Chapter 276 The Price Of Secrets

• The tavern was silent, save for the soft creaking of the building’s old timbers. Ariella’s mind raced, the man’s words echoing in her thoughts. The shard was not just a weapon—it was a key. To what? And why had it been hidden away for so long?
• Kaelen leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Who are you? And who else is waiting for us?”
• The man’s lips twisted into a grim smile, but there was no humor in it. “I am no ally, not truly. I am merely a messenger. The ones who wait… they are the ancient ones. The keepers of the old truths, the ones who know the true power of the shard.”