As they walked away from the prison, Duncan couldn't shake the feeling that Rectale was hiding something. He seemed too confident, too smug.
"I don't trust him," Duncan said to Emel, his voice low and serious.
Emel nodded, her eyes scanning the surrounding buildings. "I don't either," she said. "But we need to be careful. We don't know what he's capable of."
Duncan nodded, his eyes never leaving the figure watching them from the shadows. The figure was tall and imposing, with piercing eyes that seemed to bore into Duncan's soul.
"Emel, look," Duncan said, nodding towards the figure.
Emel followed his gaze, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Who is that?" she asked.
Duncan shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "But I think we're about to find out."
As they watched, the figure stepped forward, its features becoming clearer in the fading light. It was a teenage girl, tall and imposing, with long ocean Blue hair and piercing orange eyes.
"Ah, Duncan," she said, her voice low and husky. "I've been waiting for you."
Duncan's eyes narrowed, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The woman smiled, her eyes glinting with amusement. "My name is Lyra," she said. "And I'm here to warn you."
Duncan's eyes widened in surprise. "Warn me?" he repeated.
Lyra nodded, her expression serious. "Yes, warn you. Rectale is not what he seems. He's more powerful than you can imagine, and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants."
Duncan's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Lyra hesitated, her eyes darting back and forth between Duncan and Emel. "I'm not sure I should be telling you this," she said. "But I think you need to know. Rectale is not working alone. He has a powerful ally, someone who will help him achieve his goals."
Duncan's eyes widened in shock. "Who is it?" he demanded.
Lyra hesitated again, her eyes darting back and forth between Duncan and Emel. "I'm not sure I should be telling you this," she said. "But I think you need to know. Rectale's ally is someone you least expect."
Duncan's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. "Who is it?" he demanded again.
Lyra took a deep breath, her eyes locked on Duncan's. "It's someone close to you," she said. "Someone you trust."
Duncan's eyes widened in shock, his mind reeling with the implications. Who could it be? Someone he trusted? The thought sent a chill down his spine.
As he stood there, frozen in shock, Lyra turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Duncan and Emel staring after her in confusion.
"What just happened?" Emel asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Duncan shook his head, his mind still reeling with the implications. "I don't know," he said. "But I think we're in a lot more danger than we thought."