Elias spent a little more time in his room before finally heading downstairs. The day before, he had instructed Vael to head out into the Embergrove Forest this morning to hunt—not just to grow stronger, but also to gather some beast corpses for extraction. So it was no surprise that Vael wasn't standing outside the door when Elias stepped out.
The hallway was quiet.
Just as Elias began descending the stairs, one of the doors on the lower floor creaked open. Raya stepped out.
She was no longer in armor.
Now, she wore a tightly bound quilted tunic. The dark linen, slightly stained with sweat and dirt, clung to her form. It was obvious she had worn it for a long time—probably the only thing she had during her time in the Embergrove Forest.
Elias paused mid-step.
