The forest air was thick with the scent of pine and prophecy. They ran until their legs ached, until the starmap clearing was a memory buried behind branches and bruises.
Lian led them through an old trail only the Bone Wolves remembered, paths that curled around the ancient peaks, where wildflowers still whispered old names to the wind. Kael and Sylis kept watch behind, swords half-drawn, senses flared. But the Hollow King did not follow.
Not yet.
"Where are we going?" Aure's voice was tired, but steadier now. His fingers brushed Lian's, and he didn't pull away.
"Somewhere safe," Lian murmured. "Somewhere we can remember how to feel human again."
The place was hidden beneath two crescent moons, one silver, one rusted red. An old stone sanctuary carved into the mountainside, overgrown with vines that glowed faintly in the dark. A natural spring bubbled nearby. Birds sang, unbothered by old wars or coming ruin.
Lian laid out his few belongings by the fire. "Rest. I'll take watch."
But Aure shook his head. "Stay.Just a while."
And so they sat together, Aure, Lian, Kael, and Sylis. Four souls bound by flame, prophecy, and choices made in lifetimes they barely remembered.
Kael cooked something over the flames, roots and wild herbs, mixed with dried meat from his pack. "It's not palace food," he muttered, "but it won't kill you."
Aure laughed,a real one this time, sudden and startled. Sylis looked over, surprise flickering across his usually unreadable expression.
Lian caught the sound like it was a fragile thing, afraid it might vanish again. "It's good to hear you laugh."
Aure looked at him. The fire reflected in his eyes. "It feels… strange. But I want more of that. Not battles. Not forgotten prophecies. Just… this. A quiet place. A sky that doesn't watch me like it knows what I've done."
"You haven't done anything wrong," Lian whispered.
But even he wasn't sure if he believed it.
Later, when the others slept, Aure stood beneath the twin moons. Mist-blue hair caught the breeze. He whispered a name, soft and reverent:
"Lian."
And behind him, unseen, the shadows curled back. Watching. Waiting.
But for now… the Hollow King stayed away.
Even darkness knows when to let love breathe.