Kael did not return to the Neverdie Realm. He left a message for Kira via a bird of prey, then veered southwest. He flew high, above the demon lands, then crossed the Rift. The human world opened beneath him, vast, ever-changing.
He landed at the edge of a forest, far from the roads. There, he concentrated. His body changed. The horns vanished, his features softened, his skin took on a paler hue. His grey-red eyes became simply grey. He looked human.
He studied his reflection in a puddle.
"Perfect," he murmured.
Then he walked.
The palace was far away, deep in the ancient lands he had once controlled. He crossed villages, fields, forests. The humans went about their business, not noticing him. Some spoke of war, others of harvests. Life went on.
He reached the palace at dusk.
It was an immense building, swallowed by vegetation. The walls were covered in ivy, the roofs collapsed in places. The doors were closed, but not sealed. No one guarded the entrance.
Kael pushed the door open.
The interior was cold, damp, silent. Tapestries hung, torn. Furniture was overturned. Ancient footprints covered the floor.
He moved forward slowly.
He had built this palace during the war. Not out of vanity. Out of necessity. He needed a foothold in the human world, a fortress, a symbol. He had ruled there, as best he could, between battles.
He remembered the halls full of officers, messengers. Nights spent studying maps. Dawns spent shouting orders.
All of it seemed so far away.
He climbed the stairs. His footsteps echoed in the void. He found the throne room. The seat was still there, massive, covered in dust. He approached, placed his hand on the armrest.
"I have returned," he said softly.
The palace did not answer.
He explored the corridors, the chambers, the kitchens. Everything was abandoned. The humans had not dared to loot the place. Too many memories, too much fear.
In a room at the back, he found scraps of maps, shards of glass, an overturned chest. He crouched, picked up a piece of parchment. It was a list. Names. Villages.
"Do you remember?" asked a voice.
Kael turned.
A figure stood in the doorway. A woman, dressed in rags, her hair grey. Her eyes gleamed with a strange light.
"Who are you?" asked Kael.
"A servant. Once."
"You stayed?"
"I have nowhere else to go."
"This palace is in ruins."
"It still stands. That's already a lot."
Kael straightened.
"Do you know who I am?"
"I know who you were."
"I still am."
"Then you know what happened here."
"The war."
"Yes. And the end."
The old woman stepped forward.
"You left. The soldiers left. The generals died or went home. And we, the servants, stayed."
"Why?"
"Because it was home."
Kael clenched his fists.
"I shouldn't have left."
"You had no choice. You were defeated."
"Defeated by a spell."
"A defeat is still a defeat."
The woman sat on a stone.
"Do you want me to tell you?"
"Yes."
"After the battle, the heroes came. They searched the palace, looking for artifacts. They found nothing. So they left. The nearby humans were afraid. Some fled. Others prayed."
"And you?"
"I stayed. I knew the traps, the secret passages. I hid."
"You survived ten years here?"
"Yes. Alone, most of the time."
Kael looked at her.
"You're brave."
"No. I'm stubborn."
He almost smiled.
"It's the same."
"Perhaps."
They remained there, in the half-light, amid the ruins.
"Why have you returned?" asked the woman.
"To remember."
"Remember what?"
"The war. What I was. What I lost."
"And?"
"And I remember."
He stood.
"This palace will be restored."
"By whom?"
"By me."
"Have you returned to stay?"
"No. I've returned to understand."
"Understand what?"
"Why I was defeated. And how to close the door the spell opened."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"You speak of the Golden Cage."
Kael froze.
"You know that name?"
"Yes. A mage came here years ago. He was looking for the same book you are, I think."
"What mage?"
"A human. Old. He said the Golden Cage was an abomination."
"Is he still alive?"
"I don't know. He spoke of a sanctuary in the mountains."
"Where?"
"To the north. Near the ruins of Carvenne."
Kael felt his blood warm.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"If you ever need anything—"
"I need nothing. Just silence."
Kael nodded.
He left the palace, leaving the old woman alone in the ruins.
The wind was rising.
And somewhere to the north, a mage might be waiting.