Broken

After a good night's sleep, we woke up feeling refreshed. We washed up and silently did each other's hair.

I re- bandaged the injury on my arm and we were all set.

Not long after we had gotten ready, there was a bout of anxious knocking on my door. I opened it and before I could say anything, Flint had already started talking

"We went to their rooms but they weren't there. Do you think someone took them away again? But didn't you just get them back yesterday? Are they playing with us or is there another group of —"

"Hey hey, calm down. They're here."

I opened the door wide enough for them to see the girls sitting inside

"We slept together last night."

Flint coughed embarrassedly and scratched his head

"Oh, hehe. I didn't realize"

"What are you three here for?"

"Talk. About what happened. You guys were tired yesterday so we didn't immediately ask for information"

I opened the door wider and motioned for them to come in. I closed the door behind us and went to sit down. All six of us were sitting down in silence and when Azazyl couldn't bare it anymore, he spoke up. 

"Why are you girls being so suspicious? What exactly happened back there? And why isn't the third girl with you?"

"To give a brief summary, Elyria betrayed us. To put it frankly she may have been a spy from the start. Azarya is dying. Maybe dead by this time. And we met the big boss. He wants to drain my magic. Azarya said he was someone I knew but I haven't been able to narrow it down. So far, I haven't made any progress in identifying him"

The room fell silent again, this time with a mix of shock and concern etched on everyone's faces. Flint was the first to break the silence.

"Elyria was a spy? You mean the long haired beauty with a slender waist and— "

"Okay stop talking"

"That's crazy! I never suspected a thing."

Azazyl's expression turned grim. "We can't trust anyone from now on. If even Elyria was a spy, there could be others."

Draco nodded in agreement. "We need to be cautious. But first, let's focus on Aadvitha's encounter with the big boss?. Aadvitha, can you tell us more about what happened?"

I took a deep breath, recounting every detail of my meeting with the hooded figure. The others listened intently, their faces growing more serious with each passing moment.

When I finished, Azazyl spoke up. "We need to identify this person fast. Aadvitha, think back to what Azarya said. Did he give you any clues?"

I closed my eyes, trying to recall every word of our conversation. "I've told you guys everything I know. I can't remember anything else."

Flint frowned. "This is frustrating. We're running out of time. If this person wants to drain Aadvitha's magic, we need to act fast."

Draco nodded. "I agree. Let's brainstorm. We might be able to piece together some clues."

The conversation flowed from there, with each of us sharing our thoughts and ideas. As we discussed, the atmosphere in the room shifted from shock to determination.

Azazyl broke the tense atmosphere by asking a question

"Aadvitha , did you at least get to know what he wants your magic for? And how he is so sure to get it? It is unheard of in the history of Ahganon for someone to have their magic drained. It is something deemed impossible so why is he so sure in himself?"

"I don't know how he plans to get my magic but he's definitely up to no good. He says he wants to unify Aghanon."

"Unify Aghanon? Then why would he want to destroy it?"

At this point, Flint interjected

"I don't know if you guys have heard of some people who believe that rebirth comes form destruction"

"You think he's part of these people?"

"From what we know about him, it may be true. He claims he wants to make Aghanon one yet he deliberately caused destruction "

I seemed to hear a soft click. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Nothing. I might be mistaken"

I sighed "Let's think of countermeasures"

As we continued brainstorming, Azazyl suddenly sat up straight, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I think I might have an idea," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Aadvitha, you mentioned that Azarya said the hooded figure was someone you knew. But what if it's not just a person you know? What if it's someone you trust? In fact what if it's someone in this very room?"

I felt a shiver run down my spine as Azazyl's words struck a chord. Could it be true? Could someone I trusted be behind this sinister plot?

Flint's eyes narrowed. "That's a pretty big accusation, Azazyl. Do you have any evidence?"

Azazyl hesitated, his gaze darting around the room. "I don't have concrete proof, but... I've noticed some suspicious behavior from someone close to us."

Draco's expression turned grave. "Who is it?"

