Vale leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze drifting to the dimly lit window. The room was quiet except for the faint crackle of the fire behind him. He had just finished going through a stack of reports, his mind already shifting to the next task. "Bring me the report on Kael's journey," he said without looking up, his voice low and precise.
The old butler stepped forward, holding his hands together nervously. "Sir, we haven't received any new updates on Kael."
Vale's eyes flicked toward him, the air in the room growing colder. "We haven't?" he asked, his tone tightening. "Why?"
The butler hesitated. "The group we sent… they haven't reported back in several days."
A long silence followed. Vale's jaw tightened, his fingers slowly curling into a fist. "Were they discovered?" he asked, voice quiet but heavy with tension.
The butler bowed his head lower, unsure of what to say. "We… don't know."
