The heroes' party had spent the better part of the day in Frost-haven, moving from tavern to tavern, questioning guards, merchants, and reluctant hunters. The locals were tight-lipped at first, their eyes filled with fear whenever the name "Lord Dox" was mentioned. Many refused to speak at all. Some muttered prayers under their breath and turned away. Others claimed they had seen strange violet lights in the mountains at night or heard stories of travellers who entered the Shadowed Vale and never returned.
It took persistent pressure, offers of gold, and the subtle use of the Head Mage's truth-sensing magic before the information finally began to flow. An old hunter with a scarred face and trembling hands eventually broke. He leaned in close, voice barely above a whisper, and told them of an ancient ruined fortress deep in the mountains, a place the locals called the Black Spire. He said he had seen a large group matching Zon's description heading in that direction days earlier, carrying what looked like a prisoner. "They were heading toward the Shadowed Vale," the old man rasped. "If your fifth hero is with them, he's already in Lord Dox's territory. Few who enter that place come back the same… if they come back at all."
Liam's eyes gleamed with dark excitement. "Finally. We move at first light.
The party spent the rest of the evening preparing. Weapons were sharpened, armour was checked, and mages reinforced protective spells. Liam paced restlessly, his fists clenched. "The fifth hero was a mistake. A was a criminal. When we find him, I will personally drag him before the King in chains. The world will see who the real saviour is."
The Head Mage watched him with quiet concern but said nothing. She knew the stakes were higher than Liam's ego. Lord Dox was no ordinary enemy. If he had the fifth hero, the balance of the entire kingdom could be at risk.
Meanwhile, in a hidden stronghold carved into the mountains, Lucius was thrown roughly into a cold stone prison cell. His body hit the floor with a dull thud. He was still incredibly weak. The wounds from the battle with the Heart and the ambush had not healed properly. Every movement sent fresh waves of pain through him, and the tripled exhaustion made reality blur at the edges. He kept blanking out, slipping in and out of consciousness. One moment, he was staring at the damp ceiling; the next, he was lost in darkness again.
The cell door creaked open.
Zon stepped inside first, followed by Lord Dox himself. The villain's presence filled the small space like a living shadow, tall, cloaked in black and violet, his eyes glowing with centuries of barely contained hatred.
Dox looked down at the weakened Lucius and smiled slowly.
"You're awake," he said, his voice deep and resonant. "Good. I've been waiting for this conversation."
Lucius tried to sit up, but pain shot through him like fire. He gritted his teeth and managed to lean against the wall, his breathing ragged. "Who… are you?"
Zon chuckled. "This is Lord Dox, the true power behind our power. The one who has been hunting you since the day you lost control."
Dox crouched down so he was closer to Lucius's level. "I have plans for you, fifth hero. The curse you carry is ancient and powerful. I will use it to reshape this kingdom. You will become my greatest weapon. The shadow inside you will be mine to command."
Lucius's voice was weak but cold. "Why? Why do you want revenge so badly?"
Dox's smile faded. For a long moment, he was silent, staring into the distance as if seeing memories no one else could. Then he began to speak, his voice low and filled with decades of pain.
"I was once like you," Dox said. "I was summoned as the fifth hero in a time long forgotten by most. The kingdom called for heroes, and I answered. But the shadow never came to me. The other four received their blessings immediately: power, glory, and respect. I was left with nothing. The nobles laughed at me in the halls. The royals treated me like a joke. The King himself called me 'the useless fifth' in front of the entire court. They mocked me, beat me up, humiliated me, and eventually cast me aside like garbage. They said I was proof that the summoning ritual was flawed. They stripped me of my title and threw me into the dungeons for daring to question their cruelty."
Dox's eyes burned with old rage as he continued, his voice growing darker and more cruel.
"I spent years in the dark, broken and forgotten. They beat me. They starved me. They told me I was worthless. The King's own guards laughed while they kicked me. One noble even suggested they should have killed me when I was first summoned to save the kingdom from embarrassment. They created this hatred. They created me. And when I finally escaped, I swore I would make them all pay. I learned the truth about the curse that runs through this kingdom; it is ancient, older than any hero or king. It has always been here, flowing through the land itself. I learned to listen to it. I learned to wield fragments of it. The shadow you carry… I sensed it the moment you were summoned. It never chose me, but I found it anyway. I studied it. I mastered pieces of it. And now I will use you to finish what they started. The royals thought they could bury me in the dark. They thought they could break me. Instead, they created the monster that will destroy them all."
Lucius listened in silence, his weak body still trembling from pain. He could barely keep his eyes open, but he forced himself to stay conscious.
Dox stood up slowly. "You are the key, Lucius. The vessel I have been waiting for. Together, we will bring this rotten kingdom to its knees."
Later that same day, another group arrived at Frost-haven, but much later than the heroes' party.
Dave, Captain Harlan, the remaining crew, and the royal messengers rode into town under the cover of dusk. Dave has gotten better, but still has to ride with Harlan on the horse.
They immediately began asking for information, moving from tavern to tavern and speaking with locals. Dave insisted on joining the questioning. His small voice trembled as he asked, "Have you seen a man with dark power being taken through here? Please… he's my brother."
The locals were hesitant at first, but the presence of the royal messengers and the obvious desperation in the boy's eyes eventually loosened some tongues. They learned that a group matching Zon's description had passed through days earlier, heading toward the Shadowed Vale and an ancient ruined fortress deep in the mountains.
Harlan placed a hand on Dave's shoulder. "We're getting closer, lad. Rest now. Tomorrow we move."
Dave nodded weakly, but his small fists were clenched. "We have to find him before it's too late."
The town of Frost-haven, unaware of the storm gathering around it, prepared for another cold night.
But two different forces were now in the same place, all hunting for the same man.
And none of them knew the others were so close.
All were heading toward the same dark valley where Lord Dox waited.
But none of them knew the truth.
Lord Dox had known about the heroes' party, about Dave, and about Harlan's crew the entire time.
He had prepared a special present for all of them.
And in the heart of the Shadowed Vale, the trap was already set.