Hearthroot came into view by late afternoon.
The town looked the same as when we left it. Low stone buildings warmed by sun, narrow streets that smelled faintly of bread and oil, the soft hum of people moving through their routines. After everything underground, the sight of it felt almost unreal. Like stepping out of a dream that refused to let go.
We passed through the outer path without trouble. No alarms. No guards rushing to meet us. Just another returning group, dusty and tired.
Captain Edrin slowed once we reached the edge of the residential quarter. He turned, eyes moving from me to the girl walking a step behind.
Astrae.
She kept her head lowered, shoulders slightly hunched, the image of someone young and unsure. If I had not seen what she really was, I might have believed it without question.
Edrin cleared his throat. "We part ways here."
Lyra and Tomas stopped as well. Tomas stretched his shoulders, already looking relieved to be back. Lyra scanned the street out of habit, then focused on Astrae.
Edrin addressed her directly. "We're returning to the capital. You can't come with us."
Astrae nodded at once. "I understand."
"There's nothing more we can do for you," Edrin continued. "But Hearthroot is safer than the road. You won't starve here."
He paused, then looked at me. "You could stay with Theo. If he agrees."
I felt the attention settle on me all at once.
I raised a hand slightly, already shaking my head. "I'm sorry," I said, keeping my voice even. "I can barely afford my own room. I can't take responsibility for someone else. Not like that."
It was not a lie. Gold mattered. Rent mattered. Food mattered. And I had learned the hard way that good intentions did not pay for any of it.
Edrin nodded once, accepting the answer without offense. He turned back to Astrae. "Then you'll have to figure out your next steps on your own."
"What will you do now?" Tomas asked her.
Astrae did not hesitate. "I'll stay in town. Ask around and look for news." She hesitated just enough to seem uncertain, then looked at me. "I do have gold though, I was assigned as the keeper of our group's funds, it's with me when we got separated."
That caught me off guard.
She continued softly, "I won't be a burden. I only need guidance, I don't know this place well."
Lyra glanced at me, then at Edrin. "She doesn't look like trouble."
"She doesn't look like anything," Edrin replied. "Which makes it harder especially to Theo without that much fighting skill in case something comes up, but I believe he's capable enough to keep her safe with his foresight."
Their eyes returned to me.
I felt cornered in a way that had nothing to do with danger.
I sighed. "If it's just guidance," I said slowly, "I can show her around. Point her to places. That's all."
Astrae looked up, relief crossing her face at just the right speed. "That would be enough."
"Only until you find your family," I added. "Or your group."
"Yes," she said. "Only until then."
Edrin studied us both for a moment, then nodded. "That will have to do."
He motioned me aside. We stepped away from the others, far enough that voices would not carry.
Edrin reached into his coat and handed me a small pouch. It was heavier than it looked.
"Your payment," he said. "For the work. And for what you didn't put into the report."
I did not ask how he knew. I only inclined my head. "Thank you."
"I expect the full archive by tonight," he added. "Clean. Clear. No speculation."
"You'll have it," I said.
He held my gaze for a second longer. "Whatever happened down there," he said quietly, "I won't ask. But I won't forget that without you, none of us would be standing here."
I did not know how to answer that, so I did not try.
We returned to the others.
Lyra clapped me once on the shoulder. "Try not to get into trouble," she said with a grin.
Tomas gave Astrae a nod. "Take care."
"I will," Astrae replied.
Edrin adjusted his coat. "We leave at dawn, I'll inform the rest."
With that, they turned and walked toward the central road, their figures slowly blending into the flow of Hearthroot.
When they were gone, the street felt wider, quiet.
I let out a breath and turned toward my lodging. "Come on," I said. "I'll at least show you where things are."
Astrae fell into step beside me.
We walked in silence for a while. I was aware of her presence in a way I could not explain. Not threatening. Just… constant.
"Thank you," she said eventually.
"For what?" I asked.
"For not leaving me alone," she replied.
I did not answer. I was not sure that was true. I just gave her a knowing look, that the acting should be done already.
As we reached my building, I felt the weight of the pouch at my side and the weight of what I had agreed to settle deeper.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Astrae followed, quiet as a shadow.
~~~
The building I lived in was not really an apartment, at least not in the way my old world used the word.
