Chapter 146: The Gathering Storm

The trap was set.

Jay stood in the shadows near the hidden passage, his senses heightened, every sound magnified by the stillness of the night. The air was thick with anticipation, and each passing moment seemed to stretch into eternity. The discovery of the secret passage had been a revelation, but it also meant that they were now on borrowed time. Whoever had been using it would soon realize they had been discovered—and they might grow desperate.

Mira stood beside him, her gaze fixed on the entrance to the passage. A small team of their best soldiers was hidden in the surrounding darkness, ready to spring into action at the first sign of movement. They were all tense, knowing that this could be the moment they finally uncovered the identity of the mysterious watchers.

"Do you think they'll come?" Jay whispered, his voice barely audible.

Mira didn't take her eyes off the passage as she replied. "They will. The watchers have been using this route for a reason. They won't abandon it unless they have no choice. We just need to be patient."

Jay nodded, though patience was something he was struggling with. The waiting gnawed at him, the uncertainty of what might happen next. But he knew Mira was right. If they were going to catch the watchers, they couldn't afford to rush things.

The minutes ticked by, and the night grew colder. Jay's thoughts wandered back to the message he had received—the taunt from the traitor. The blade is closer than you think. The words played over and over in his mind, a constant reminder that danger was lurking around every corner.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes near the passage, and Jay's heart skipped a beat. He strained to see through the darkness, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword. Mira tensed beside him, her hand signaling the soldiers to be ready.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, slowly, a figure emerged from the shadows, moving cautiously toward the hidden entrance. The person was cloaked, their face obscured by a hood, but there was no mistaking their intent. They were heading for the passage.

Jay held his breath as the figure approached. The soldiers were poised to strike, but Jay raised his hand, signaling them to wait. He wanted to see who this was, to catch them in the act.

The figure reached the passage and paused, glancing around as if sensing something was amiss. For a moment, Jay feared they might retreat, but then the figure continued, slipping into the crevice.

It was the moment they had been waiting for.

"Now!" Jay whispered, and the soldiers sprang into action.

They surrounded the entrance in an instant, blocking any chance of escape. The figure froze, realizing too late that they had walked into a trap. Mira moved forward, her voice commanding as she ordered the figure to remove their hood.

"Show yourself," she demanded.

The figure hesitated, then slowly complied, pulling back the hood to reveal a young man, his face pale with fear. He was unfamiliar to Jay, but the look in his eyes was unmistakable—he was a pawn, someone who had been caught up in something far larger than himself.

"Who are you?" Jay asked, stepping closer. "And who do you work for?"

The young man swallowed nervously, his eyes darting around as if searching for a way out. But there was none. He was trapped, and he knew it.

"My name is Tomas," the man said, his voice trembling. "I'm just a messenger… I swear, I don't know anything. I was told to deliver messages, to watch certain people. That's all."

Jay exchanged a glance with Mira. This wasn't the mastermind they had hoped to catch, but it was a start. If Tomas was telling the truth, he might have valuable information about the watchers and their operations.

"Who gave you the orders?" Mira pressed. "And what were you watching for?"

Tomas shook his head, fear in his eyes. "I don't know their name. I never saw their face. They communicated through notes, left in secret places. I was paid well to follow instructions, to report back on what I saw. That's all I know, I swear."

Jay could see that the young man was terrified, but he also sensed that Tomas was holding something back. "You may not know their name, but you must have some idea of who they are. Where do the notes come from? What do they say?"

Tomas hesitated, then sighed in defeat. "The notes… they come from someone in the citadel. I don't know who, but they're always precise, always one step ahead. They're powerful, connected. They know everything that happens here."

Jay felt a chill run down his spine. The traitor was indeed close, closer than he had imagined. Someone within the citadel, someone with access to the highest levels of information, was orchestrating this entire conspiracy.

"What do they want?" Jay asked, his voice tight with tension.

"I don't know," Tomas replied, his voice barely a whisper. "But I think… I think they're waiting for something. Something big. They're biding their time, gathering information, setting things in motion. When the time is right, they'll strike."

Jay exchanged a grim look with Mira. The situation was more dire than they had realized. The enemy was not just a threat to the kingdom—they were a threat to everything Jay had built, everything he held dear.

Mira stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "Where are the rest of the watchers? Are there more of you?"

Tomas shook his head. "I don't know. I was only ever in contact with one other person, another messenger like me. We never met in person, only exchanged notes. I don't even know where they are now."

Jay's frustration grew. They were so close to uncovering the truth, but the pieces were still scattered, the answers just out of reach. But he knew they couldn't give up. Tomas might not have all the answers, but he was a link in the chain, a connection to the larger conspiracy.

"Mira," Jay said, turning to her, "have Tomas taken to the dungeons. We'll question him further, see if we can get more information. And put the citadel on high alert. If the enemy is planning something, we need to be ready."

Mira nodded, already issuing orders to the soldiers. Tomas was led away, his fate uncertain, but Jay's mind was focused on the larger picture. The pieces were starting to come together, and Jay could feel the storm brewing on the horizon.

The watchers, the traitor, the hidden allies—everything was converging toward a single point, a moment of reckoning that would determine the fate of the kingdom.

And Jay knew that when that moment came, he had to be prepared to face it head-on.