Eldrin leaned heavily on Ana as they crept through the dim hallway of the inn, the walls seeming to close in with each step. His breath came in shallow, ragged bursts, each inhale sending a sharp pain through the wound in his side. The bandage Ana had wrapped around him was already damp with fresh blood, but there was no time to stop. Shadows were moving outside, closing in on them, and the more immediate danger weighed heavily on his mind.

  “We need to move faster,” Ana whispered, her voice tense but steady. “Those people outside will catch up with us if we linger.”

  Eldrin grimaced, clutching his side tighter as he forced himself forward. “I need to check... the book,” he gasped. “It’s hidden… in my room. Above the stable.”

  Ana shot him a concerned glance, the flicker of nearby candlelight revealing the tightness around her eyes. “You’re in no shape for this,” she said, her voice low but urgent. “You should be resting.”

  “I don’t have a choice,” Eldrin replied through gritted teeth. “If the book’s gone... it’s already too late.”

  Ruk scuttled ahead of them, his wide goblin eyes darting nervously as he scanned the hallways. His small body was tense with worry. “Ruk sees bad people outside,” he whispered over his shoulder. “They’re looking for us.”

  “Then we’ll go the back way,” Ana said firmly. “We’ll take the alley behind the inn and head straight for your room.”

  Eldrin could only nod weakly. The pain in his side blurred the edges of his vision, but the thought of the missing book kept him focused. His mind raced as they neared the rear of the inn, the smell of cooking meat and stale ale drifting through the air as they passed the kitchens. The sounds of the inn—laughter, conversation, the clinking of mugs—seemed to fade behind them, and they slipped out through the back door, unnoticed.

  The cool night air hit them as they stepped into the alley behind the inn. The moon was low in the sky, casting long shadows across the narrow streets. The stable where Eldrin rented his room was just ahead, its dark outline looming against the starry sky. A small wooden staircase led up the side of the stable to a narrow door above. Eldrin’s sanctuary.

  “Almost there,” Ana whispered, glancing around cautiously. “Stay low, and stay quiet.”

  Ruk scurried ahead, leading them through the winding alleyways, his small feet padding softly on the cobblestone. The town of Eastmere was eerily quiet at this hour, the streets empty save for the occasional rustle of wind against the buildings. But Eldrin knew the danger wasn’t far behind. Whoever was hunting them would be relentless.

  They reached the base of the wooden staircase, and Ana paused to scan the surrounding area one last time. “All clear,” she said softly, though her hand remained tightly around the hilt of her sword. “Let’s get inside.”

  Ruk darted up the stairs, his small frame barely making a sound as he reached the top. Eldrin followed, his legs heavy beneath him, the pain in his side threatening to pull him down. He clutched the railing tightly, his breath coming in short gasps. Ana stayed close behind him, her hand ready to steady him if he faltered.

  When they reached the door, Eldrin fumbled with the key, his hands trembling as he slid it into the lock. The door creaked open, and they slipped inside, closing it quietly behind them.

  The room was small and dimly lit, a single candle on the desk casting faint shadows across the walls. Eldrin’s heart pounded in his chest as he looked around, his eyes immediately drawn to the corner of the room where the wall met the floor. The stone.

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  Eldrin motioned toward the window, his breath still ragged. “Close the curtains,” he whispered, his voice tight with urgency.

  Ruk was quick to obey, scrambling to the window and pulling the thick curtains shut, sealing off any view from the outside. The room fell into near-total darkness, the only light coming from the flickering candle on the desk.

  Ana helped Eldrin to the corner of the room, her arm steadying him as he knelt down beside the wall. His hands trembled as they traced the familiar outline of the loose stone where the wall met the floor. It was subtle—barely noticeable unless you knew where to look—but he had found it months ago when he first rented the room. The cavity beneath had been the perfect hiding place for his most valuable possession.

  “The book is hidden under this stone,” Eldrin murmured, his voice strained with both pain and fear. “If it’s still here, we might have a chance.”

  Ana crouched beside him, her eyes narrowing as she watched him carefully remove the stone. “Let’s hope they haven’t found it yet.”

  With a sharp intake of breath, Eldrin slipped his fingers into the narrow gap where the stone met the floor. The stone was heavier than it looked, and Eldrin’s weakened body struggled to lift it at first. He gritted his teeth, fighting through the pain in his side as he pried the stone free and set it aside.

  Beneath the stone was a small, hollow cavity. The perfect hiding spot.

  Eldrin’s hand reached into the hollow space, but his fingers touched nothing but cold, empty air. His heart sank. He frantically searched the cavity, his hands scraping against the stone, his breath catching in his throat.

  “It’s gone,” Eldrin whispered, his voice shaking. “The book… it’s gone.”

  Ana’s face darkened, her expression hardening as the realization hit her. “Gone? Are you sure?”

  “I hid it here myself,” Eldrin said, his voice hoarse. “No one should have known about it. I thought…” He trailed off, his mind spinning with the implications. Someone had known. Someone had found the book.

  Ana stood up, pacing the small room as she tried to process the new threat. “If they’ve taken the book, they already know more than we do. Whoever’s after you must have known it was here.”

  Eldrin sat back against the wall, his legs trembling beneath him. “They have everything. My master’s notes, the research on Sha’kar, the Obsidian Orb. If they know how to use that knowledge…”

  “They’ll be able to undo everything,” Ana finished, her voice grim. “The prison… Sha’kar… they’ll know how to free him.”

  Eldrin felt a wave of nausea wash over him. The missing book was more than just a collection of notes—it held the key to unraveling the delicate balance that had kept Sha’kar imprisoned for centuries. If the enemy knew how to weaken the prison, it could mean disaster.

  “We can’t stay here,” Eldrin muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “If they’ve taken the book, they’ll come for me next.”

  Ana stopped pacing, her eyes locking with Eldrin’s. “You’re in no condition to run, Eldrin.”

  “We don’t have a choice,” Eldrin replied, his voice tight with pain. “They won’t stop until they’ve erased every trace of the book… and of me.”

  Ruk, who had been nervously shifting near the window, suddenly darted over to the curtain and peeked outside. His eyes widened in alarm as he pulled back from the window. “Shadows!” he hissed, his voice trembling. “Bad people. They’re getting closer.”

  Ana’s hand went to her sword, her eyes narrowing. “We need to go. Now.”

  Eldrin struggled to his feet, clutching his side as the pain flared up again. His vision swam for a moment, but he forced himself to focus. “We’ll take the back alleys.”

  Ruk glanced nervously toward the door. “Ruk doesn’t like this. Bad people everywhere.”

  Eldrin nodded weakly. “We don’t have a choice.”

  Ana moved quickly to his side, steadying him as they made their way toward the door. “We’ll stay low, stay quiet. If we can get out of town, we might still have a chance.”

  Eldrin took a deep breath, trying to steel himself against the pain. The loss of the book, the knowledge it contained—it weighed on him like a physical burden. But they had to keep moving. If they stayed, they were as good as dead.

  Ruk scurried ahead, opening the door and peeking outside into the dark alley beyond. “No bad people here. Not yet.”

  Eldrin glanced once more at the empty cavity where the book had been hidden. The cold realization that they were now one step behind their enemies sank in, but there was no time to dwell on it.

  “Let’s go,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.