The silent trickster emeralder

Previously

…Ben’s head swam with questions—about the void, about Thorn, about the shifting trickster whose silence pressed like hands on his throat. He realized, suddenly, that every answer would carry a price. And that some truths would shatter more than just illusions. Outside, Mara waited in the dark, her own secrets coiled tight. Above, the clocktower’s hands clicked forward, marking the hour. Shadows deepened and the emerald light spread, promising secrets, dangers, and an end that would never come cleanly. Ben steadied himself, the void calling, and took his first step deeper into the unknown.