The truth is lost to shadow.”
Master Drobal nodded slowly, his eyes fixed sharply on Elvoran. “Is that all?” he asked in a grave tone.
“Yes… the remaining lines are illegible,” Elvoran replied.
Suddenly, he took the book and walked in quick steps to his worktable.
“Elvoran, what are you doing?” Master Drobal called out in surprise.
“Wait!” Elvoran answered.
He took a vial from a shelf above the table and used a small glass dropper to collect a few drops of the translucent liquid. “Some parts of the page have faded, but I know a way to bring them back to light,” he explained, and carefully dropped the solution onto the parchment.
For a moment, nothing appeared — but after some time, several lines slowly returned to the page.
Elvoran read them aloud.
“It speaks of an artifact said to lie in the Northland. Perhaps it is the Crystal of Seeing. It is said to reveal the locations of the other artifacts.”
Raynarus shook his head.
“Somewhere in the Northland… That’s little more than a vague promise. And the risk of finding nothing is high.”
Master Drobal remained silent. His thoughts circled visibly. “Even so, we have no other choice. If what is written here holds true, then this crystal may be the key to stopping the demon. We must take the risk.”
His voice left no room for doubt. After a pause, he turned to the two men.