chapter 27 hideout

Meanwhile, Xavier found himself drawn into the intoxicating allure of the brothel. With an air of effortless charm, he engaged in a dance of words and glances with a beguiling human lady. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, an electrifying undercurrent between them. Unbeknownst to Xavier, the lady's facade concealed a far more sinister identity—a witch, cunningly disguised to infiltrate his world.

As the sands of time slipped through the hourglass, minutes stretched into an uneasy silence. Xavier's absence weighed heavily on the group. Timothy's patience wore thin, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. Gabriel's irritation mirrored Timothy's, while Mr. Lucas, the beacon of composure, remained untouched by the mounting tension.

Taking charge of the situation, Timothy unveiled a map that revealed the evolution of the land over the years. A once-thriving forest in the north had transformed into their current location in the east. The revelation struck a discordant chord. The very ground they stood on, now a seemingly ordinary landscape, harbored secrets rooted in the distant past. An old witch's hideout, centuries concealed, was now their unintended battleground. The sense of danger rippled through the air, as if the earth itself held its breath.

The weight of the realization only fueled their determination. They prepared themselves for the trials ahead, steeling their nerves and readying their arsenal for whatever awaited them in the looming darkness.

...

At last, the flicker of Xavier's return broke the suffocating stillness. But his reappearance bore an unexpected captive—a witch he had extracted from the brothel's clutches. The tension in the air became palpable, each heartbeat echoing with uncertainty.

Mr. Lucas's reaction was swift, his instincts calling for immediate action against the perceived threat. However, the collective wisdom of the group intervened, urging caution and restraint. Xavier's choice had unveiled a potential asset, one whose knowledge could tip the scales in their favor. The witch held the key, a fragment of a puzzle they so desperately needed to solve.