It was closer to a stacked dwelling, a narrow stone structure with multiple living floors built around a central stairwell. Each level held a few private rooms, shared wash spaces, and a small communal alcove where people sometimes gathered if they felt like pretending they were social. Hearthroot had many of these. Practical. Affordable. Quiet enough if you kept to yourself.
I led Astrae inside and stopped near the front desk, where the keeper usually sat.
The landlord was an older Aetherfall local, a broad man with slate-gray skin and short horns curling back from his temples. He looked up from his ledger when he saw us.
"You're back," he said, recognizing me. His eyes slid briefly to Astrae. "Who's this?"
"An acquaintance," I answered automatically. "She needs a place to stay."
Before he could ask anything else, Astrae stepped forward.
"I work for him," she said calmly. "As his personal aide."
I nearly choked.
The landlord raised a brow. "You do? You look too young."
"Yes," Astrae replied shrugging her small shoulder without hesitation. "I help him organize records, errands, and communications. He is rather… busy."
I stared at her. She did not look at me. Her expression was perfectly composed, the picture of someone who had said this kind of thing many times before.
The landlord glanced between us, then shrugged. "We've got one room open. Second level down. Smaller than his, but clean."
"That's fine," I said quickly.
"Payment's upfront," the landlord added.
I reached for my pouch, then hesitated when Astrae pulled one of her own out instead and set it on the counter with a soft clink.
"I'll cover it," she said.
I turned to her. "You don't have to."
She looked at me with genuine confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"
I lowered my voice. "Where did you even get that much gold?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Do I look like a broke mortal to you?"
The words hit me a second late.
Right.
I exhaled slowly. "I forgot," I admitted.
Astrae smiled faintly. "You will keep doing that."
The landlord accepted the payment, slid a small carved token across the counter, and pointed toward the stairs. "Room's yours. Don't break anything."
"We won't," I said.
Once Astrae had settled her meager posession inside the room, I suggested we take care of her clothes next. What she wore now passed as ordinary, but it was thin, worn, torn in some places and far too delicate for someone claiming to wander alone.
We walked through the evening streets, Hearthroot already beginning to glow under lanternlight. Shops were still open. Vendors called out softly, offering food, tools, charms, cloth. The air smelled like baked grain and oil.
The cloth store was run by a beastkin woman with foxlike ears and bright eyes. She took one look at Astrae and brightened.
"For travel or staying?" she asked.
"Both," I said simply.
Astrae browsed with interest, fingers brushing fabric as though testing texture more than appearance. She chose practical things. Long tunics. Soft trousers to make movement easy. A cloak with a reinforced lining. Nothing flashy. Nothing that drew attention.
The shopkeeper wrapped everything neatly. "She's got good taste," she said to me.
I nodded. "She does."
Back at the dwelling, Astrae disappeared into her room to change and be with herself. I went upstairs to my own.
The moment I shut the door, the quiet hit me.
I set my things down and leaned against the wall for a second, letting the weight of the day settle. Then I went to wash.
The bathing room was small but clean. Warm water flowed easily, drawn through conduits etched into the stone. Hearthroot liked to pretend it was old-fashioned, but the truth was simpler. Aetherfall ran on arcane flow, structured energy shaped into function. Not electricity. Not magic the way my world imagined it. Something closer to a woven current that powered lights, water, heat, and communication without anyone needing to think about it.
I stepped under the stream and closed my eyes.
The water washed away dust, blood, and the lingering ache that never quite left my body anymore. For a few minutes, I allowed myself not to think about gods, relics, or the impossible shape my life had taken.
Later, after a simple meal, there was a knock at my door.
When I opened it, a man stood there in clean travel clothes, posture straight, expression professional. Captain Edrin's right hand. I had seen him before, usually silent, always observant.
"I'm here for the documents," he said.
I handed over the prepared archive, neatly bound. He scanned it briefly, then nodded.
"Payment," he added, handing me a heavier pouch than before.
I frowned. "This is? Captain already paid me earlier."
"From the capital," he said. "For assisting with the recovery and stabilization of a divine artifact."
I did not argue. I simply accepted it.
When the door closed again, I sat on the edge of my bed, turning the pouch in my hands.
Gold meant time. Time meant options.
I lay back and stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow would come whether I was ready or not.
And this time, I was not walking alone.