Chapter 13 – In Search of the Truth
Adrian gripped the map tightly, his fingers pressing against its edges as if trying to decipher the hidden secrets in the irregular lines and worn marks of time. The soft candlelight illuminated the paper, casting flickering shadows on the weathered wooden walls of their refuge. Each line on the map seemed to hold its own story — a clue left by a lost man, an echo from a distant past.
"What do you think? Should we follow this map?" Adrian asked, breaking the silence that hung heavy in the room.
Cordelia stood by the window, watching the sky darken. The fading dusk was slipping away, leaving only a blanket of night over the world outside. She turned, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Are you out of your mind, Adrian? You want to follow the map of a dead man who thought he'd found a place with answers to our questions? This is madness!" The irritation in her voice was sharp as she crossed her arms, a clear barrier against the reckless idea Adrian suggested.
Adrian raised his hands in a calming gesture, trying to ease the tension growing between them.
"Just hear me out, okay?" His voice was firm but carried a hidden urgency, anxiety barely concealed behind the calm.
Cordelia took a deep breath, her thoughts swirling between clarity and doubt. She hesitated, eyes flickering from the map to Adrian, then finally gave in to the weight of silence. "Alright... go ahead."
Adrian moved closer to the table, carefully unfolding the map. The wooden surface, simple and worn by time, trembled slightly under his touch. He laid the faded paper flat, the winding lines resembling a tangled network, but it was Adrian's clear purpose that finally caught her attention.
"Look, I know it sounds crazy. But if we just stay here without direction, we're never getting out of this place, Cordelia," he said, eyes locked on the map. "The two of us alone will never be able to search for your parents in a domain this vast and fragmented."
He pointed at a marked area in the corner, tracing a delicate line like a thread connecting uncertainty to hope.
"Our supplies won't last long enough for a random search. That marked spot might be our only chance to find something — maybe some clue about the divine domain... or at least how it works."
Adrian straightened, meeting Cordelia's gaze. He knew she was right to be skeptical, but aimless wandering was more dangerous than any risk with a plan.
"If we do nothing, we're just waiting for death. But if we follow this map, maybe we'll find more... maybe even answers about your parents."
Cordelia's gaze lingered on the map, thoughts a swirling storm. What he proposed felt uncertain, yet the emptiness of doing nothing seemed far worse.
She bit her lip, feeling the weight of their choices. "You might be right... but it's still a gamble. Dangerous."
Adrian chuckled softly—not mockery, but understanding. "What here isn't risky?" His voice carried the melancholy of one who truly knew the price of survival. "This could be our chance. To find answers... to understand this place."
Cordelia looked at him, then sighed, eyes lowering as if acceptance was the only path left.
"Yeah... if we keep wandering without direction, we'll die here without knowing anything. This is the best lead we've had."
Relief bloomed on Adrian's face — a first spark of renewed confidence.
"So, you agree?"
"Yes." She laughed briefly, but the sound was short. "What's the plan?"
Adrian took a deep breath, the weight of the moment settling on his shoulders. "Tomorrow, we head to the nearest city. We gather everything we can — clothes, food... anything that'll help on the journey to that spot marked on the map."
Cordelia raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk crossing her face. "At least you're not planning to run off blindly."
"Am I really that dumb?" Adrian feigned surprise, humor in his tone.
Cordelia laughed—a clear, pleasant sound he hadn't heard from her before. "A guy who finds a heritage map and wants to run off the next day without thinking? Doesn't sound very smart," she teased.
He smiled, something warm stirring inside. Finally having someone to trust was a comfort beyond words.
"It's the first time I've seen you laugh. You should do it more," he said softly, a hint of vulnerability in his voice.
Cordelia turned toward the makeshift bedroom, her light laughter still echoing on the walls. "And you should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day. Go on, sleep."
Adrian sat for a moment, eyes on the cabin's ceiling, thoughts drifting. The wooden beams creaked softly, as if the house itself waited, tired, for their journey's next step.
He closed his eyes slowly, letting his thoughts quiet. "Mom... Dad... I'm getting closer to the inheritance. Soon, I'll know more about you."
With a silent promise for the future, he drifted into sleep, hope filling his dreams as the world outside sank deeper into darkness.
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