CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN - THE IMPOSTOR'S SCHEME

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Anna paused, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light. The chamber, so recently the site of their interrupted ritual, was in disarray. Candles lay overturned, their wax spilled across the intricate symbols painted on the floor. The circle of salt and herbs was scattered, its protective power broken. But it was the altar at the center of the room that drew Anna's attention. The small, ornate box that had contained the ritual components was open, its contents strewn about. And the most crucial items – the ancient runestones and the fragment of the artifact they had managed to recover – were missing. "No," Anna whispered, a cold dread settling in her stomach. She approached the altar, carefully examining the scene. It was then that she noticed something out of place – a small scrap of paper tucked beneath the overturned box. With trembling fingers, Anna unfolded the note. The handwriting was unmistakably Lucas's, but the words sent a chill d