Dawn had not yet broken, but the horizon glimmered with the faintest hint of blue—an early whisper of morning that made the forest look softer, more fragile, as though the night's darkness had been only a temporary veil. Liora walked beside Kaelan in silence, listening to the muted crunch of leaves beneath their boots. The tension in the air was no longer sharp; it had shifted into something quieter, deeper, almost contemplative.
Kaelan's aura, though still flickering like an untamed flame, felt calmer than it had hours before. Not stable—never stable—but steadier, as if Liora's presence had wrapped itself around him like a guiding tether.
They reached a small clearing surrounded by moss-covered stones, a place that looked untouched by moonlight or memory. Kaelan stopped, scanning the trees with an almost instinctive alertness.
"We should rest," he said quietly. "Just for a moment."
