Chapter 216: An Equal Exchange

**Thelma Zane’s POV:** Master Mary held the enigmatic stone tablet in her hands, its surface imbued with the faint remnants of powerful magical energy. She presented it to us, her expression a mixture of intrigue and caution. “This is a stone tablet with clear traces of magic fluctuations,” she said, her voice steady yet filled with curiosity. The tablet, carved in a Renaissance style, bore an intricate design. At its center was a moth with tattered wings, surrounded by thirteen varieties of flowers. Fine vines intertwined the elements, creating a circular motif resembling a shield. What caught my attention was the stark contrast in the tablet’s design. The flowers were sculpted with a delicate, almost romantic touch, exuding vitality and warmth as though drawn from the dreamy imagination of a young girl. The moth, on the other hand, was grotesque and disturbing. Its fragmented wings and jagged contours evoked despair, like a creature ravaged by the cruelty of nature. Am