Oaths Spoken and Broken
Description
In the aftermath of claiming the cursed sword, Calum proposes they all swear to keep each other's secrets—a mutual protection pact against the forces hunting them. Vixia immediately refuses with brutal pragmatism: they've all already shown a remarkable lack of discretion. The conversation devolves into cascading confessions—Daria naming the brothel, Thalara revealing her meeting with Prince Vis, Vixia pointing out that they're all equally expendable in Aurelia's eyes. Yet from this fractured attempt at unity, genuine bonds emerge. Thalara and Calum make personal oaths to each other. The party doesn't achieve their stated goal of collective trust, but they learn which individual connections they can actually rely on.
Timeline
The Cursed Blade's Burden
Calum proposes a collective oath of secrecy; Vixia refuses; cascading confessions reveal how much has already been compromised
The Cursed Blade's Burden
Despite the failure of collective trust, Thalara and Calum make personal oaths that prove more meaningful than the proposed group pact