As Elliot settled into his new life as an adventurer, he began to notice something strange about the guild. There were whispers among the members, hushed conversations that stopped whenever he walked by. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but then he overheard a conversation between Kael and another ranger.

  “Do you think he’s the one?” the ranger asked.

  Kael shook his head. “I don’t know. But if he is, we need to be careful. The guildmaster won’t be happy if he finds out.”

  Elliot’s curiosity was piqued. What were they talking about? And why did it involve him?

  That night, as he lay in his bunk at the guild’s dormitory, Elliot couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the guild than met the eye. He decided to do a little investigating of his own.

  Sneaking out of the dormitory, he made his way to the guildmaster’s office. The door was locked, but Elliot had picked up a few tricks since becoming a Rogue. He pulled out a set of lockpicks and went to work, his hands trembling slightly.

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  After a few tense moments, the lock clicked open. Elliot slipped inside and began searching the room. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he hoped he’d know it when he saw it.

  His eyes fell on a large, ornate chest in the corner of the room. It was locked, but Elliot quickly picked the lock and opened the lid. Inside was a collection of strange artifacts—crystals, scrolls, and a small, glowing orb.

  Elliot reached for the orb, but as soon as his fingers touched it, a voice rang out behind him.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  Elliot spun around to see the guildmaster standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face.

  “Uh… this isn’t what it looks like?” Elliot said weakly.

  The guildmaster sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t find out this way. But since you’re here, I suppose it’s time you learned the truth.”

  Elliot’s heart raced. What truth? What had he stumbled into?

  The guildmaster stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “Sit down, Elliot. We have a lot to talk about.”