Azazyl took a deep breath before responding, his words sending a shockwave through the room.

"It's Draco. I think he might be involved."

The room fell silent, with all eyes on Draco. His face remained impassive, but his eyes narrowed almost inconspicuously.

As Azazyl's words hung in the air, Draco's expression changed from grave to shocked and then angry. "Azazyl, what are you talking about? This is not the time for jokes. You can't seriously think I'm involved in this."

Azazyl's face fell, and he looked away, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't want to believe it either, but... I've seen some suspicious behavior. And Aadvitha's description of the hooded figure... it sounds like you."

"So just because it sounds like me— humf "

The room fell silent, with Flint and the others looking on in discomfort. I could see the hurt and confusion in Draco's eyes, and I knew I had to intervene.

"Wait, let's not jump to conclusions. Azazyl, what exactly have you seen that makes you think Draco is involved?"

Azazyl hesitated, clearly reluctant to continue. "I... I saw Draco talking to someone in secret a few days ago. And yesterday, he was gone for a few hours without explaining where he was going."

Draco's face turned red with anger. "Azazyl, how could you think that? So just because I don't tell you every little thing I'm doing I suddenly become a traitor? That's very big of you. If you're so smart how couldn't you even tell when you were being let by the nose by that cold blooded fool? And now you've suddenly grown brains?"

"What do you mean by that? I made a mistake and I admitted it already why are you bringing it up now? Everyone makes mistakes. But at least I'm not like you who couldn't even protect the only family you had and made her suffer for years"

I knew something was wrong. Both Azazyl and Draco are not people who would go off like that without any stimulation, yet a very simple conversation had come to this point? What exactly was going on?

The tension in the room was palpable, with Azazyl and Draco locked in a silent standoff. I knew I had to act fast to prevent things from escalating further.

I decided to ask Azazyl to explain his reasons for suspecting Draco, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Azazyl, tell us more about what you saw. What made you think Draco was involved?" I asked gently.

Azazyl sighed, looking down at his feet. "I didn't want to believe it, but... I saw Draco talking to someone in a hooded cloak a few days ago. They were in a secluded area, and they seemed to be discussing something in secret. And when I approached, they quickly dispersed."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "That was just a meeting with a messenger from Emberhaven . I was talking to them about the situation back home. You know unlike some people, I still have a kingdom to rule"

Azazyl's eyes widened. "But why did you keep it a secret? And why did you disappear for a few hours yesterday?"

Draco's expression turned sheepish. "I was helping a friend in need. We already have so much on our plates why should I bother anyone else with things I can handle on my own?"

Flint spoke up, his voice calm. "Azazyl, I think we've gotten a bit carried away here. Let's not jump to conclusions. Draco, can you prove your innocence?"

Draco nodded. "Of course. I can show you the message from the messenger. And I can take you to the person I helped yesterday. They'll vouch for me."

The tension in the room began to dissipate. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the misunderstanding was being resolved.

Azazyl looked sheepish, his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you. I've just been really worried about Aadvitha and the others."

Draco looked at him coldly from under his lashes "it's not your place to worry about my sister. Next time if you don't have substantial evidence, don't point fingers at others."

I saw that Azazyl was about to reply and I dragged him and sat him down forcefully while putting on a bit smile.

"Now that that's resolved, let's work together to uncover the truth."

Flint nodded. "I'll start by asking around, see if anyone else saw or heard anything suspicious."

Draco nodded. "I'll check the castle records, see if there are any clues hidden there."

Firtha spoke up. "I'll talk to the guards, see if they noticed anything unusual."

Elowen agreed. "I'll go to the kitchen and talk to the chefs"

I stood up "And I'll... I'll try to remember anything else Azarya might have said or done that could help us."

Together, we began our investigation, each of us searching for clues and piecing together the puzzle.

As we worked, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were running out of time. And that I had forgotten something essential. The hooded figure was still out there, and I knew they wouldn't stop until they achieved their goal.

Suddenly, Flint's voice cut through the silence. "Guys, I think I found something."

We gathered around him, our hearts racing with anticipation.