Chapter 40: The Weeping Tree

The moon hung low, casting a pale silver glow over the castle. Alina sat alone in her room, her fingers trembling as she stared at yet another note. This one, like the others, was filled with a sense of dread that seeped into her bones:

Danger is coming. If you wish to avert it, come to the Old Weeping Tree, at the edge of the forest, before the night’s end. Come alone.

Her heart raced as she read the words. The Old Weeping Tree… She knew the place well because she had been there with Lyra when they first heard the name. A twisted, ancient tree that stood alone near the cliff’s edge, far from the palace and the prying eyes of the court. It was a spot that felt as old as the land itself, rumoured to be cursed by the spirits of those who had died in battle long ago.