EPISODE 17 : THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED
247 Words
The morning after the attack arrived without peace.
A gray mist clung to the mountains as smoke continued to rise from the ruins of the royal archives. The scent of burnt parchment lingered in the air, reminding everyone of what had been lost.
Asher stood in silence before the blackened remains of the stone building.
The fire had long been extinguished, but nothing inside had survived.
Charred shelves lay scattered across the floor. Ash drifted through broken windows, carrying away the last fragments of the kingdom's history.
Lucas approached quietly.
His armor was scratched from countless blows, and dried blood stained the sleeve of his cloak. Despite his injuries, his posture remained as steady as ever.
"You should be resting," Asher said.
Lucas glanced at the ruins.
"So should you."
Neither of them smiled.
For a long moment, they simply stared at the destruction.
Finally, Asher broke the silence.
"They burned everything."
"Not everything."
Lucas bent down and picked up a scorched piece of metal from the rubble.
It was the melted clasp of an ancient record book.
"They burned the evidence," he said, "not the truth."
Asher looked at him.
"The truth still lives in those who remember."
Before he could reply, hurried footsteps echoed across the courtyard.
Cedric arrived with two scouts.
"They've found the enemy's trail."
Lucas turned immediately.
"How far?"
"Less than half a day's ride."
One of the scouts stepped forward and unrolled a rough map across a nearby table.
"They crossed
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