Footsteps echoed through the castle halls.
Fast. Urgent.
Max led the way. Elanor and Moonlight followed right behind him, keeping pace without falling behind.
The air was thick with distant screams and echoes of combat coming from all directions.
Moon gritted her teeth as she ran.
"Where did these guys even come from?"
Max didn't slow down.
"I saw a symbol on the one that attacked you."
His voice was firm.
"He had a tattoo… a seven-pointed star."
Elanor frowned.
"…that sounds familiar."
Max nodded slightly.
"I think it's the symbol of a cult."
He turned another corner without losing speed.
"They're a group that moves all over the continent."
His gaze hardened.
"And they traffic… female rare creatures."
Silence.
"…what?" Moon muttered.
Max continued.
"They kidnap them from villages and sell them."
Elanor quickened her pace.
"…I heard something…"
She glanced down for a second.
"Disappearances in villages near the Great City."
She looked up again.
