The next morning, we sat in a small café tucked away in one of the quieter streets of Ljubljana. The place had a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries filling the air. Soft chatter from the other patrons created a comfortable hum around us as we settled into our seats.
I stirred my tea absently, still trying to shake off the lingering exhaustion from yesterday’s journey. Teleporting in a speeding car? Definitely not an experience I wanted to relive anytime soon.
Austin, on the other hand, was already buzzing w
his voice.
rgy. He took a large bite of his croissant before leaning forward, lowering
“So,” he said, glancing around before continuing. “Since we’re already in Europe, why don’t we take the stone piece to the Umbral Society Headquarters?”
I froze.
Across from me, Isaiah and Elijah exchanged looks.
“The Umbral Society?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
Austin nodded. “They know everything about supernatural artifacts, right? If anyone can tell us what this thing is, it’s them.”
swallowed.
“No,” I said immediately.
Austin blinked. “What? Why not?”
I tightened my grip around my cup.
Because Eira’s words echoed in my mind.
Do not trust anyone.
I took a slow breath. “Eira warned us against trusting anyone. We don’t know who’s working against us.”
Austin scoffed. “Oh, come on. The Society exists to protect us during the full moon, Stormi.”
“And yet,” Isaiah cut in, his tone sharp, “our location was compromised back in the uncharted realm.”
Elijah nodded. “There are spies among them. Traitors. The Children of Eclipse had information they shouldn’t have had. If we bring the stone to the wrong person…”
“We could be leading them straight to the lunar keystone” I finished
Austin sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Fine. So what’s the plan?”
I hesitated. “We need to figure this out ourselve
Isaiah tapped the table with his knuckles. “Then we should get moving.”
After finishing breakfast, we left the city and drove toward the outskirts where the mountains loomed in the distance.
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The road twisted and turned, climbing higher as we left the city behind. The scenery became more rugged, with dense forests. carpeting the mountainsides. The air grew crisper, carrying the scent of pine and earth.
“We don’t even know which cave it is,” Alex pointed out as we drove past a wooden sign marking the entrance to the cave region.
Isaiah had already thought of that.
“After asking around, I found out they give tours of the caves,” he said. “We can blend in with a tourist group and look around for any clues.”
Austin scoffed. “You really think we’re just going to stumble across another piece of broken stone?”
Elijah shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe we’ll find something else. We won’t know until we look.”
The car slowed as we pulled into a small town nestled at the base of the mountains. Shops and restaurants lined the narrow streets, and there were signs advertising guided cave tours.
Before we could get out, Elijah turned in his seat, eyeing the rest of us critically.
“If we’re going cave exploring, we need to look the part.”
We parked the car and walked down the stone–paved streets until we found a small thrift shop.
The bell above the door jingled as we stepped inside. The place smelled of old leather and dust, filled with racks of second–hand clothes, stacks of shoes, and shelves lined with random trinkets.
The elderly shopkeeper gave us a brief glance before returning to his newspaper.
“Alright,” Elijah said, clapping his hands together. “We need boots and clothes that don’t scream ‘lost tourists.“”
Austin groaned. “Ugh. Can’t we just call Eira so she can magic up some outfits?”
“Elijah’s right,” I said, grabbing a pair of sturdy boots from a shelf. “We need to blend in. If we go in there looking like we don’t belong, people will notice.”
Austin muttered something under his breath but started rummaging through the clothing racks.
Isaiah found a worn leather jacket that surprisingly fit him well. Alex pulled on a dark hoodie, while Elijah settled for a simple button–up and durable jeans.
I picked out a black turtleneck, a jacket, and cargo pants that would be comfortable for moving around.
Austin, of course, found the brightest jacket possible.
“Absolutely not,” Elijah deadpanned.
Austin grinned. “Oh, come on. High–visibility orange is in style, right?”
I sighed, shoving a plain gray hoodie at him. “Wear this.”
After changing, we paid for our clothes and left the shop, now looking much less like a group of clueless tourists.
We drove farther into the mountains, following the directions Isaiah got from the locals.
The road narrowed, becoming more of a dirt path than an actual street. The deeper we went, the quieter it became.
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Eventually, we reached a small parking area where other cars were parked. A wooden sign pointed toward the entrance of the caves, where a small group of people had gathered for a tour.
We stepped out of the car, stretching our legs.
“This is it,” Elijah murmured.
I looked up at the towering mountains, my stomach twisting with nerves.
Something about this place felt… different.
Like it was waiting for us.
Isaiah pulled his jacket tighter around him. “Let’s go.”
Taking a deep breath, we joined the group.
Whatever we were looking for-
We would find it here.
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