#Chapter 234: Buried Answers

Agnes The sunrise came early, casting a golden glow over Richard’s territory as Elijah, James, and I set out for our second day of searching. Despite the heavy thoughts that weighed on my mind after last night’s events with Elise, I felt oddly refreshed. Perhaps it was the comfort of falling asleep in Elijah’s protective embrace, or maybe it was simply the knowledge that today might bring us one step closer to finding the artifact. Our destination this time was an abandoned village that James had identified from his research. According to his notes, it had been deserted for well over a century, left to crumble back into the earth. It was supposedly tucked away in a remote valley, hidden from the main trails that crisscrossed Richard’s territory. “The records suggest that the village was abandoned rather abruptly,” James explained as we hiked through a dense section of forest. “There were rumors of a curse, but more likely it was some sort of illness that swept