Chapter 22: Growing Unease

The three of them remained hidden, their eyes trained on the palace gates. Hours passed, and still, no one came or went. The silence from within the palace was deafening, casting a heavy pall over the sanctuary. Amon, Star, and Skolo exchanged uneasy glances, their nerves fraying as the day dragged on.

By the time the sun began its descent, Star finally broke the silence. "Do you think they noticed what happened to one of their enforcers?"

Amon didn't respond immediately, his jaw tightening. The anxiety clawed at him, but he didn't want to voice his fears.

Skolo, however, was quick to answer. "They definitely do," he said, his tone grim.

"So what do we do now?" Star asked, his voice unusually serious.

Amon sighed, his fingers twitching slightly as he tried to focus. "We have no choice but to keep waiting."

As the new day dawned, the situation grew even more peculiar. Once again, neither Valen nor his enforcers left the palace. The sanctuary's inhabitants began murmuring among themselves, their frustration bubbling beneath the surface. By midday, the usual daily rations hadn't arrived, and the tension boiled over.

The two guards stationed at the gates tried to maintain order, their weapons raised as they barked threats at the growing crowd. But even they seemed unnerved, sneaking anxious glances toward the palace. Eventually, the guards turned their attention to the massive double doors.

"Open up!" one of them shouted, banging on the doors with the hilt of his weapon. "What's going on in there? Answer us!"

The other guard joined in, hammering his fist against the wood. But the doors remained sealed, offering no reply.

From their vantage point, Amon, Skolo, and Star watched the chaos unfold. The cries of the starving inhabitants mixed with the guards' desperate shouting, creating an unsettling cacophony.

Skolo shook his head. "We eventually have to make a move, or chaos is going to fall here," he said, his voice low but firm.

Amon frowned, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "No," he said. "We continue waiting. Valen wouldn't abandon the people that give him his points."

Star leaned back, his gaze skeptical. "Are you sure we're willing to take this gamble? What if something's happened? What if he's not even in there anymore?"

The words hit Amon like a blow, but he forced himself to stay calm. He looked at Star, then at Skolo, and after a long pause, he answered. "If nothing happens by the end of the day, we'll make our way inside."

As the sun dipped lower, the uneasy silence weighed heavier on Amon. His thoughts spiraled into darker territory. Was this because of me? Because I killed the enforcer? he wondered, his stomach twisting with guilt. But he kept those thoughts to himself, unwilling to show his growing unease to the others.

By nightfall, the sanctuary was steeped in chaos. The cries of the hungry had finally quieted as exhaustion took hold. The guards had slumped to the ground by the palace gates, their weapons resting at their sides, their eyelids heavy with sleep. Even the most desperate of the inhabitants had collapsed, too weak to shout any longer.

Star's voice broke the stillness. "It's finally time."

Amon's eyes narrowed, and he rose slowly from his hiding spot. "Be wary," he cautioned, his voice low and tense. "Something doesn't feel right here."

Skolo nodded, adjusting his grip on his weapon. "Understood."

Together, they began their approach toward the silent, foreboding palace, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them with every step.