The battlefield had fallen silent.
Smoke drifted lazily through the scorched air. The squad of soldiers, still tense, stood with weapons lowered but not relaxed. In front of them, Julian's group remained calm, unshaken, as if they had done this a hundred times before.
Lieutenant Celestia Virelle narrowed her eyes.
She stepped forward, her silver braid slightly loosened from the earlier fight, voice as cold and unreadable as ever. "Thank you… for saving us," she said flatly.
Julian gave a light nod. "It's nothing."
"Are you part of any known faction?" she asked cautiously.
Julian shook his head. "No. But we've been looking for someone." He glanced at Aya beside him.
Understanding his cue, Aya stepped forward and pulled a slightly wrinkled photo from her coat, a photo of a man and a teenage boy.
"My father's name is Elien Claint, and this is my little brother, Claus Claint. We've been looking for them," she said softly.
