Chapter 197: Whispers in the Dark

The air inside the sanctuary was heavy, as if the very walls had absorbed the tension and mistrust. Mira paced her chamber, her thoughts racing. Despite her conversation with Syra, the healer's reaction had only deepened the mystery. She wanted to trust Syra, but the evidence—or lack of it—cast doubt on everyone.

A soft knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts. Erynn stepped inside, her expression grim.

"We found something," Erynn said, holding up a piece of parchment. "It was slipped under Teon's door. It might be from whoever's working against us."

Mira took the parchment, her eyes scanning the words written in a hurried scrawl:

Keep quiet, or you'll regret it.

She frowned. "A threat. Someone wants Teon silenced. But why leave such an obvious message?"

"It's either a bluff to scare him or a distraction," Erynn suggested. "Either way, we should question him again."

Mira nodded. "Let's go."

Teon's room was dimly lit, the small fire in the corner casting flickering shadows on the walls. He jumped when Mira and Erynn entered, his face pale.

"Wh-what now?" he stammered.

Mira held up the note. "This was left for you. Care to explain why someone might want to shut you up?"

Teon's eyes widened in panic. "I don't know! I swear, I don't know anything more than I've already told you!"

Erynn crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. "You've already lied once. If you're hiding something, now's the time to come clean. Otherwise, we can't protect you."

Teon swallowed hard, sweat beading on his brow. "I told you everything I know about Kaelen's plans. He has spies everywhere, but I don't know who they are. I just... I just want to survive this."

Mira studied him carefully. His fear seemed genuine, but fear could also be a mask.

"You'll stay under guard," she said finally. "If you're innocent, you'll have nothing to worry about. But if you're lying, Teon…" She let the implication hang in the air.

As the night wore on, Mira found herself unable to sleep. She wandered the sanctuary, her footsteps echoing softly in the empty halls. Her thoughts were a tangled web of suspicion and strategy, each thread leading to another dead end.

She found herself in the eastern storage chambers, the place where Erynn had seen Syra days earlier. The room was quiet, the faint scent of herbs lingering in the air. Mira's eyes swept over the shelves, searching for anything out of place.

Her gaze landed on a small crate tucked into a corner, partially hidden behind larger boxes. She crouched down and pried it open, revealing a collection of vials and jars. Most were labeled with common medicinal names, but one jar caught her attention.

It was unmarked, its contents a dark, viscous liquid. Mira carefully lifted it, her instincts screaming that this was significant.

"What are you doing here?"

Mira spun around, the jar still in her hand. Syra stood in the doorway, her expression a mix of surprise and suspicion.

"I could ask you the same," Mira replied, her voice steady.

Syra stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she saw the jar. "That's aconite. It's used for pain relief in small doses, but it can be deadly if mishandled. Why are you looking through my supplies?"

"Because I'm trying to find answers," Mira said. "And right now, you're one of the few people who could have tampered with the water supply."

Syra's jaw tightened. "I already told you—I had nothing to do with that. But if you think I'm a traitor, then maybe you should just arrest me and get it over with."

Mira studied her for a long moment. Syra's frustration seemed genuine, but there was still something about her that Mira couldn't fully trust.

"I'm not arresting you," Mira said finally. "But I need you to be honest with me. Is there anything you're hiding? Anything at all?"

Syra hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with a quiet determination.

"There is something," she admitted. "But it has nothing to do with Kaelen or the poisoning. I've been keeping certain herbs off the record because they're... unconventional. Effective, but controversial. I didn't want anyone to panic."

Mira frowned. "Why not just be upfront about it?"

"Because people don't always react well to things they don't understand," Syra said. "And I've had enough mistrust directed at me already."

Mira weighed her words carefully. "If that's all it is, then you need to bring everything out into the open. Transparency is the only way we're going to get through this."

Syra nodded reluctantly. "Fine. I'll show you everything tomorrow. But you need to believe me, Mira—I'm not your enemy."

Meanwhile, in the lower levels of the sanctuary, the shadowy figure struck again. This time, the target was a senior strategist, a man known for his loyalty to Mira. He was found unconscious near the main hall, a small puncture wound on his neck.

The discovery sent a new wave of panic through the sanctuary. Poison, once again, was the weapon of choice.

As Mira examined the scene, her resolve hardened. This wasn't just about fear or division anymore—this was personal.

Kaelen's spies were among them, and Mira was determined to root them out.

Far from the sanctuary, Kaelen leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face. His informant's latest message had been clear: the coalition was fracturing, and Mira was losing control.

"It's only a matter of time," he said to his second-in-command. "Once they've destroyed themselves, we'll sweep in and finish the job."

The commander nodded, his expression cold. "And the spies? Shall we recall them?"

Kaelen shook his head. "No. Let them continue their work. They've proven more valuable than I ever imagined."