Chapter 43 Secrets in Starlight

The weight of responsibility settled heavily upon Friesland's shoulders as he addressed his team gathered in the makeshift war room within the mansion. Elizabeth, pale but resolute, sat beside him, a map of Blackwood Forest sprawled across the table. Alistair Thorne, his weathered face etched with grim determination, stood before them. "Time is of the essence," Alistair declared, his voice raspy. "The Blackwoods intend to conduct their ritual at the hidden temple during the upcoming lunar eclipse. We have less than three days to find the remaining guardians and stop them." The map before them seemed to pulsate with hidden dangers. The vast expanse of the Forest, with its ancient trees and tangled undergrowth, held the secrets they desperately needed to uncover. "According to Elizabeth's vision," Friesland said, tracing the path with his finger, "the temple lies deep within the heart of the Whispering Glade, a place rumored to be haunted by lost souls and malevolent spirits." A shiv