After everyone had left the council hall, Liam followed Kaelen into his large, cold study.
Kaelen stood with his back to him at the window, watching the sky darken outside.
"Uncle's arrangement this time was too deliberate," Kaelen's voice was cold.
"Yes," Liam said, coming to his side, his expression grave. "It's as if… he's in a hurry to get us all out of the castle."
"Which is why you can't go with me."
Liam froze, whipping his head around to look at his brother. "What? Brother, the Black Forest is too dangerous! I have to go with you!"
"The castle is more dangerous than the Black Forest," Kaelen cut him off, his lightless eyes, for the first time, looking at his younger brother with a sharp intensity. "I suspect this is a ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain."
He paused, his voice dropping to a low whisper.
"Liam, while I'm gone, the castle is in your hands. Find out the truth about the missing girls in the Moon Shadow Courtyard. Start with Morgana's 'temple.' I need to know what they're up to."
Liam stared at his brother in shock. This was the first time Kaelen had shown him the vigilance and cunning hidden beneath his icy exterior. He nodded heavily.
"Don't worry, brother. I will find out the truth."
A flicker of hesitation crossed Liam's face, but he finally spoke his mind.
"What about… Aila?" he asked, looking at Kaelen. "She's just a half-blood who can't shift. The Black Forest will be hell for her. Brother, please… you have to protect her."
Kaelen's body stiffened. He didn't answer, just turned his gaze back to the endless darkness outside the window.
"Both of you," Liam's voice grew a little hoarse, "have to come back alive."
"I will," Kaelen finally said.
Liam said no more, turning and quickly leaving the study.
After the door closed, the study was once again plunged into silence. Kaelen looked out towards the Moon Shadow Courtyard, a flicker of worry in his bottomless eyes.
On the evening before our departure, I went to the abandoned courtyard one last time. I didn't know if Liam would come. I just wanted to see him one more time before leaving this cold castle.
The night wind was chilly. I sat on the stone steps, hugging my knees, my heart filled with a gnawing fear of the unknown that awaited me in the Black Forest.
"Aila."
A gentle voice sounded behind me. It was Liam.
"I thought you wouldn't come," I said, standing up.
"Of course I would," he said, smiling as he walked towards me. "I had to come say goodbye."
"Liam," I looked at him, unable to stop myself from asking, "do you believe what they're saying? About the 'soul-binders,' that we southerners have desecrated our ancestors…"
"I don't," he said, shaking his head, his gaze firm. "I only believe what I see. And what I see is a kind, brave girl."
His words were like a warm current, melting the fear in my heart.
"I'm sorry, Aila," he said suddenly, his face full of apology. "I… I can't go with you to the Black Forest."
"Why?" I was stunned, a huge sense of loss washing over me.
"My brother has given me a more important task. I have to stay in the castle," he said, looking at me, his eyes filled with concern. "The Black Forest is dangerous. You have to… protect yourself."
He then took a dagger, forged entirely of pure silver, from his coat and handed it to me.
"This is… silver?" I asked, surprised, looking at the dagger that glowed with a cool light under the moon. "Aren't werewolves afraid of silver?"
"It's called the 'Moon Shadow's Sting'," Liam smiled gently. "What we fear is tempered 'holy silver.' Ordinary silver just makes us uncomfortable. But… those things might be different."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been reading a forbidden book about ancient bloodlines recently," he said, his eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge. "It has an interesting theory—that in the most ancient of times, werewolves and the legendary vampires may have shared a common ancestor."
He continued, half-jokingly, "If the legends are true, and vampires are afraid of silver, then… these 'ghoul-wolf knights,' who can't shift and crawl out of the ground like ancient relics, might have retained that old weakness. Take it, just in case."
I took the cold but comforting dagger, clutching it tightly in my hand.
It wasn't just a weapon; it was a heavy weight of reassurance and protection from Liam as I was about to face danger alone.
"Thank you, Liam."
"Promise me," he said, looking into my eyes, enunciating each word, "that you will come back alive."
"I promise."
He nodded, as if to leave, but then paused. He looked at me, hesitating.
"Aila," he began again, his voice lower than before. "If… and I mean if…"
He took a deep breath, as if summoning a great deal of courage.
"If you come back safely… and you don't want to stay here anymore… I…"
He stammered, seeming to not know how to continue.
"…I can take you away."
As he finished, a faint, almost imperceptible blush colored his cheeks under the cool moonlight.
My heart skipped a beat.
Before I could respond, as if afraid I would refuse, he stepped forward and gave me a brief, gentle hug.
"Take care."
He gave me a reassuring smile, then immediately turned and quickly vanished into the night.
I stood there alone, the sun-drenched scent of the pine forest still lingering from his embrace. I held the small "Moon Shadow's Sting," its cold touch now seeming to burn with the warmth of his hug.
The investigation team assembled.
Kaelen was dressed in black battle gear, his face covered by a cold helmet that revealed only his lightless eyes. Drake remained at his side, inseparable. Rosalind, in a suit of fiery red leather armor, stood proudly beside him, a blazing flame.
I, with my only trusted ally, Ulf, stood silently at the back of the group. He was a silent iron tower, dutifully guarding me.
Liam came to see us off.
He walked to Kaelen. The two brothers exchanged a look that only they could understand, no words needed.
Then, he came to me.
"Take care, Aila," he said softly, his warm black eyes filled with an unspoken worry.
"You too," I replied.
He nodded and stepped aside.
"Move out!"
With Kaelen's command, the party set off.
We mounted the northern warhorses that had been prepared for us—a sturdy breed of pony with incredible stamina, well-suited for the complex mountain terrain.
I rode with Ulf, his rock-steady body a protective shield behind me.
I looked back one last time. Liam was still standing there, watching me with concern. And high on the castle walls, the figure of his uncle Barton flashed past. He looked at our departing party, a cold smile on his face.
We had officially entered the Black Forest, a place of legend, shrouded in mist, from which few ever returned.