The morning after the attack brought no peace.
The innkeeper claimed ignorance, of course—eyes darting, hands wringing—but Kael could hear the truth beneath his words: fear. Not of Kael and his companions, but of something larger. Something older.
"They were looking for you," Doran muttered, arms crossed at the window. "Not us. Not the relic. Just you."
Kael didn't answer. He sat in silence, fingers trailing along the runes etched into his staff. They still pulsed faintly with yesterday's energy, like the aftertaste of fire. The battle had awakened something—not just in the weapon, but in him. The movements he'd used were not trained, not taught. They had simply come to him.
Remembered, not learned.
"You've been quiet," Arinya said from across the room.
Kael didn't look at her. "I'm always quiet."
"Quieter."
He allowed a faint smile. "Maybe I'm thinking."
"Dangerous," Doran said dryly.
Kael rose. "We leave by dusk. Whatever they were testing, I've given them their answer. They'll send stronger ones soon."
Arinya's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing. Her eyes flicked to the scar across Kael's collarbone—the one barely visible beneath his tunic. She'd asked about it once. He hadn't answered.
Now she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
By Dusk – South Gate of Vaelreth
The road out of Vaelreth twisted through narrow mountain passes and crumbling bridges, remnants of an empire that had once ruled from sea to sea. Their path led south, toward the fractured territories—lands now ruled by smaller factions, tribes, and relic-hunting mercenaries.
It was there, Arinya had said, that they might find a Seer. One who could interpret the symbols burned into Kael's soul.
But that was only part of her truth.
She rode slightly behind the others, her eyes scanning the dense forests lining the road. Each step of her horse felt heavier now, like the weight of her mission was sinking deeper into her bones.
Capture him, if possible. Kill him, if necessary. The words had been spoken by her superior—the one she called Mentor, the one she still respected.
But she hadn't expected Kael to be… Kael.
The stoicism. The fire beneath it. The way he carried pain without letting it rot him. And then there was the blind clarity, the strange way he saw more than most with perfect vision.
It made things… complicated.
A sharp whistle from Doran pulled her from her thoughts.
"Company," he said quietly. "Up ahead."
They dismounted. Kael leaned against his staff, head tilted slightly. "More hunters?"
"No. Flag's green."
Indeed, it was. A caravan of traders, guarded by hired swords, approached along the road. Dust and laughter followed them. A woman in crimson silks waved as they passed. "Heading south? Watch the western pass. Heard rumors of flame-birds."
Kael's brow lifted. "Flame-birds?"
The merchant nodded. "Wings like fire, voices like grief. Stay off the cliffs after dark."
"Charming," Arinya muttered.
That Night – Campfire Beneath the Stars
The fire crackled softly, casting shifting shadows against the rocks. Kael sat apart, his staff resting across his lap. Arinya and Doran shared a low conversation near the edge of camp, though Doran kept throwing glances at Kael when he thought no one noticed.
"Doran's growing suspicious," Kael said without looking.
Arinya blinked. "Of what?"
"That you're not just here to help me."
Silence stretched between them.
"Is he right?" Kael asked, voice almost too calm.
Arinya hesitated.
She could lie. Say something clever. Shrug it off. But the truth teetered at the edge of her tongue like a blade hanging over fire.
Instead, she asked, "Do you trust me?"
Kael didn't move. Didn't speak. But his fingers tightened slightly on his staff.
"I don't know yet," he said. "Should I?"
She met his blind gaze, knowing he couldn't see her—and somehow feeling like he still did.
"I haven't betrayed you."
"Yet."
A gust of wind stirred the flames. Arinya looked away.
"That mountain I saw in my vision," Kael murmured, "I think I died there because of someone I trusted."
She swallowed hard. "…You don't know that."
"No. But I can feel it. Like the memory's burned into the relic. Into me."
A long silence passed between them.
Finally, Arinya stood. "We should rest. We have a long road ahead."
Kael nodded once. But even after she lay down, her back to the fire, she could feel his presence—awake, listening, waiting.
And for the first time in weeks, Arinya wished she could forget her mission. Just for one night.
Far Away – Unknown Location
Within a chamber of cold obsidian walls, a figure knelt before a circle of flame.
"He has awakened it," a deep voice spoke. "The relic responds."
Another figure, draped in crimson, stepped forward. "Shall we send the Ravagers?"
"Not yet. Let the one embedded among them finish her task."
The fire flared briefly.
"And if she fails?"
"Then we send someone he will not expect. Someone from the past."