She let out a scoff or a laugh or both “Hardly. Just curious.”

“Right,” he said slowly, dragging the word out. “Well, curiosity costs extra.” He tapped two fingers on the table. Aurora sighed and dug into her pocket again, sliding more bills across. “Talk.”

Ben tucked them away and continued “Alright. The real reason? They had something nobody else had, a relic. The Moonveil Stone or something. Said to be a gift from the Moon Goddess herself. Could heal any wound, break any curse, amplify their powers tenfold. It was the heart of their strength. But a heart like that? Everyone wants to rip it out.”

Aurora frowned. “So...