The campfire had long died down, leaving only faint orange embers glowing beneath ash. Morning came cold and gray, with mist lingering low between the trees. Mai was already up, pacing the perimeter silently. Tiffany stirred shortly after, her golden eyes half-lidded, hair tangled but elegant as ever.
Duncan was the last to rise. He emerged from his bedroll groaning softly, stretching his arms. The purple of his hair caught the weak sunlight, and his calm eyes scanned the area with practiced care.
"We should keep moving," he said, his voice still slightly raspy.
Mai turned sharply. "You don't get to give orders."
Duncan blinked, confused. Tiffany raised an eyebrow.
Mai stepped closer to him. "You disappeared. You were there when OUR village burned, weren't you?"
Duncan's jaw tightened.
"Say something," she demanded.
He looked down. "I was a soldier back then. Sent to observe. Not to intervene."
"But you could have."
Silence.
Without thinking, Mai's hand flew up. A sharp slap echoed in the quiet forest. Duncan didn't block it. He just took it. His face turned slightly from the force, but he didn't retaliate.
Tiffany stood up. "Okay, tension's fun, but we've got a mission."
Mai turned away. Her hand trembled slightly.
They packed quickly and headed out. The map they'd been given showed a valley not far off, rumored to have ruins tied to the Flower Bearers. Duncan walked behind the girls most of the time, silent, though his eyes rarely left them.
Later that day, as they passed through a narrow canyon, Tiffany broke the silence.
"So, Purple Boy. What's your deal now?"
Duncan smirked faintly. "Trying to help. Fix a few things."
"Fix? Or ease your guilt?"
"Maybe both."
Mai didn't respond, but she heard every word.
By afternoon, they reached the ruins — an ancient structure carved into the mountain itself. Symbols of the four flowers covered the broken stones. One of them, a blackened violet, pulsed faintly.
Duncan placed his hand on it. The stone glowed — just for a second.
"Violet recognizes you," Mai said.
"It should," he replied. "It almost broke me."
Tiffany circled the place, fingers tracing lines on the wall. "These aren't just ruins. They're a message. From the first Bearers. About what happens when you lose control."
Mai stepped beside her. "We're all losing something."
"Then maybe that's what makes us human," Tiffany answered.
That night, they sat again by a fire.
But something was different. Mai didn't look away from Duncan. Tiffany didn't make sarcastic remarks.
And Duncan? He finally smiled — just a little.
The embers flickered. And old bonds, though bruised, had begun to reforge.