Space stretched.
Then folded back into place.
Two figures stepped out of the distortion and into the dark expanse near Orimund.
The twin red suns burned quietly in the distance.
The planet below turned as if nothing had happened.
Zane exhaled lightly.
"We're finally back."
Eirenyssa hovered beside him, posture straight despite everything that had happened.
"Yes, my lord."
For a moment she simply looked at the planet, as if confirming it was truly still there. Then she turned back toward him.
"My lord, we should return to the academy quickly. They must be—"
Zane raised a hand.
"Yeah, we will."
He paused mid-sentence and glanced down at himself.
His white shirt was torn through in several places, edges burned and ripped from the earlier battle. There were faint scorch marks, a few dried streaks of blood that hadn't fully vanished, and one sleeve barely hanging on by threads.
He looked at Eirenyssa.
