated. But tonight something was different. The Archives, where he had once found refuge, now felt like a prison.
Alaris entered the Hall of Forgotten History, a secluded building that few scholars dare to enter. The shelves were covered in dust, and the smell of old ink and leather filled the air. He knew exactly what he was looking for. It was a codex written centuries ago by an enigmatic calligrapher known only as **"The Keeper of Secrets."
**"The heart remembers, what the mind forgets."**
The words from his mother's old books came back to his thoughts, gnawing at the edges of his understanding. He ran his fingers along the spine of the codex, the worn covers creaking under his touch. He opened the codex and scanned the delicate writing, but it was stuck suffocatingly in the pages.
On an old, fragile piece of parchment was a seal he had only seen once before. On an ancient map hidden among her mother's belongings. His eyes narrowed. The patterns were intricate circles, woven with strange runes, that pulsed with a strange glow in the dim candlelight.
Before he could process his discovery, footsteps echoed through the hall. Alaris froze, his face expressionless, but his heart was beating rapidly. The footsteps were deliberate, slow, and calculated. He blew out the candle and let the darkness envelop him.
A figure appeared at the threshold of the hall, their silhouette barely visible in the darkness. Alaris leaned against the shelf, controlling his breathing. The figures moved with incredible grace, and their presence was eerily silent. He could'nt see the glint of the swords strapped to their sides.
The King's Shadow.
Alaris remained still, watching the shape. He counted every step, every shift in weight, and visualized their movements in his mind. Years of honing his observation skills had trained him to sense moments like these. The intruder paused for a moment, turning his head slightly as if sensing his presence.
At that moment, Alaris took action. He reached out and tapped a dusty book on a shelf on the far side of the room. The sound shattered the silence like thunder. The shape swayed and moved toward the sound, giving Alaris the opening he needed. He walked down the corridor, his footsteps unheard of on the cold stone floor.
He navigated the winding corridors with practiced ease, his face never flinching. His goal was clear. The goal was to escape the archives and find Calla. She had mentioned Solmara, and if Elyra could help them, he needed answers. Now.
But as he reached the outer hall, a small, shrill voice echoed in the air.
"You're clever, Alaris... but not clever enough."Alaris did not pause to see who was speaking. He ran forward, his heart beating fast. If the king's shadow was here, they would know more than he imagined. He had to disappear, and quickly.
---
Outside the archives, the streets of Taldoria were shrouded in mist before him. He stayed in the shadows, his every move calculated to avoid attracting attention. Even at this moment the city was alive, merchants loading their carts, drunkards wandering the alleys, and patrols marching in heavy boots.
He found Calla waiting at the agreed meeting place. It was a collapsed arch near the river dock. Her green eyes turned to him, and a look of concern crossed her face.
"You look like you've seen a ghost,." She whispered.
"It was not a ghost." He spoke quietly. "Shadow. We must leave now. They are after us."
Calla's jaw tightened, and she shook her head. "The boat is waiting. We head south to Solmara."
Alaris followed her through the winding streets, his mind still fixated on the sigil he had found in the codex. There was more to it than he had first thought. There was more.
---
Inside the archives, a man dressed in black stood in the hall of forgotten history. They knelt down and picked up the fallen book Alaris had used to distract them. Their gloved fingers scratched the cover with a devotion that was simply not befitting the book.
"He found it..." The man whispered.
Another voice came from the shadows. "Does the Silent King know?"
The figures stood, their faces still blurred. "Not yet. But he will soon. Alaris does not realize it, but he carries the weight of our past and future."
---
As Alaris and calla set out for Solmara, the raft swayed gently beneath them. The dark water reflected the moonlight. calla watched him carefully, her voice soft now.
"What did you find?"
Alaris held up the parchment he had brought with him and sighed. "Pieces of something bigger. Pieces that don't quite fit. But I will find the answer."
calla smiled faintly. "You always do. But be careful, Alaris. Sometimes knowing too much is the most dangerous thing."
He said nothing, staring out at the endless water before him. The path to Solmara would be long, and the secrets they held would be even longer.
And far away, under the watchful eye of the silent king, the shadows continued to move.