The Cartographer's Secret

Previously

…Elara watched him go, her body trembling. The adventure had found her, but it had also brought with it a darkness she hadn’t anticipated. The map was no longer just a promise of exploration; it was a beacon, attracting those who would exploit its secrets for their own gain. Her quiet life was over. The journey had begun, and it was already fraught with peril. She clutched the map beneath her tunic, its ancient lines now feeling like a heavy burden. She had to leave. She had to understand the map, and she had to do it before Silas Vance found whatever it was she had found. The keep, once her world, now felt like a gilded cage she had to escape.