Alaric struck the match with deliberate calm, its flame flaring to life. Without hesitation, he touched it to the ancient scroll—its edges curling and blackening almost instantly.
"No!" Kasmeri lunged forward, his voice a mix of panic and fury, but it was too late. The parchment crumbled into embers between Alaric's fingers.
"Why did you do that?" he demanded, eyes blazing.
Alaric's gaze didn't leave the dying fire. "Because that letter was meant for my eyes alone." He watched in silence as the last flakes of ash scattered in the wind. "They are allies," he added, his voice low, almost unreadable as his gaze followed the direction where the mysterious woman and her companion disappeared.
Then, with a subtle shift in stance, he straightened and signaled Agilus to step forward from the shadows.
