The surface air felt wrong after the ruin.
Brighter. Louder. Real.
Kael squinted as they emerged from the cavern mouth, blinking against the pale sun. His muscles ached not from the climb, but from something deeper. Whatever had happened in that vault… it hadn't left him.
Tessan was the first to break the silence. "We made it out."
"Mostly intact," Ryall said, hoisting the sack of monster parts over his shoulder. "A few bruises. A few new nightmares. Typical job."
Drev said nothing. His hood was up again, face unreadable. But he moved lighter now. Sharper. As if the ruin had focused him.
Elira shielded her eyes. "We'll reach Veln by nightfall if we pace ourselves. The guild will want a full report."
Kael walked behind them, dragging the tip of his scythe softly along the dirt. The shadows didn't move anymore. They lingered quietly watching with him. Waiting.
Later that night,
The city lights welcomed them back with a warmth that felt distant. Crowds bustled, merchants haggled, and drunk mercenaries stumbled through alleys laughing about kills they never made.
At the Adventurer's Guild, the reception was familiar: forms, coin tallies, and bored scribes who barely looked up.
Drev placed the sealed satchels of monster remains on the counter. "Verified. Vault-level beasts. One mutated variant."
The guild rep raised a brow. "All confirmed?"
"We have the scars to prove it," Ryall muttered.
Tessan slapped down a second satchel fragments of statues. "And this was guarding the core chamber. Not animated by aether. Something older."
The clerk looked uneasy but nodded. "Guildmasters will want this for artifact assessment. You'll get partials now, remainder after cataloguing."
Elira leaned over. "We'll need access to restricted historical records. The site was pre-Flow."
"...Noted."
They got their coin. They got their receipt. They got waved away like all the other tired adventurers with too many questions.
Later, at the inn
Ryall was already drinking by the fire. Drev had disappeared into the shadows of the upper floor. Tessan was sharpening his armor's edge outside.
Kael sat by the window in their rented room, staring out at the city.
Elira entered quietly, holding two cups of something steaming.
"Drink," she said, offering one.
He didn't ask what it was. He drank.
"What happened to you down there?" she asked after a moment.
"I don't know."
"Liar."
He looked at her.
She didn't flinch. "You touched something you weren't supposed to. And it didn't kill you. It merged with you."
Kael looked down at his hands. "I don't know what I am."
"You're something dangerous."
He nodded. "And I want to understand it. All of it."
Elira hesitated. "That path doesn't lead to peace."
"I'm not looking for peace."
She studied him for a long moment. Then: "There's someone in the Inner Guild. An old contact. She doesn't owe me anything… but she studies things like this. She might help."
Kael's voice was soft. "Then I'll find her."
Elira stood, drained her cup, and left.
Kael stayed by the window. Watching.
Waiting.
The shadows stirred slowly, almost gently.
He whispered to them.
"I'm not afraid of you anymore. But I need more. I need to be more."
The shadows didn't answer.
But they listened.