CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: SHADOWS AT THE GATE

As Arden drew closer to the ruin, something tugged at his senses again.

It had started faint, barely a flicker in the distance, but now the feeling pressed clearer with every step. Auras. Multiple ones. Quiet, yet not hidden. All waiting ahead.

He slowed just a little, eyes narrowing as he scanned the trail beyond the rise. "We have visitors."

Rael moved beside him, tone low. "Same people from before?"

"More than a few," Arden said, his gaze steady. "And they’re not random travelers."

The energy was familiar. Refined and heavy with restraint. It was the kind that came with age and authority.

He remembered this exact feeling after clearing the ruin, when the clan elders had shown up.

The Same controlled power, and same clash of egos hidden behind polite silence.

Nyra raised a brow. "You think they’ve been waiting for us?"

"Probably," Arden replied. "But not all of them. Some were watching from farther off. Scouts maybe, or people they sent ahead to report."

Zephyra gave a soft, throaty growl. She didn’t flare, but her focus shifted ahead, locked onto something only she could feel.

She didn’t need to speak. Arden understood her well enough by now.

He didn’t stop walking. And the others fell in beside him naturally, their pace matching his. Quieter now, but focused.

When the broken path leveled and the open stretch before the ruin came into view, Arden slowed again. The air was still. Heavy, like it was holding something back.

He turned slightly, looking over his shoulder. "I have a feeling why they’re here. I won’t drag you into anything you don’t want."

Rael smirked. "Too late for that."

Nyra just grinned and rolled her shoulders. "Let’s see what they want."

Even Zephyra, without a word, remained close behind. Her silence meant more than a dozen promises.

Arden gave a small nod and turned back.

They stepped forward as one, approaching the gathered figures in the distance, cloaked in elegant long robes, and locked in low but heated arguments.

They’d been waiting.

The elders from the five great clans, the Runekin Guild, Luminaria Order, Noctharum Sect, Caelum Clan, and Ironblood Clan were in the middle of another heated round of bickering when someone pointed toward the path.

"Look."

The word cut through the noise like a blade.

All heads turned.

There he was.

Arden. Masked, calm, and walking straight toward them without a hint of hesitation. The same figure they had argued over for days.

Voices dropped. But not for long.

"So he really came," one elder muttered.

"And you were ready to crawl on your knees," snapped another.

"Better to kneel and gain entry than stand and be shut out. Or would your pride open the ruin for you?" the elder from Luminaria Order sneered.

"You speak of pride? Your Order once called him a rogue. Now look at you, shivering with gifts like a merchant’s dog."

The Ironblood elder scoffed. "You all disgust me. At least offer strength, not bribes."

"Spare me," muttered the Noctharum representative, adjusting his dark robes. "All of you would sell your ancestors if it meant claiming those secrets."

The arguments kept building, but the sight of Arden drawing closer began to unravel them. Tension slipped into desperation. Then chaos.

Whatever pride they held snapped as they all tried to get to him first.

A few elders tripped over one another. One shoved another aside. Robes tangled. Wrinkles deepened. Dignity vanished.

"Esteemed young master!"

"Masked prodigy, your presence graces us!"

"O, peerless one—"

Arden blinked. He hadn’t even said a word yet.

He came to a slow stop, standing still while they crowded around. Some held out ornate boxes, others small crates sealed in protective sigils.

"For you," one elder from the Runekin Guild said, holding a glowing Aether-Threaded Spellcloth. "Imbued with reinforced mana veins. Perfect for refining complex spell formations."

Another from the Luminaria Order pushed forward a case containing a faintly humming Celestial Ember Core. "Rare. Stable. An excellent energy source for airborne relics. A gift, with no strings."

"Hmph," said the Ironblood clan’s elder. "Cheap tricks." He lifted a thick steel-wrapped fruit, pulsing with energy. "Stoneheart Bloomfruit. Grows once in fifty years. Hardens the body, sharpens reaction. Let the others offer trinkets."

Not to be outdone, the Noctharum Sect presented a small shadow vial. "Wraith-Tether Essence. Allows one to pass undetected through short bursts of space."

Even Zephyra shifted at that one.

And finally, the Caelum elder stepped forward, hands empty. For a moment, it seemed he had nothing left to offer.

Then he bowed slightly.

"I won’t insult you with baubles. Instead, I bring something the others dare not give." He straightened. "A noble title. An honorary seat in the Caelum bloodline. No strings, no leash. Just recognition."

The others froze.

Arden’s brows lifted just a little beneath the mask.

Even he hadn’t expected that.

But he caught himself fast, tilted his head slightly, then gave the same half-smirk he’d worn since they started crowding him.

"Well," he said casually, letting his eyes sweep over them, "you all came prepared."

He collected each gift without hesitation, one after the other. Not hurried, not humble. Like he was doing them a favor by accepting it.

But inside, he knew what he held was priceless.

And they knew he knew.

He turned slightly, letting the silence hang. No thanks. No promises.

The elders waited, watching, and measuring, desperate for a sign they’d done enough.

Arden let the silence stretch just long enough before speaking.

"I must say," he began, his voice calm, almost amused, "the clans of this kingdom are far more generous than I expected. To offer gifts this rare... to an outsider still trying to find his footing."

None of the elders replied. Of course they wouldn’t. None of them would dare admit they were trying to buy his favor, hoping to gain access to the ruin through him.

He let the moment hang before adding, "But I don’t really have much time for talk. If you plan to keep going, bring better gifts."

With that, he turned and started toward the cave entrance. The rest of his group followed behind without a word.

Zephyra gave a low snort, her tail brushing the ground behind her as she padded along. Rael glanced back once, just enough to catch the stiff expressions forming on the elders’ faces.

Arden didn’t look back. But he could feel it, the burn of their anger, the sting of their pride being stepped on.

He smirked. They wouldn’t dare act on it. Not yet.

A/N:

Send Powerstones, Tickets and Gifts for better updates

Also, leave comments and Reviews

Thank you for Support.