The remaining day wasn't anything special—except that Kael had to fly the criminals who said they didn't want to stay in the village to the city.
But well, Kael had promised them, and he wasn't one to go back on it.
He helped them land some distance from the city, as they asked, and then flew back.
After all that, he supervised the villagers, including the criminals, who were working despite feeling weak.
Then, by seven in the evening, Kael called it a day.
The night came early in the village.
The laughter that had echoed all afternoon from the children was now a faint murmur behind shuttered windows.
Even the forest beyond seemed to settle, its usual nocturnal rhythm softened—as though the world itself was holding its breath, waiting.
Inside Kael's home, warmth lingered in every corner. The faint scent of pine and herbs mixed with the quiet crackle of the hearth.
