The mist had begun to thin by morning, burned away in ragged patches by the pale light of the rising sun.But the unease clung stubbornly to the stones of the Enclave, thick as old blood.
Cael hadn't slept.
He sat alone on the southern wall, legs dangling over the crumbling edge, staring toward the horizon where the broken peaks of the Eastern Teeth loomed against the sky.
Every breath felt heavy.
Every heartbeat louder than it should have been.
Sidney Reilly — the charming merchant's son — lay sleeping in one of the side rooms, his face smooth, peaceful.But Cael knew now.He knew.
And with that knowing came a burden he wasn't sure he could carry alone.
The world was bigger than he had imagined.Darker.
The Enclave — these shattered stones, these half-forgotten lessons — would not be enough.Not anymore.
A soft scuff of boots on stone made him turn.
Korr approached, his battered cloak wrapped tight against the morning chill.The old warrior moved slowly, but there was a purpose in his step.
He stopped beside Cael, looking out across the jagged land.
For a long time, neither spoke.
Only the wind answered, whispering across the ruins.
Finally, Korr broke the silence.
"You've grown," he said simply.
Cael glanced at him, unsure if it was meant as a compliment or a judgment.
"You see the traps now," Korr continued. "The smiles hiding blades. The promises that carry poison."
Cael said nothing.
"You have a good heart, boy," Korr said. His voice was low, almost regretful. "But good hearts get broken if the hand behind them isn't strong enough."
Cael stared out at the land, fists tightening at his sides.
"I'm getting stronger," he said.It came out harsher than he intended.
Korr nodded. "I know. That's why we need to talk."
Cael turned to face him fully now, heart beginning to pound faster.
"You have dreams," Korr said. "Vengeance. Justice. Power. Whatever name you give it... it drives you."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"And I support that. I always have. Your father... he would have too."
Cael's throat tightened, but he forced himself to stay silent.
Korr looked away for a moment, his eyes distant.
"But this path you want — it's not a road for men like me to walk anymore."
For a heartbeat, Cael didn't understand.
"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "You've taught me everything. You've been there since—"
Korr raised a hand, stopping him.
"I was there to make sure you survived," he said. "To sharpen your blade. To teach you how not to die stupidly."
He smiled faintly, a sad twist of his mouth.
"But survival and conquest are not the same thing, Cael."
The words hung in the cold air between them.
"I don't care," Cael said, voice low and furious. "You think I can't do it with you watching? That I need to be alone?"
Korr shook his head.
"This isn't about need. It's about what comes next."
He stepped closer, laying a calloused hand on Cael's shoulder — heavy with meaning.
"The world beyond these hills isn't like the Enclave. There are games you can't even see yet. Powers that would crush men like me without a thought. If you cling to me... you'll never grow past the boy who survived the Trial."
Cael pulled away, anger flashing hot behind his eyes.
"So you're abandoning me?"
Korr's face remained calm, but Cael saw the flicker of pain there.
"No," he said quietly. "I'm setting you free."
Cael clenched his fists, jaw tight.
He wanted to scream, to rage — to demand that Korr come with him, fight beside him, see this through to the bloody end.
But part of him, deep down, already understood.
He just hated it.
Hated how right it sounded.
"Fine," he bit out. "Go back to your ruins. Rot here if you want. I don't care."
He turned away sharply, jumping down from the wall and striding off toward the center of the Enclave without looking back.
The mist swallowed him within moments.
Korr stood alone, staring after him.
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his graying hair.
"I could have found better words," he murmured to no one.
The wind carried the regret away.
The rest of the morning passed in uneasy silence.
Sidney remained unconscious, still recovering from his wounds — or at least pretending to.
Fen tried to lighten the mood with jokes, but even he seemed to feel the crack running through their little group now.
Rell busied himself fixing one of the old watchtowers, muttering under his breath the whole time.
And Iris...Iris watched Cael from a distance, eyes full of worry she didn't know how to voice.
Cael kept busy too — repairing gear, sharpening weapons — anything to keep from thinking too much.
But Korr's words gnawed at the edges of his mind like wolves.
Near midday, Cael found himself wandering the outskirts of the Enclave again, as if drawn there by some invisible pull.
He kicked stones into the crumbling wells, traced old battle scars carved into the walls, memories of wars long forgotten.
Setting you free.
Was that what this was?
Freedom?
It felt more like being abandoned.
He sat down heavily on a mossy stone, staring at his hands.
They were calloused now — hard from training, from fighting, from surviving.Stronger than they had ever been.
But they still shook, just a little.
He hated that.
If you cling to me... you'll never grow past the boy who survived the Trial.
Maybe Korr was right.
Maybe clinging to the past would only chain him.
But he wasn't ready to forgive it yet.
Not yet.
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, long shadows stretching across the broken earth, Cael heard hurried footsteps approaching.
He stood quickly, hand going to his sword.
It was Iris.
She skidded to a halt in front of him, breathing hard.
"Sidney," she gasped. "He's awake."
Cael's heart kicked into a faster rhythm.
Without a word, he followed her back toward the Enclave.
And deep inside, a grim certainty settled in his chest.
Whatever was coming next...
He would face it without Korr.
Without Rell.
Without the old safeguards.
This was his path now.
His alone.